Connor's POV
Yesterday I got a call from Mum. She told me that Sapphire had come home a week ago, in the late morning, soaking wet and crying, and since then had only come out of her room once and had then come back a few hours later in the same state as before.
I told her to stay away from Ingo. And now she's gotten hurt.
So now I'm on my way home to see if she's okay.
Well she's obviously not okay.
But I'll do my best to help.
…
"Sapphire?"
It's one o'clock in the afternoon and I'm outside her bedroom door. I got here late last night and slept on the sofa because I can't get up to my old room, seeing as I'd have to go through Sapphy's room to get there.
She doesn't answer unless you count pausing in her sobs for a second as an answer.
She's been crying since she woke up around three. In the morning.
"Saph? It's Connor"
"Connor?"
God, she sounds awful.
"Can I come in? Please?"
She's silent for a few seconds and then I hear her footsteps coming to the door. When she opens it and I catch sight of her, I can't help but gasp. Her eyes and face is red and covered in tears. Her hair obviously hasn't been washed since the last time she was in the sea and it's tangled and greasy. She's dressed in the clothes she came home in a week ago and they've obviously dried while she was wearing them and haven't been washed. I can smell the sea salt on her.
She hugs me tightly and cries on my shoulder for a while. I try to comfort her but she just sobs harder.
"Shh, it's okay, you're alright. Saph, what happened to you? You can tell me. I know you've been in Ingo, I can smell it on you and I can see it in your face."
"Fa…Faro…gone. We…can't see each other…ever…never."
She dissolves into sobs again.
"I think…I can…show you."
"What?"
She doesn't answer but takes my hand in hers and cups my face with the other. She looks into my eyes and suddenly she's inside my head. Or I'm inside hers. She shows me a confused jumble of memories.
Faro and her in the sun water…his lips on her skin…his tongue touching hers…
I can sense her embarrassment. She didn't mean to show me that.
Them holding hands…Gisli showing her the valley…Faro whispering in her ear…
She gasps as she turns on to more painful memories.
His voice "I'm sorry" and the sight of him disappearing into the depths…Mum and Roger in the kitchen…tears…
Sneaking out the next day to the cove…meeting Faro…"I can't see you ever again…unless you become Mer"…"But, Faro, I can't…Mum, Connor, Sadie…"…"Then I have to go, Saph…I'm sorry…I love you"…his lips on hers for an instant then his retreating back…
She falls backwards, exhausted.
At least she's stopped crying.
"Saph, how did you do that?"
"Fa…" it obviously hurt to say his name "he can see into my mind and I can see into his and as you're my brother, I thought it'd work as well…but it's different…"
A part of what she just showed me came to my mind.
"Saph, you never would, would you? Turn into one of them?"
No answer.
"Sapphy, please don't say you've actually considered…"
She doesn't answer. I start to panic.
"No…Sapphire…"
"I'm sorry, Connor. I can't promise something that I can't be sure about."
"Don't be stupid…you don't want to be Mer…do you?"
"I'd like you to go now, please Con."
This horrible calm was much worse than when she'd been crying.
"But, Saph…"
The window blew open and she got a faraway look on her face.
"No…I won't…you can't make me" she whispered "Shut up! Be quiet! Leave me alone!"
The shouts brought the tears back and I went to close the window. I locked it with the key she keeps on her dressing table and then pocketed the key.
"Please don't leave us, Saph"
I left the room and headed for the little path that only we knew.
