The Island With No Parallel

The Spy (part 1)

Kailu came in the room holding a bag of onions, garlic, and honey. She took one look at the scene and asked, “What happened here? Where’s Yunara?”

She asked the question in Spanish.

“You speak Spanish?” Manuel questioned in the same language.

“My papa often traveled to Spain to trade for supplies. It made for cheaper shipping. Sometimes he brought me with him.”

Manuel was too caught up in what had just happened between Yunara and him to be as impressed as he should have been. “Well, Yunara didn’t want to treat me,” Manuel said, stepping over the water on the floor and taking the bag from her. “Thank you. I don’t need anything else.”

Kailu looked at him disbelievingly with a raised eyebrow. But she shrugged, appearing that it didn’t matter to her much. “Well... alright. But I suggest you use that. Papa always treated me when I got scraped up with a paste of garlic, onions, and honey. Otherwise the infection could last for weeks or more. If we’re attacked by more Dark Ones, could be a problem,” she added on her way out.

Manuel put the bag Kailu gave him in the rubbish bin. Then he picked up the rag with alcohol Yunara threw at him. He didn’t know what Naiad mothers were doing rubbing cooking ingredients on cuts, but he knew alcohol cleaned wounds. Bracing himself, he cleaned his cut himself, biting his tongue as it flared up in protest. But he finally finished, wrapping the wound with what was left of the cloth Yunara brought as best he could manage with one hand.

“Manuel,” a voice called out.

Manuel jumped as Lorenn appeared beside him on his bed. “Lorenn!”

“Something bothering you?” she asked, from Manuel’s perspective, in Spanish.

“Why even give us a bell if you just appear when you want to?” Manuel grumbled, though refreshed to be able to use his native language. He was getting tired of speaking English all the time.

“I know you’re preoccupied right now, but I thought now would be a good moment, since you have your father’s book sitting there.”

“My father’s book?”

She flew over to the desk, the breeze from her wings opening the book and flipping its pages.

“You might want to look into a diary entry he made here. This is where he talks about a woman you’re going to have to meet.”

“A woman? The next chosen person, you mean?”

The owl chuckled, which annoyed Manuel as he wasn’t in a humorous mood. “The next chosen person you have to find is a man. An Italian pirate by the name of Luca Valentini. But that means that in order to find him, you have to be on the water, and basically, raided by him.”

“Are you telling me that we have to purposely be raided by an Italian pirate? Why are you telling me this, anyway? These matters concern Yunara more than they concern me.”

“In that, I’m afraid you’re wrong, Manuel. Yunara’s problems have everything to do with you, despite the fact you may not like it. The Ancient Ones have anticipated what Lord Stretton is doing for a long time. He’s a madman, and don’t think he won’t come for Spain, as well. His plans go beyond Caorfi, and your father was capable of understanding that, which is why he and your mother accomplished so much together. Not only that, but you must understand that you are only half human. Whether you like it or not, Ecencia is your country, and Caorfi is your world, as well. Read the book. It will help you understand your past, and will prove useful when you have to find a name you might recognize. Lucia Fuentes de Moreno might ring a bell.”