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Authors: Courtney Sheets
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the
wall of water. The rushing liquid pummeled her body but she held her ground,
her muscles screaming in protest. Mustering all the power in her, Kalama pushed
back at the wall of water. She had to protect Jack from her aunt’s wrath. And
she had to survive.
“Jack, get behind me now!” Kalama shouted over the sound of
the rushing water. He darted behind her, his face twisted in confusion and
fear. The water died down around them.
“What the hell is going on, Kalama?”
“Stupid haole mortal,” Namakaokaha’i hissed. The
woman waved a hand and the boat pitched once more. She let out a harsh laugh as
Kalama and Jack landed on the deck.
Kalama pushed herself to her knees and shouted into the air,
“Kanaloa, I call on you to help me. Uncle, please!”
Namakaokaha’i cried out in anger.
“This is our fight, guardian.”
Thunder rolled through the air and lightning split the sea.
Kalama watched as the sea beyond her aunt shifted and turned black.
“I guess I get some help from the rest of the family.”
She pointed toward the churning waters behind Namakaokaha’i.
The goddess turned to look. With a cry of anger, she launched herself away from
the boat.
The black, churning water built and built until a whirlpool
formed. Namakaokaha’i watery body seemed to melt before their eyes as she was
sucked into the whirlpool. Kalama watched as her uncle Kanaloa, the god of the
ocean, pulled her aunt under his mighty waves. She wasn’t naïve though. Kalama
knew her aunt would be back. They had to race to find the last remaining pieces
before her aunt returned or Hawaii would be lost.
“ Mahalo, anakala ,” Kalama whispered into the wind as
the waves died down and the sea calmed once more. She rose to her feet and
brushed some of the water from her clothes. They were drenched.
“Kalama, what the fuck was that?”
Chapter Eight
Kalama looked at Jack and let the minutes tick by. She
wasn’t sure how to explain what had happened, especially given the handsome
doctor’s vehement denial of magic and the mystical history of Hawaii.
“Well?” He finally pulled himself up from the desk and
sprawled in the captain’s chair, thoroughly waterlogged and annoyed.
“You’re not going to believe me,” she said, taking a step
away from him and looking out at the now calm sea.
“I just watched the ocean turn into some watery female and
you stop waves from capsizing us with your bare hands. Try me.”
She took a deep breath and counted to ten. She’d never had
to tell her mortal friends about her true identity.
“It’s complicated,” Kalama said as she turned back to face
him. He raised an eyebrow at her words. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Just tell me, Kalama. I’ve seen enough crap today to at
least listen with an open mind.”
She took another calming breath and blurted out, “I’m a fire
guardian. That woman, the wall of water, was my aunt Namakaokaha’i.”
“Why do I know that name?” Jack asked.
“She’s the goddess of the sea, hence all the waves crashing
over us and her trying to drown us.”
“Wait, your aunt is the goddess of the sea? Are you telling
me the Hawaiian Pantheon is real?” Jack looked at her incredulously. She could
almost see his scientific brain trying to process the thought. She was amazed
smoke wasn’t billowing from his ears at the effort.
“Yes, Jack, they’re real. Kane, Kanaloa, Lono, and Ku. And
of course, Pele,” Kalama paused for a moment, building up her courage to drop
the biggest bomb on her poor volcanologist. “My mother.”
He stared at her. Simply stared, not moving, and not
blinking. She watched him swallow. Minutes ticked by as Jack’s gaze never left
her face. A huge knot formed in the pit of her stomach. His face was completely
unreadable.
After what seemed like hours he finally spoke. “Pele. The
same Pele who supposedly lives in my volcano?”
“Well technically, it’s her volcano. She just lets you and
the USGS hang
wall of water. The rushing liquid pummeled her body but she held her ground,
her muscles screaming in protest. Mustering all the power in her, Kalama pushed
back at the wall of water. She had to protect Jack from her aunt’s wrath. And
she had to survive.
“Jack, get behind me now!” Kalama shouted over the sound of
the rushing water. He darted behind her, his face twisted in confusion and
fear. The water died down around them.
“What the hell is going on, Kalama?”
“Stupid haole mortal,” Namakaokaha’i hissed. The
woman waved a hand and the boat pitched once more. She let out a harsh laugh as
Kalama and Jack landed on the deck.
Kalama pushed herself to her knees and shouted into the air,
“Kanaloa, I call on you to help me. Uncle, please!”
Namakaokaha’i cried out in anger.
“This is our fight, guardian.”
Thunder rolled through the air and lightning split the sea.
Kalama watched as the sea beyond her aunt shifted and turned black.
“I guess I get some help from the rest of the family.”
She pointed toward the churning waters behind Namakaokaha’i.
The goddess turned to look. With a cry of anger, she launched herself away from
the boat.
The black, churning water built and built until a whirlpool
formed. Namakaokaha’i watery body seemed to melt before their eyes as she was
sucked into the whirlpool. Kalama watched as her uncle Kanaloa, the god of the
ocean, pulled her aunt under his mighty waves. She wasn’t naïve though. Kalama
knew her aunt would be back. They had to race to find the last remaining pieces
before her aunt returned or Hawaii would be lost.
“ Mahalo, anakala ,” Kalama whispered into the wind as
the waves died down and the sea calmed once more. She rose to her feet and
brushed some of the water from her clothes. They were drenched.
“Kalama, what the fuck was that?”
Chapter Eight
Kalama looked at Jack and let the minutes tick by. She
wasn’t sure how to explain what had happened, especially given the handsome
doctor’s vehement denial of magic and the mystical history of Hawaii.
“Well?” He finally pulled himself up from the desk and
sprawled in the captain’s chair, thoroughly waterlogged and annoyed.
“You’re not going to believe me,” she said, taking a step
away from him and looking out at the now calm sea.
“I just watched the ocean turn into some watery female and
you stop waves from capsizing us with your bare hands. Try me.”
She took a deep breath and counted to ten. She’d never had
to tell her mortal friends about her true identity.
“It’s complicated,” Kalama said as she turned back to face
him. He raised an eyebrow at her words. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Just tell me, Kalama. I’ve seen enough crap today to at
least listen with an open mind.”
She took another calming breath and blurted out, “I’m a fire
guardian. That woman, the wall of water, was my aunt Namakaokaha’i.”
“Why do I know that name?” Jack asked.
“She’s the goddess of the sea, hence all the waves crashing
over us and her trying to drown us.”
“Wait, your aunt is the goddess of the sea? Are you telling
me the Hawaiian Pantheon is real?” Jack looked at her incredulously. She could
almost see his scientific brain trying to process the thought. She was amazed
smoke wasn’t billowing from his ears at the effort.
“Yes, Jack, they’re real. Kane, Kanaloa, Lono, and Ku. And
of course, Pele,” Kalama paused for a moment, building up her courage to drop
the biggest bomb on her poor volcanologist. “My mother.”
He stared at her. Simply stared, not moving, and not
blinking. She watched him swallow. Minutes ticked by as Jack’s gaze never left
her face. A huge knot formed in the pit of her stomach. His face was completely
unreadable.
After what seemed like hours he finally spoke. “Pele. The
same Pele who supposedly lives in my volcano?”
“Well technically, it’s her volcano. She just lets you and
the USGS hang