BooksBarbecue
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Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. Acknowledgements ♦ Diolchiadau
  50. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

JOSEPH TOOK HIS LEAVE and ran up the path to the cliffs. He would go to his boat and wait. He gestured to Efa to look after Nefyn. She was shivering, her clothes wet, her arms down by her sides as if not noticing the cold. Efa placed her arm around her as they stood on the beach unable to move somehow. Wanting to bear witness. Nefyn’s face framed by her wet hair, her eyes drawn to the horizon. Efa tried to rub Nefyn’s arms, warm her up as they stood, their eyes searching for signs of the vanished boat. Efa could feel her getting colder so she took off her coat, placed it around her shoulders. Nefyn glanced towards her for a moment, her eyes seemingly not recognizing her.

‘Nefyn?’

Nefyn smiled, started whispering. Her eyes drawn back to the sea. She had not felt the strength of her abilities. Not fully. But she felt them now. Something rising in her. Her mother had warned her when she was a child that this, allowing herself to feel – it strengthened her. The words came from somewhere she didn’t know. Efa listened to her. Language rising through her. A memory.

‘Kyd karui vi morfa cassaa vi don, Digoneis don dries oer kleis y ron.’ Something she had carried with her perhaps from nursery rhymes and songs. Over and over her blue lips recited. Efa kept hold of her, felt her quivering in her arms.

It was the wind that changed first. A strange insistence. A wailing. And it had risen quickly. A squall, tugging at Efa’s dress. The sea darkening suddenly. Efa could feel it. In the air around her. In Nefyn. In the sound of the sea. She looked up, worried, but the small boat had disappeared from sight.

‘Kyd karui vi morfa cassaa vi don, Digoneis don dries oer kleis y ron.’

The Captain had seen off the consignment of Unmanned Aerial Drones and returned to his quarters. Looked out of the window and saw the darkening sky. He frowned, wondered why he hadn’t been warned of any change in the weather pattern. He looked at his watch. Thought once again of the Lieutenant Colonel, and picked up the phone.

‘Yes, it’s probably worth taking a look … Yes … Send two men, that should be fine …’ He put the phone down. It wouldn’t do any harm to check, and if they did pick up a lead, then it would have been on his watch and would reflect well on him.