Oceans of Fire (Drake Sisters 3)

So much research was done on this book, but one person in particular aided me tremendously: Mike Higgins, one of the Bad Boys of BASK (Bay Area Sea Kayakers), a title earned by getting into trouble on the water too many times. Mike was kind enough to answer all my questions, open his journals to me, and share his photographs of the rocks and caves along the coast. He took the particular journey Abigail and Aleksandr did and even found me the perfect cove! I greatly appreciate his help.

Thanks to the owner and the manager of Caspar Inn, who so graciously allowed me to use their wonderful bar in my novel. I love the music and the atmosphere!

And for my son, Brian, who spent many hours with me talking over action scenes even in the middle of the night when he wanted to sleep!

These things say she

Who holds the gifts of the seven Who walks at twilight

Holding the seven golden lamps

Seven sisters intertwined

Controlling elements of air, land and sea Cannot control the fate they flee One by one, oldest to last, destiny shall claim them

When the locked gate swings open in welcome The first shall find true love

As the sisters stand in wonder

At what destiny has done

Within each sister's heart now beats passion While love turns as a key

By the time the year is ended

Each will follow thee

Remember therefore from whence you came Knowing that in the end it is the seventh That will renew the line again

Seven daughters of a seventh daughter

Each gifted each giving each tied to one another For those who have ears let them hear For those who have eyes let them see For all that I have said shall come to be

To the eldest is gifted agility, grace And the knowledge to see what future we face Second in line speaks peace with a word While the third calls truth from the unspoken word

Next comes the healer with hands that can find That which is deadly and make it unbind The fifth harnesses elements of air, wind and sea As the sixth sister sings a spell over thee

Last of the seven youngest of all Possesses the greatest gift of them all To her falls the bearing of children to be So that the line will continue and forever more be

Each gift has a challenge which must be overcome The seven free sisters must act now as one With grace and agility comes great bodily fatigue While speaking peace raises ire and continual need

The calling for truth from the unspoken word Gives way to illusion for naught has been heard She whose hands can undo death for another Will take on the illness and hope to recover

The harnessing of wind tides and sea Gives way for the unknown to be

As the spell singer sings casting her spell One misspoken word and all's to no avail

For the seventh child of the seventh daughter New corridors open holding illusion, power But which path to take and where does it lead Choices to make while each plants a seed

These things I have spoken so harken ye well For lives you are changing with each casting of spell But know in your heart when you must turn away For some will be lost as it is destiny's way

Yours is a legacy not easily borne So beware of the pitfalls and careful of thorns The gifts they are many

Born from the past

Surviving the years for the future to last From mother to daughters

And back through the line

The gifts that you carry always will bind

Prophecy written by Anita Toste,

eleventh daughter in the infamous

and magical King family,

in the year before the great wars

between Magick and Science

1

BRIGHT colors; orange, pink, and red streaked across the sky, turning the ocean into a living flame as the sun set low over the sea. Twenty feet below the surface of the water, Abigail Drake stilled, mesmerized by the sudden, rare beauty of fire pouring into the sea like molten lava.

The dolphins swimming in lazy circles around her took on a completely different appearance as the bands of orange shimmered through the water, casting shadows everywhere. She was suddenly, acutely aware of night falling and that just a few feet away, murky darkness could so easily hide danger. She knew better than to dive alone. It was one of the stupidest things she'd ever done, but she hadn't been able to resist when the day had been so perfect and she'd spotted the wild dolphins and knew they'd come looking for her.

Sea Haven on the northern California coast was her hometown. Abigail was one of seven sisters born to the seventh daughter of the magical Drake family, each gifted with unique talents. The Drake sisters were well known in Sea Haven, protected, cherished even, and it was the one place they could relax and be themselves. Except Abigail. Only here, in the sea, was she truly at peace.

The northern California coast was also home to several species of dolphin and she knew most of them, not only by sight, but also by their signature whistles. A signature whistle was as good as a name and most researchers agreed that dolphins used each other's name when communicating. This particular group of dolphins had a signature whistle for Abigail and she'd heard them calling to her as she stood on the captain's walk of her family home. She'd been away for months researching in other oceans far away, yet when she returned, the dolphins welcomed her home just like always.

A few years earlier she'd worked with this particular group of dolphins while earning her Ph.D., cataloging them, each contact, every sighting, paying special attention to communication. She was intrigued by their language and wanted to be able to understand them. She'd worked with two of the males on understanding some sign language. Over the years, each time she came home, she visited with them, maintaining a relationship. Although none of her sisters had been available to dive with her, the call of "her" dolphins had been irresistible and she'd taken out her boat to join them.

Federal law required a special permit to swim with wild dolphins in the United States and Abigail had been fortunate enough to be granted permission for her research off the California coast a second time, but she was careful to keep a low profile, not wanting to draw attention to the presence of the dolphins. They could travel fifty miles easily and were difficult to track on a daily basis, but this group, as well as many others, often called to her using the same whistle. It was very unusual to have the dolphins identify her and give her a name and she was particularly pleased that they knew she was back after her long absence.

Abigail rolled over and swam belly to belly with Kiwi, a large adult male who had formed a tight bond with Boscoe, another male. The two males normally swam in synchronization, their movements an astonishing underwater ballet. Boscoe curved his body in the exact motion at precisely the same time as Kiwi and swam close to Abigail as the three of them made a lazy loop together while several other dolphins danced in a long curving circle as if they had choreographed every move ahead of time.

Dancing with dolphins was exhilarating. Abigail studied, photographed, and recorded dolphins, but tonight she was simply enjoying them. Her equipment, always with her, was nearly forgotten as they performed the strange, intriguing ballet for the next forty minutes. At first the red of the sinking sun spotlighted them in a fiery gold, but as dusk

fell and the night darkened, it was much too difficult to continue, much as she wanted to stay.

Reluctantly, Abigail pointed to the surface and shifted position to begin her ascent. The dolphins swam around her in loose circles, their bodies flexible, unimpeded by their heavy muscles and enormous strength. It was surprising how the dolphins could rocket through the water, diving as deep as they did and using so little oxygen. Abigail found them fascinating.

She surfaced, pushing her mask on top of her head and lying back to float as she stared up at the big round ball in the sky. Her soft laughter echoed across the water. Waves lapped at her body and splashed over her face. She allowed her legs to gently sink so she could tread water as she stared in awe at the whitecaps, turned into sparkling jewels by the brilliance of the full moon.

Beside her, a bottlenose dolphin surfaced, circling her in a graceful loop. The dolphin shook its head from side to side, emitting a series of squeaks and clicks. She struck out for her boat, a lazy crawl, whistling to the dolphins in the short, chirpy good-bye she always used.

It took only a few minutes to stow her camera and recorder before climbing in. Shivering, she again glanced at her watch. Her sisters would be very worried and she was in for a lecture she knew she deserved. The dolphins poked their heads out of the water, grinning at her, round black eyes shining with intelligence.

"I'm going to get in big trouble thanks to you two," she told the males.

They shook their heads at her in perfect synchronization and dove together, disappearing beneath the surface only to come up on the other side of her boat, whistling and squawking at her. Abigail shook her head just as firmly. "No! It's dark--or it would be if the moon weren't so full. You two are really trying to get me one of Sarah's lectures. When she starts, the rest of us cringe."

While she had everything fresh in her mind, she sank down onto the cushioned seat and hastily scribbled notes on her observations. She recorded everything to look at later, but she always dictated while she was driving the boat after first jotting down details of sightings and any identifying marks of new dolphins in the area. It was important to her study to get DNA samples to test for pesticides and any other man-made toxins in the dolphins' systems as well as for communicable diseases and, of course, family ties.