Chapter 4: "Why are you doing that?"

Rebekah groaned rolling away from the light, pulling a pillow over her head. She had finally found a heavy and dreamless sleep. Zayne had his headphones in, un-caring to her whines as he repacked both of their bags. His side of the bed was neatly made, the pillow barrier gone. He has fully dressed in a form-fitting long-sleeved black t-shirt and blue jeans, his curls damp as if he ran water over them in the sink.

Glancing at the clock Rebekah sighed heavily, who has the wants to be that productive at three a.m.? What was he listening to anyway? She didn't hear a melody, but a steady stream of words. Rolling into a sitting position, making him glance up at her, taking his headphones out, "I did your laundry, I'm assuming all of it was dirty since it was all wadded into this bag."

She blinked at him dazed, eyebrows furrowing, "How long have you been up?" she croaked, pushing her bangs from her eyes rubbing sleep from them.

"About one. Couldn't sleep." He shrugged as if it was nothing.

She watched him roll each shirt methodically, stacking each outfit together. Surprised to find he was pairing them together fairly well.

"Did you pack my toothbrush?" Rebekah mused sliding off the bed. His eyes flicked to her before nodding towards the bathroom.

By the time she returned the bed was fully made, her bag packed neatly at the end of it along with an outfit laid out. Rebekah generally didn't approve of someone picking out her clothes, something she deals with at home daily. But she could tell he picked this with care because it was her most worn shirt, her only jacket, and blue jeans. It would be cold out on the water, and he knew she would just stuff her sleep clothes in the bag so he laid out a plastic grocery sack on the bed to hold her dirty clothes. Who would have thought that Zayne was a bit anal about things?

Getting dressed and grabbing her bag, she padded to the kitchen where Zayne helped Priscilla roll burritos. They were piled high with potatoes, sausage, eggs, and cheese making Rebekah's mouth water.

"There is plenty of sandwich stuff and snack foods. But this will be your only hot meal for a few days." Priscilla said to Zayne who nodded glancing up at Rebekah with a big smile.

"Morning gorgeous. Set your stuff next to mine, I'll grab it." He nodded towards his duffel bag by the door, Rebekah did as she was told her face heating at Priscilla's smile at them.

There were three burritos per person, and three thermoses lined up, "Coffee" Priscilla said to Rebekah who shook her head. "Oh, thank you. But I cannot have caffeine. It makes me sick." Zayne looks up surprised. Realizing she should have just said thank you and then not drink it. But she hated wasting. Feeling awkward now Rebekah twisted her fingers, "Great, more for me then." Zayne smiles at Priscilla stacking the last burrito in the lunch box.

"We appreciate y'all and what you have done. Are we just waiting on Reeves?" Zayne asked sweetly, his slight drawl coming out. Rebekah found it very unsettling still that his tone never matched his eyes. No one else seemed to notice how flat they were, like solid ice. Her uneasiness faded when Priscilla smiled back at him and shook her head, "No he's already out there, getting things ready. I doubt he slept much last night. The sea has been calling to him," She sighed nodding towards the window.

They head down, steam rising from the lapping waves around the doc, Rebekah's stomach tightens at the prospect of being home in a few days, unsure how this will all work out. The uncertainty of the whole trip in general.

Priscilla leans a plump hip on the dock raising her eyebrows at Reeves, who is busy ordering Zayne to put boxes, snatching his thermos from her outstretched hands, "Don't forget to feed my dog's woman." He says to her and she smiles, he shuffles his feet for a moment and then surprises Zayne and Rebekah by muttering "And I'll be safe. Whatever. Bye." In an almost affectionate tone.

Rebekah and Zayne exchange looks and Priscilla laughs waving at them, staying there until Rebekah could only make out a small dot of her bright blue housecoat. Reeves shakes his head glancing at the speck of his maid. "She always does that. Like she could do something if the boat started sinking." He scoffs spitting off the side of the rail.

The next few hours they get a crash course on how to be crew, and now they sit bored rolling a ball back and forth to each other as Reeves fishes on the other side of the deck. "Glad I don't get motion sick" Zayne sighs as the boat rocked on big choppy waves, its small size making it seem more dramatic. "Harold's boat doesn't do this." Rebekah chimed, glancing in the direction of Reeves who calls "Then use Harold's damn boat next time." And the sound of him reeling loudly.

Zayne grins at this glancing at the open water sighting, "Dad would have loved this. He loved fishing and hunting. Weirdest Asian you've ever met." He laughs at this putting a spin on his roll. Rebekah catches it with ease bouncing it back at him, "You didn't like all of that?" he shakes his head furrowing his brow at a memory. "It always upset me. He just gave up after I kept scaring away the deer." He laughed again, and Rebekah hated it. Because it was so loud, and fake. Like he heard a recording of everyone laughing, and picked the loudest one. Mimicking it constantly. Rebekah wondered how much his personality would change once the seal was broken. Would he still smile as much, because even though his ability to sense and absorb energy was muted? He could still read a room better than anyone she had ever known. Aside from Vor and Addeline. He knew all the right times to smile, to laugh, to frown.

"It makes sense that you didn't like to hunt. Your body remembered the energy of the woods and all the creatures that live in them. It's your instinct to protect, not kill" she shrugged, standing up cracking her back. Zayne didn't respond only nodded, began bouncing the ball off the wall, "Dad just said it was because I was a pussy. Your version is a lot nicer," he did that laugh again making Rebekah wince.

Rain began to pelt them lightly drawing them inside the roofed area, Reeves was indifferent. He flipped his yellow hood up and cast again. "Rain has always been one of my favorites" Rebekah sighed watching the storm blow over the endless water. Zayne looked at her his expression something she couldn't identify when noticing him staring. "You don't like rain?" she asked making him look away, his lips in a tight line, "I didn't much before," he admitted. She waited for him to elaborate but instead, he went to his bag "Do you want to play cards?"

Their afternoon was filled with different card games, then card houses, laughing whenever the sway of the boat would slide any progress off the table. Soon it went to just fidgeting with the cards while they talked about everything. From favorite childhood memories, hers when her father had finished building their big house, and Vor had her very own room. They had slept in the same bed for weeks before Vor had actually made use of it, them both too excited and scared of the big new space. Zayne's, to Rebekah's shock, was when he was put in boxing, he said it finally made his dad stop constantly worrying.

Rebekah realized the last few days of traveling with him, that Zayne's world was very black and white. Filled with nothing but static and moments of noticing things that he didn't understand. Sure her childhood was full of dark memories, but it was also full of happy ones. His had been erased, then it was just a monotonous routine of nothing every day.

They ate a dinner of left-over burritos, cold now, and sandwiches. Zayne offers to stay up so Reeves can get some sleep. Rebekah knows it is because he knows she will not be comfortable with sharing a tiny twin bunk with him.

Reeves takes him up on the offer and shows him how to work the equipment to keep them on course.

The rain picks up outside making Rebekah's anxiety prickle, unable to sit still she paces the small space watching lightning light up the turbulent sea.

"It will be fine this boat has seen plenty of storms." Reeves sighed nudging her towards the bunk, "You get top" he grunts rolling onto his bed letting out a loud sigh.

Zayne watched her pace and asked, "What do I need to expect when we get there?" Rebekah faltered walking to sit next to him at the wheel. "Well, Vor will make everyone think you have always been there. For starters." she wrapped her arms around herself leaning forward. "Sounds simple enough," he drawled leaning back in the chair, "What does something like that cost her?" Rebekah blinked smiling that he remembered what she had told him about the aumromni. "It costs her memories. So if it's a small thing, like placing familiarity in multiple people, she forgets a face. None of the," she hesitates chewing her lip, "None of the people that live in the house know any background or really the names of the servants. They just know their faces. So it's nothing big." Zayne nodded putting his hands behind his head thinking. "What about something big? Like if she wanted them to forget my face after they met me?"

Rebekah shrugged, "The same thing I'm sure, we can never be sure, but that's not something big."

"What if it was something big. An important moment. Like an action, not a face." Zayne asked leaning forward so his face was inches from hers. Rebekah wanted to move back, but she liked seeing the details in his iris, she enjoyed the clean smell of him. He didn't feel like such a stranger now that they had been together non-stop for almost a week.

"We assume, she would forget something of equal importance in her head. It's a trade-off. For example," Rebekah held up her hand "Let's say she made me forget that I had sliced my hand off, and she healed it." she wiggled her fingers, "What could be the trade-off? She's never lost her hand. But that's something big in my mind." Rebekah lowered her hand holding up her other one, "She will forget something equally. It could be anything in her life, but it will hold equal weight. It will be something just as traumatic and jarring." she lowered her hand watching Zayne process this.

"Wouldn't that be a good cost though?" his finger brushed Rebekah's knuckle of the first hand, "To forget something as traumatic?" he pulled his hand back raising his eyebrows at her. Rebekah shook her head her skin tingling where he had lingered. "Everything that happens in our life is significant and leads us to every choice we make. To lose that, you lose why you made certain decisions. Too much of this can lead to madness." Zayne leaned back and looked out the window, thinking hard on this.

"She will have to make me remembered by everyone? Wouldn't that add up to someone important in her mind?" Rebekah shook her head at his question. "She only has to make you remembered by nine people. The rest trust me and will not say anything." Zayne looks at her for a moment then nodded.

Rebekah woke to bright sunshine, the bunk bed shifting as Zayne rolled into the lower bunk.

Deciding not to get up until Zayne's soft signs of sleep filled the space, rolling from the top bunk. It was different seeing him sleep in a bed versus in the car. He slept sprawled on his back, one arm stretched behind his head, the other on his chest. His hoodie riding up exposing the v of his hips and the trail of hair from his naval disappearing below his gray sweatpants. Flushing deeply remembering him without a shirt. She had seen plenty of naked men, in all different varieties of builds. But no one prepared her for him. It was unfair. Chewing her lip, looking at the outline of everything before turning away.

Shutting the door and wandering to the deck pulling the hood of her jacket up at the rain. "It's gonna be raining all day," Reeves said casting his line, Rebekah sat at his feet, legs dangling towards the water. "Shark bait." He chuckled and she just shrugged leaning her cheek on the cold metal looking out at the waves in silence. Reeves catches something, a large silver fish who flaps around wildly on the line. The rain sliding off its sleek body, Rebekah scoots away watching as Reeves unhooks it and tosses it back in the water. "What's the point? Of catching them and releasing?" She asks looking up at him changing his lure and tossing the line back out. "It's the thought that I can catch it. Once I have it, I do not need to keep it. Besides, think of all the fun stories that fish has to tell its friends." Reeves cackles, his reel clicking slowly as he rotates it.

The day passes in boredom, even when Zayne wakes up, he doesn't want to sit out in the rain. His mood seemed to be stoic today versus his usually forced cheerfulness. The storm pushed Rebekah and Reeves back inside shortly after lunch, holding them up together in the small space. They played cards, Rebekah and Reeves rotating stories about Alaska storms.

When they ate dinner, the storm rocked the boat violently outside, "You kids have been quiet all day, the weather must have you down." Reeves states finishing his third sandwich washing it down with whisky. He had started drinking at around three p.m. According to Zayne, he had been drunk yesterday as well. Rebekah had never really been around drunk people, so hadn't picked up the tale-tale signs.

"Shouldn't you be sober to drive the boat?" Rebekah fidgeted watching Zayne clean up the island of sandwich things. Slamming the ice chest lid, he glanced outside at the loud clap of thunder. It was storming harder tonight than last night. Reeves waved her away leaning back on his barstool, "Little girl, do not ever comment on a man's drinking. It's a man's business." Zayne pushes him forward before he falls backward. Making Reeves laugh, taking another swig of the bottle, finishing it off. "You got it?" he said glancing at Zayne who only nods, his face expressionless. Reeves rolls into his bunk, Rebekah joins Zayne at the steering column and he sits watching a device that tells them their direction. The storm made it seem impossible to follow, but he seemed to know where they were going.

"You have been very quiet today," Rebekah states picking at her jacket sleeve, trying to think if he had said a single word since yesterday. She suddenly began to panic about him wanting to abandon all this. That everything has finally sunk in. Was he going to try and run once they reached the islands? An image of him trying to knock her out and go back with Reeves makes her stomach turn.

Zayne glanced at Reeves passed out then put a hand on her fidgeting hands, stopping her from picking more skin from her fingers. He pulled back before she could, shaking his head, "I'm not used to having to pretend for so long. The drive up here, and then all of this." He gestures to the boat, his face a neutral expression. Finally matching his flat eyes. Rebekah nodded, understanding, "I was wondering how long you could keep that up." He looked at her for a long moment, "You knew right?" he looked out the illuminated storm, they could see hail pelting the deck and the waves growing in size. "Of course. You had your emotions suppressed. It was the only way for her to do it." Rebekah's voice rasped, feeling sad for him. Guilt panging her chest, churning the acid in her stomach. Hadn't she thought him mentally weak the other day? But how well would she do if she felt nothing but numbness all the time? Surprising him she grabbed his hand squeezing it before pulling it away, "It won't be like that for long." She swallowed hard watching the waves grow in size.

"Is that normal?" she croaked standing up as they slowly rose with it. Zayne followed her stance, shrugging, "We are so small we seem to move with them." He said as lightning lit the sea, the rolling waves making the boat seem like a toy in the vast black water. Rebekah swallowed hard, a feeling of panic rising, "We are close to the islands, what if these are not natural waves?" she whispered as thunder cracked loudly grabbing Zayne's wrist. Hadn't Addeline said that the Auromni that guard the borders had a special way of keeping boats away? Rebekah hadn't thought of how Bruce was able to get on and off the island, but of course, they knew when he would arrive and leave. What if they were being attacked by the waves right now? "Severine thinks we are coming in on a plane, not a boat" she rasped walking up to the large window as the waves swelled. The point wasn't to kill, it was to keep away. If they turned around right now they would get out no problem. But they needed to get to the island. She realized she hadn't even told Vor what they planned. Just said they had it figured out. Stupid.

Hadn't Reeves said he had been here before? No, he had said he had been to the mainland but knew how to get to the islands. Everyone who lives on the mainland pretty much does, but they are mostly uninhabited. At least in their eyes, so they stay away. Zayne went to Reeves and shook him, but the man just snored loudly, not even hitching as Zayne shook harder. He went to the wheel, a look of uncertainty on his face, "I was only shown how to stay on course." He admits glancing at the navigation, before we can discuss it further the boat lurches to the side slinging us down, water pulsing inside under the door. Reeves slams into the wall, no longer snoring, Rebekah suspects he has been knocked out. The only sound in the cabin now was the muffled storm outside. The boat rights, they stand in ankle-deep water, the lightning growing, hail pelting the glass. The waves grew in impossible size, without thinking Rebekah grabbed Zayne as they were tilted again slamming into the wall with him. Struggling she unzipped his jacket as icy saltwater slaps them both in the face, more water flooding into the compartment. "What are you doing?" He coughs, helping her pull his jacket off, struggling to help her stand she found his right arm looking up at him with fearful eyes.

"You have to stop it!" she chokes coughing as they flip over again, and his eyebrows drop in confusion. An eerie calm washing over her, knowing what she has to do.

"Stop what?" he takes the brunt of the next blow as she barrels into him the ship jerking to the other side now, Reeves splashed across the water landing at an odd angle against the kitchen island before sliding to the floor when the boat righted for a moment. The waves became more aggressive, seeming to hit them at every side, the boat putting more and more water on. "The storm," Rebekah coughs, taking her thumbnail trying to scratch at the raised rune but she didn't have any nails left.

Gasping they both tumble across each other slamming into the wall again, Zayne tries to catch Reeves before he hits, but they are jerked again. Rebekah feared Reeves was dead at this point, and they would be too if he didn't do something. She alone had swallowed buckets of saltwater, and she was at least able to stand some before being slung around again.

"I don't know how" he yells over the storm, its volume raising the rain and hail wailing outside. Eyebrows are drawn, "I'm sorry," she says at the same time biting the rune, Zayne shouts out hitting the back of her head out of reflex. But she just clamps down on the cold skin, knowing if Aethalia had still been alive this would be impossible. His blood fills her mouth mixing with saltwater as they are jolted again. But she doesn't let go until like a glow stick the skin seems to crackle, the rune breaking. They bang heads and she is thrown back from him as the boat jolts and a wave of heat seems to be released from him.

"What the fuck Rebekah!" he cried cradling his arm, blood flowing heavily, looking black in the dim lights, his face shocked. His eyes, alive with terror.