Sea Dweller (Birthstone Series) Read Free

question.
    “Faema.”
     “Faema!” I said her name
like a curse. “Why her of all people?”
    Sai crossed his legs and
placed his spear in the sand at his side. Leaning forward, he rested his chin
in his hands. “I didn’t have a choice. With her father being the island chief,
I can hardly say no. Especially when my parents are pushing us together every
spare moment I have.”
    I nodded, blinking back
frustrated tears. “But there’s no one on the island who treats me worse than her.
Why do your parents want you with her?”
    Sai didn’t respond. For a
fleeting moment, I wondered if her dislike for me was what had earned his
family’s approval.
    I’d always counted on Sai’s
friendship as a constant in my life, but over the past few months that security
had sifted through my fingers like fine sand. Time with him, that had belonged
to me for as long as I could remember, was slowly being distributed against
Sai’s will to other obligations. And the worst part was the obligation was
often to a beautiful Vairdan who hated me.
    Faema’s dislike for me wasn’t
a surprise. Few Vairdans had ever been anything more than resigned to my
presence. I couldn’t entirely blame them.
    When my parents shipwrecked
nearby, they became a hardship to an island steeped in its own culture and
national pride. Once my parents settled in Vairda, they refused to adopt the
island customs and traditions, giving the islanders further reason to ostracize
us. The thing that bothered me the most was how they refused to speak of their
homeland, even though they seemed to be clinging to it as if they’d never left
it behind. Nothing they did made sense to me.
    “Faema hates anyone who
doesn’t worship her, Aylen,” Sai said, interrupting my thoughts. “Besides,
you’ve never wanted her approval.”
    This was true, and I couldn’t
deny it. While I didn’t like being detached from the rest of the island, in
particular the village, I had never wanted to be part of Faema’s inner circle.
Still, I attempted to argue my side.
    “How could she know that for
sure? What if I’ve always wanted nothing more than for her to like me? She can
make people feel really worthless, you know.” I swiped at the sand, watching as
flying particles shimmered in the golden light.
    “Vairdans may be closed
minded, but we’re not stupid.” Sai laughed. “You’ve never tried to be anything
other than what you are. I’ve never seen you try to change yourself for
someone’s approval.”
    “Other than yours?” I pushed
on his arm and Sai grinned.
    “Not even mine. If you didn’t
feel like you could be yourself around me, you would have ditched me long ago.
It’s one of the things I like best about you.”
    His comment annoyed me.
Despite my brave facade, Sai knew I longed to be accepted.
    “That’s not completely true.
I’ve wished a thousand times to be like you and the other islanders. I want to
be pale haired, dark eyed, tan skinned, and good at being Vairdan.” I hesitated
before finishing my final thought.  “I know our friendship would be easier,
maybe even more if I was a native - if I looked like a native.”
    “Aylen. . .,” Sai began, but
I cut him off.
    “Sai, I’ve always appreciated
your lack of prejudice, but even you can’t help but see what everyone else on
this island sees. When Faema points out my freckles, dark hair, and lack of
island abilities, you have to admit you see it too. And whether you want to
confess to it or not, somewhere in your heart, it embarrasses you.”
    “It doesn’t embarrass me,”
Sai said, a note of uncertainty in his voice.
    I pursed my lips in thought.
Pulling out the odd stone Sai had given me, I turned my gaze on him. “Can you
honestly say my poor attempts at fishing, hunting, and even my below average
swimming abilities have never made you ashamed of me?”
    Sai was silent.
    “And can you truly tell me
you have never compared me to Faema and found me wanting?”
    His lack of response was