The Souls of Drowned People

Chapter Thirty

Cillian was furious with himself for falling asleep, and at me with not waking him up. But even he had to admit that he looked better.  His voice didn’t sound as shaky, and his eyes weren’t as swollen. He still looked like he could use another eight hours, but at least he didn’t look like he was going to pass out anymore.

            Still, when I found him working on the new boat near the docks, and decided that it would be funny to nudge the side of the boat, I startled him badly enough that he flipped the entire boat over. He landed in the water with a splash, fully clothed and totally surprised.

            “Moira!” he gasped. His hair was plastered across his face. “You can’t do that to me and my poor nerves.”

            He grabbed onto the side of the docks, hauling himself back up. I stared up at him pleadingly.

            “No. No. I’m not coming back in. I didn’t even intend to the first time.” He shook his head back and forth, droplets of water flying.

            I poked the toe of his shoe with my head.

            “I’m not coming in, Moira.” He pulled off his boots, turning them upside and letting the water drip down onto my head. “It’s cold. I’m going to get sick and die.”

            I rammed into his leg again.

            Cillian sighed. He started to unbutton his shirt. “Oh, what the hell.” He jumped in again without another thought about it.

            “Having blubber must be nice, huh?” Cillian swished his legs through the water, staying moving and warm. “I’m not staying long, though. The boat isn’t gonna paint its—”

            I slapped a flipper though the water, spraying with him salt.

            “Really?” He blinked, rubbing at his eyes. “We’ve been through so much together. I tried to save your life. And you’re still going to splash me?”

            I did. Again.

            Cillian grinned. “I love you.” He tried to splash me back, but I dove under the water. Cillian tried to grab me, but I slipped right out of his hands. He didn’t manage to catch me until after I had swam circles around him, finally tired enough to not dart away when he lunged for me.

            “You’re a seal,” Cillian said. He played with a patch of fur on my head until it stood straight up in a small mohawk.

            I nodded, and nuzzled against him.

            “You’re a seal, and I love you. This is probably supposed to feel weirder than it does. But what the hell. I love you, seal or whatever you are.”

            I rocketed through the water, past the docks and out into the more open water. I wanted to swim with him, as far as we could. I wanted to race him, like the old days.

            “I’m not going to race you. You’re going to beat me. You have flippers.” I slapped my flippers triumphantly against the water, and Cillian sighed. “Fine. It gives me great pain to say this, but Moira McCabe has finally beaten me in something. Although not really. Because I forfeit.” When I threatened to splash him again, Cillian raised his hands in defeat and scrambled back up to the dock. “Fine, fine. You win, Moira.”

            I shrugged out of my seal skin, and Cillian pulled me up onto the dock. He wrapped his plaid overshirt around me, buttoning it at the collar and adjusting the shoulders.