Drag the Waters WHO Galen Blake and Sebastian Valenti WHAT Bast gets help from a stranger WHERE Crescent Bay Marina WHEN Saturday, August 15, 2015 ~2:00 PM (backdated) RATING PG
In the wake of what had been, hands down, the worst storm Galen had ever witnessed, the summer weather had returned with a blinding beauty. He was, of course, partial to the spring, but he had to admit that the heat beating down from above made the water feel that much more refreshing.
It didn't look refreshing at the moment, unfortunately. Debris and wreckage was still washing up on the beaches even days after the storm had ended. Galen had decided to help out with the volunteers who were putting in the labor hours to help clean up the town. Many of the businesses along Main Street were closed for the day, if not because they'd sustained damage then in order for the employees to lend a hand to their neighbors who had. Although it was disheartening to look around and see what the storm had wrought, Galen found that the spirit of the residents in Havenwood was quite bolstering. There was a hope and a willingness to help, and he found that even more beautiful than the sun shining high in the sky.
However, not everyone was in such high spirits. Sebastian's footsteps fell heavily on the boards of the pier that jutted out into the water leading to the slip where his houseboat had once been moored. He slowed as he reached the spot where a large, ragged, gaping chunk of planks were missing. That was where his boat had been tied. The short dock that had run alongside the houseboat, where the boat had been secured in two other spots as well, was completely missing. Now all that remained was a wide, empty space between the two boats that had been his neighbors.
Gone. It was all gone. At least he still had his truck, Bast figured. Everything he'd kept in the boat though? Gone.
It was almost funny. Not that long ago, he'd been concerned about his relationship with Becca. His feelings for her made him wary, made him skittish of being tied down, of being unable to pick up and move on whenever he wanted. Now, she was pretty much the only thing that was keeping him in Havenwood. There was nothing left to pick up.
As Galen broke the surface of the water, he couldn't help but pick up on a darker vibe that had settled close to him. He turned and looked over at the pier behind him and saw a man standing still while others were working to clean up their boats and patch any leaks that had sprung from the weather beating them this way and that. Then he noticed the man was standing at an empty space and understanding dawned. So that was why he was picking up on a sense of loss.
Swimming over in that direction, he shielded from the glare of the sun as he called up the guy. "Hey. Give me a hand."
Bast looked down in the direction of the voice and saw a younger guy treading water. Without thinking, he stepped to the edge of the pier and leaned down to offer him a hand. As he pulled, the guy pushed up on the wooden planks, and a moment later, he was standing beside Bast.
The shifter inhaled a deep breath, caught off guard by the reminder that the wound he'd sustained five days ago still wasn't fully healed. He wrapped his arm around his middle, putting pressure on the spot where his bandages were the thickest. He couldn't tell if the wound had reopened, and waited to see if he could catch the scent of blood. But the guy distracted him.
"Was it yours?" Galen motioned to the empty space.
Bast nodded. "Yeah."
The Sidhe sucked in a hissing breath and shook his head. "Tough luck."
"You're telling me. It wasn't just a boat."
Galen wasn't sure what he meant by that, so he only looked at him curiously. Now that he was closer, there was more that he was picking up on. Pain. Anger. Sadness. But maybe not as much as might be expected. There was also a resilience there, and Galen was quick to focus on that. In a small way, he tried to amplify it, to take that determination and fortify it so that things might not seem so bleak to this man. But something else nagged at him....
It was the physical pain that was annoying Bast the most at the moment. He'd suffered worse - in intensity, if not in duration - and so he was determined to push it aside and ignore it. It would heal, soon enough.
He looked up again and caught the guy's expression. Then he shrugged. "Lived there," he explained. "Pretty much everything I owned was on that boat." That boat had probably been swept out in the storm before being beaten around to the point that it had found a watery grave. Otherwise, it had probably hit rocks somewhere and people would be finding bits and pieces of it washing ashore from Havenwood to Amherst Island.
It was enough to give him a headache.
Surprise flashed across Galen's face. People lived on boats here? He'd heard that there were those who lived on and under the water in the Summer Court, but he'd never been there to see it for himself.
That thought made something click into place for Galen, and he instantly got excited. "You're--!" He stopped himself, slapping a hand over his mouth. Eros had told him that he might run into other Fae. Besides Flynnwood, that was. He'd also reminded him that it was their responsibility to keep a low profile. That was why he stopped himself from blurting it out now. It was obvious that the man wasn't all Faerie; there was something less refined about him. Not that he was unpleasing to the eye. Perhaps one of his parents had been Sidhe. They were known for their beauty. Whatever the case, he now understood that undercurrent of familiarity he'd picked up on.
"What?" Sebastian cocked his head. There was something weird about this guy, something...Bast couldn't put his finger on it. He wondered if the boy was a little slow. There was no telling what had gotten him so excited, or why he'd suddenly stopped himself from saying whatever it was that he'd been about to say. "I'm what?"
"Uhm…." Galen was at a loss. He looked away and then back to the man, his eyes going wide as he really did notice something this time. "You're bleeding!"
Bast looked down and cursed under his breath. Sure enough, he could see a dark stain beginning to spread out and soak into the white undershirt he was wearing beneath the gray and white plaid button-down he'd pulled on after finding it tucked behind the driver's seat in his truck. Great, now he was going to have to listen to Becca get on his case again about seeing that Colston guy. Apparently, the doctor was said to have ties to the supernatural in town. Bast didn't particularly care; he didn't want to see a doctor. He'd stitch himself up before he let anyone else do it.
His first instinct was to go inside and grab a bottle of whisky and the First Aid Kit he kept aboard in case of emergencies involving someone who was not him, but again…gone. He growled in frustration.
The man's emotions were becoming unstable, and Galen knew if it got really bad, he'd feel the effects of it too. "Do you need a…." No, not a healer. What was it called here? "A doctor?"
"No doctors," Bast snapped, once again putting pressure on the wound. Fucking iron.
"Okay." He thought for a second. "What about a place? Are you staying somewhere, or is there somewhere I could take you…?"
What was with this kid? Bast looked him over. He was only a few inches shorter, maybe around 6'2" or 6'3". He looked like the kind of college frat boy Bast had never been. So why did he feel the need to be so damn helpful? Was this some kind of charity project? Was he earning college credit?
Annoyed. The man was definitely annoyed. "Oh! Uh, I'm Galen, by the way. Galen Blake." He waited for the man to make his introduction as well, but he didn't. "Uhm, If you need a place just to rest or wash up, I have a cabin not that far -- "
"Do you have whisky?" Bast interrupted.
Whisky? Galen blinked. That was something the humans drank. Eros had left a bottle of something in the cabin before leaving. What had it been called…?
"Are you old enough to drink?"
"I'm twenty-four!" Galen smiled. That was an answer he knew. It was also the truth.
Christ, the kid had to be mentally challenged. Bast sighed. "Look, unless -- "
"Jack Daniels!"
Bast arched a brow.
Galen looked entirely too pleased with himself. He'd finally remembered. "I have Jack Daniels."
The shifter was quiet for a minute and then shook his head. Better to bleed in someone else's place than to get it on Becca's furniture. "Good enough. Just stop at the pharmacy on the way to wherever. I need to pick up some gauze. And maybe a needle and thread…."