Page 58 of Voice of the Ocean

“Whatdidhappen, Rai?” They were moving down the hall in her direction. Celeste took a step back.

Raiden sighed. “I told you—we were attacked by a passing ship. You fell overboard, I dove to save you, and the ship went down. We were adrift until Celeste found us and rowed us to shore.”

“And I told you I know when you’re lying,” Bastian hissed. “Why would a girl be in the middle of the ocean in a rowboat? Why didn’t a single crew member survive?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember everything. And we can’t exactly ask her, can we?”

Their footsteps stopped. “You’re keeping something from me. Something to do with her.”

A silence descended. The silence that came between lightning and thunder.

“At least tell me what it is he wants. What’s out there? Where exactly are we going?”

Celeste pressed herself into the wall, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. What she had been waiting for.

“Lunapesce,” Raiden said, like the roll of thunder.

Lunapesce. Celeste’s breath hitched.The sacred island of the Goddess of Moon and Sea. She slipped back to hide in the galley, waiting for them to pass before returning to her room. As she did, Celeste searched her memories for what she knew of Lunapesce, which was very little. Treasure and power beyond imagination awaited those who could find the mythical island, which only appeared during a solar eclipse, when the moon and sun met in the sky.

How could thishumanpossibly believe he knew where to find it, when it had been lost to sirens for generations? There wasn’t a siren alive who believed the place wasreal. And humans didn’t believe in the Goddess. From what Celeste was taught, humans believed in the God of Sun and Land, their creator, but saw him as the only god. They did not recognize the duality of God and Goddess as the sirens did.

But at least she now knew why the humans had been near Staria, what they were searching for.

Which meant the time had come to kill Raiden and go home.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

“We need to make port,” Bastian said at breakfast, his voice lacking its usual warmth. “Our water supply was damaged in the firefight, among other things, and I doubt we’ll make it to our destination and back without replenishing our supplies.”

“No,” Raiden said, surprising them as he entered the room. It was the first meal he’d joined since his injury.

The table went quiet as he took his usual seat beside Bastian.

“It’s not a suggestion, Captain,” Bastian said, his tone even.

“And I saidno,” Raiden repeated, lifting his eyes to his friend as he heaped food on his plate.

Either Bastian did not know enough about Lunapesce to know that he was dooming them to failure, or he didn’t care. If they stopped, they would not make it in time for the eclipse. This journey would be in vain.

Of course, this crew would never make it to Lunapesce anyway. Not after Celeste killed their captain and left them all without a navigator. She’d burn the map too, of course. Bastian and Kiyami knew the sea but not well enough to manage such uncharted waters. With Raiden gone, they wouldn’t risk the journey. A knot formed in her stomach. What would happen to them after she left them stranded without a captain? Without their bounty, the money they needed to survive? She thought of Kiyami. Of the family who relied on her. Celeste curled her hands into fists. These pirates didn’t deserve the sacred treasure of her people.

Anyway, they were not yet so far from land that they couldn’t make it back without a captain or navigator. She could not delay. The closer they sailed to Lunapesce, the more likely the crew would be stranded in Staria’s waters. As much as she didn’t want any more humans wandering into her kingdom’s territory, she also wished to avoid as much bloodshed as possible.

Tense glances were exchanged around the table. Nasir’s lips pressed into a line.

“Let me be clear: We will not survive without stopping,” Bastian said.

Raiden set his fork down to rub his temple with his hand. “Fine,” he relented, then turned his dark gaze on Celeste. “Come. We should look over the maps to choose a port.”

Port. They were going to go to another human town. Celeste kept her face neutral, but inside fear bloomed. Not only did this complicate her plan but she’d rather drown than step on land again. The memory of her bodice being cut apart unfolded in her mind’s eye. Perhaps she could ask to remain on the ship.

“After you,” Raiden said, opening the door wide.

She avoided his eye, walking ahead. This human was too observant, and she couldn’t lose what little trust she had gained with him. Not now that the end was finally within reach. And so she tried not to think about what she had heard in that very hall the night before. She tried not to wonder why Raiden and Bastian, who were like brothers, now acted like strangers. Night after night, she watched them drink together, swapping stories of their countless foolish adventures growing up aboard the Pirate King’s ship. The two had even stayed with Bastian’s family when they were at Port Romsey. And although Celeste was thankful Raiden hadn’t told Bastian the truth of who she was—about the siren attack on the ship—it didn’t make any sense that he wouldn’t. There had to be something else she didn’t know. Some reason why he would hide the truth from the person he loved most.

Not that she had any legs to stand on in that regard.

They entered the navigation room, the Admiral trotting along in their wake. She bent down and stroked his head, as she had seen Raiden do. The dog leaned into her hand, wiggling around as if trying to help her reach the best spot.

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