The Lost Coast: The Second Book To Land Of Storms

XIX

The sunlight hit Gabriel's eyes. When he opened them he almost forgot where he was. There was a small window in the cabin of the ship where he spent the night. He was laying on a few woolen blankets, naked. Gabriel moved to find his clothes. He knew that Amell would be angry with him when he got back to the house.

As he was getting dressed and leaving, Walter grabed his arm. Gabriel turned around.

"Are you leaving, so soon?" Walter asked.

"Yes, I have to get back. I haven't been home all night. They'll be upset with me." Gabriel said. Walter let him go.

Gabriel left the boat. He started to walk home. Gabriel was preparing himself to be yelled at by Amell. He opened the door to find the old man on the sofa in the sitting room.

He must have stayed up and waited for me when I didn't comes home last night. Gabriel thought.

He walked over to Amell. He sat on the floor. Gabriel shook him awake.

"Where were you? I was worried when you didn't come home last night!" Amell said.

"I was with Walter." Gabriel admitted with shame.

"Why were you with him all night?" Amell pressed.

Gabriel hung his head. He didn't want to tell him the truth.

"I see." Amell said with understanding.

"I'm sorry. I know your angry with me."

"I'm not. Anymore anyway. Abigail is another story, she thought you ran away because of her. She's in the kitchen go talk to her."

Gabriel did as he was told and walked to the kitchen. He hadn't a clue on what to say to Abigail. She never liked him. What would he even say to her.

"Abigail? Are you here?" Gabriel called.

"Gabriel where have you been all night?"

"I was out...with someone who is important to me."

"How important can they be that you don't come home in the night? What were you doing anyway?"

Gabriel looked down and blushed. He was embarrassed and he'd rather not say.

"It doesn't matter. I know I haven't been your number one fan, but you shouldn't run away like that. My brother really, really likes you. I know I should treat you more like a nephew but you have to understand that I was used to the way things were." She said.

Abigail stopped and took a deep breath then continued.

"He wasn't as happy before you came. When he left in the mornings he had a smile, but when he came back he didn't want to be bothered. He looked as if something was reeling away at his heart. But with you Gabriel, he's smiling more then I've ever seen. He's happy. I guess it just upset me that you two seem to have something special." She admitted.

"I didn't know that it bothered you. I was under the influence that the both of you argued all the time."

"Not like this. Not since you came. It just make me feel that you know something about Amell I don't. He's my brother I should know."

Gabriel looked at her with wanting eyes. He wanted to tell her the truth. The truth about everything. The life long affairs the lies that love everything. He knew he couldn't, he would never betray Amell like that.

"When the time comes he'll tell you himself." Gabriel said. Then he walked out the kitchen.

There was one last person he need to talk to, Emily. He walked up to her room. She was inside playing with a doll.

"Hi Gabriel." She said.

"Emily why don't we go for a walk with Amell?" Gabriel said.

"That sounds fun!"

Emily put her doll down and they walked to the sitting room to get Amell. Amell was confused at first but when Gabriel told him his intentions he knew that it was the right thing to do. They walked to the beach. The place where everything started.

It was still early in the day, yet hardly anyone was at the beach. The three of them sat on the pier. Amell and Gabriel exchanged looks.

"Emily, you've probably pieced together by now that Malin was a real person and not just a name I put into one of my stories." Amell said.

"Amell isn't my father Malin is...was. He died a few days before I came here. I did run away from my mother and brother."

"I don't get it, why would you lie?" Emily asked.

"Well for about 22 give or take a year or a few Malin and I have had a long affair. He was a married man and a king no less. I had no idea how Abigail would react."

"He was a king?" Emily asked with wide eyes.

"Yes he was, that's where things get even more complex. The story Amell told the other night is true. He was a creature from the sea. As was I, before I made the decision to leave. I was his son, so that made me a prince." Gabriel explained.

"So how are you here now?" Emily asked the question once more.

"I found a staff. It grants you your deepest desire, mine was to live with Amell. Here I am. That's why I have to carry this staff around with me. I can't lose this. I need it to go back home." Gabriel said.

"I never started a family because I loved Malin. I could never do anything to him. Not after we got married." Amell said. "Emily I know this is a lot for a child your age but please try to understand. I loved Malin. I haven't told Abigail because I don't know how she'll react."

"Gabriel what will happen to you. Will you ever go back to your mum?"

"Maybe someday. I owe her the truth, about my father and I." Gabriel said.

Amell stood up and patted Gabriel on his back.

"Gabe, Emily and I are gonna head back. Why don't you go see your....friend." Amell said.

Amell grabbed Emily's hand. They started off on the way home. Gabriel started to walk to Walter's boat, when he saw something peculiar in the water. Upon closer inspection it was a bottle.

Gabriel picked it up. He recognized the look of it. It was a message bottle from Caspian. It was ment for him.  He ran to Amell's house. This type of bottle was only sent if something was wrong.