Page 61 of Voice of the Ocean

She tapped him again. Two knocks. A knowing smile pulled at the corners of his lips.

“You’re incorrigible.”

Celeste shrugged and placed her hand on the deck face down.

“Fine,” he said, looking up and fixing her with a penetrating stare. “Show me.”

With a flourish, Celeste flipped over her cards, holding them out to him. Three cards with the same woman stared back at them, with two outliers. And that’s when a wolfish smile appeared on Raiden’s lips.

“I’d say I hate to do this, but I’d be lying.” He turned his cards over. All five had little red hearts on them and counted up perfectly.

Celeste’s face fell. The whole thing had been an act. A pang of betrayal came first, followed by a boiling anger. She tossed the cards onto the deck, and Raiden barked with laughter.

“I’m sorry I deceived you, love, but you were entirely too fun to play with,” he said with a grin. “And I wasn’t about to go easy on you when there was such an interesting prize to be won.”

Celeste folded her arms across her chest and waited, expecting him to announce whatever wish he wanted from her. A kiss perhaps. That sounded like him. Or perhaps something more sinister.The truth. But he did not ask. Instead, he gathered the cards, shuffling them neatly back together and returning them into his pocket. He took another long drink of wine, and this time, Celeste reached her hand out for it.

A look of surprise crossed the pirate’s face as he handed it to her, liquid sloshing. Celeste merely shrugged. After weeks of watching humans drink wine every day, her curiosity had finally outweighed her fear. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a sip. The drink tasted more bitter than she expected. It was smooth, with a hint of fruit, but the flavor was dark and deep. She was surprised to realize that she rather liked it. With bated breath, Celeste waited, expecting a loss of intelligence or really anything to happen. But nothing did. Sherisked another sip.

“Hold on there, hero,” he warned. “Take it slowly and see how you feel.”

Celeste scoffed at his concern, lifting the bottle to her lips a third time to prove her point.

“Fine, go ahead.” Then his voice dropped low. “I just don’t want to be stucktaking care of you all night.”

She sputtered and coughed, caught off guard by his words. Raiden laughed, drawing closer to pat her on the back until her fit subsided. But when she finally finished, his hand remained warm on her upper back. She did not move away. They both remained still, like two duelists waiting to see who’d draw first. Silence enveloped them, and Celeste risked a glance at the stars hanging above. Something about them looked different somehow. Brighter. And as Raiden’s hand slid from her back across her shoulders, a star fell.

They passed the bottle between them until Celeste began to feel the drink’s effects. It started in her head. A faint buzzy feeling at the crown, as if someone had filled it with wonderful, swirling clouds. She didn’t feel stupid, but how was she supposed to tell? The Admiral made an appearance, trotting over to them and curling up against Celeste’s hip. Her hand fell upon his head, and she stroked her hand through his curls.

“The four daughters look especially bright tonight,” Raiden remarked.

Celeste couldn’t help but smile, pleased he remembered her correction from their first night on the ship. Much had changed since then. She recalled how horrible she felt in her body. But somewhere along the way, she had grown to love her odd legs. How strong they had become. She loved learning new things about the humans and spending time with Kiyami and Nasir. Even Torben, with his endlessly loud nature, had found his way into her heart. She would miss them when she went home.

A cold wind cut through the fabric of her shirt, sending a chill through her. Raiden pulled her closer, tucking her against the warmth of his side. It was a perfect fit, and she did not stop herself when her head drooped against his shoulder.

I’ll kill him later. What are a few more days?And then I’ll be home, she reminded herself, hoping it wasn’t a lie. But for the moment, she couldn’t picture a place she’d rather be. And with that traitorous thought, Celeste slipped into a blissful and dreamless sleep.

* * *

When Celeste woke in the morning, she was in her room. A thick red blanket was tucked around her, one she recalled seeing on the captain’s bed. It had been the best sleep she’d had since the Admiral visited her. Of course, she’d slept through her chance to kill the prince, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel anything but relief about that.

When she joined the crew for breakfast, she found one more reason to be thankful she hadn’t left just yet.

“Doesn’t Velluno’s summer festival begin today?” Bastian asked.

“It does,” Nasir said.

To Celeste’s relief, Raiden had not mentioned their night together. Ordinarily, he sat beside Bastian, the two joking and chattering through most meals. But today he had chosen to sit beside her. With every move Raiden made, his sleeve brushed her own.

“What’s the summer festival?” Kiyami asked.

“Ah, I forget you haven’t been in Ethoria long,” Bastian said. “For two weeks in the summer, Ethorians celebrate the season.”

Torben grinned. “They party for days on end! It’s almost as fun as celebrations in Yenri.”

Kiyami considered this as she took a bite of dried meat. The supplies were limited lately, so breakfast consisted of a small amount of dried fruits, nuts, and meats. And if you were Torben, it also included ale. “So what happens during this celebration? Is it going to be a problem for us when we port?”

“Aproblem?” Torben laughed, “It’s a gift! We shall drink, eat, dance, watch parades, and in the evening, there are bonfires and fireworks! Your Ethorian god must be smiling on us.” The last part he directed toward Bastian, Raiden, and Celeste. Perhaps they all assumed she was Ethorian. It made her itch. Another lie added to the endless pile separating her from them. But she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement when hearing about this festival.

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