Page 63 of Voice of the Ocean

Mere hours passed before the shadow of Port Velluno appeared on the horizon. Even with the sea breeze, the air was oppressively hot. The shrill sound of seagulls rang out as they approached. Many of the crew pressed against the ship’s banister, cheering as the cliffs of Velluno drew closer. Kiyami manned the wheel as usual, with Celeste close beside. Soon she could see tiny humans running about the town, preparing for the festivities. There also looked to be a gaggle of giggling girls clustered beside the port, waving at sailors as they docked. One of them blew a kiss to Raiden, who mimed catching it and clutching it to his chest before throwing a look at Celeste. She rolled her eyes.

“Velluno has the best wine in Ethoria,” Torben told anyone who would listen.

“My mother told me stories of Velluno,” Kiyami told Celeste, her eyes shining. “She said they had the most wonderful food, and the people kissed each other hello.”

“That much is true,” Raiden said from Celeste’s other side, a coy smile playing on his lips. “The locals are veryfriendly.”

Celeste pulled her eyes away from the town to give him a disgusted look, but his smile only widened as he leaned casually against the ship’s banister. Her scowl deepened, and she could not explain why. But she was certain it was his fault. With a sigh, Celeste raised her hand to playfully push him, or perhaps not so playfully. But he caught her wrist.

“Oh, don’t worry, love,” he said, his voice a caress. “I’m all yours for today.”

She tore her arm from his grip and turned to look at Kiyami, who tried to hold in a laugh.

“Baz and Rai split the crew into groups so we could grab supplies quickly. Nasir and Torben are obviously together, and I need to go with Bastian because he wants my help getting the right wood for repairs.” She tried and failed to hide her smile as she finished. “So that leaves you and our captain here.”

It was a setup, and Celeste knew it. Much to her dismay, the growing tension between her and the captain hadn’t gone unnoticed by the rest of the crew. So now she was stuck with him for the entire day.Incredible. Her decision to not kill him on land remained steadfast. She would not be giving local law enforcement any reason to lock her up again. But she dearly wished to wring his neck.

“Don’t worry. We’ll all meet up before it gets dark to celebrate together.” Kiyami squeezed Celeste’s arm in reassurance.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Celeste’s lips. The gesture reminded her a lot of her sister Sephone, and how she comforted her when their parents would make a hurtful comment. Celeste wondered if Sephone knew what had happened to her.

Velluno quickly came into focus. The town looked so different from Port Romsey, vibrant and pulsing with life. Buildings painted in brilliant colors that reminded Celeste of sunrise crowded along the lush green cliffs, nearly stacked on top of each other in a way that reminded her of Staria. Their flaming reds, burning oranges, and bright yellows contrasted with the white beach and turquoise sea. The water was so clear here that Celeste could look through to the bottom and see the colorful fish that swam there.

And music.

It was faint, but Celeste could hear music coming from the town. Weaving and hopping from note to note in a happy tune. A song so different from the ones she knew.

When she was able to see the people better, her heart stilled. Everything looked beautiful, but it still was home to humans. A few looked likely to prey on the weak and vulnerable, just like in Port Romsey. Her breathing grew ragged, and her hands shook.

This will be different. I’m not defenseless now, she tried to tell herself. Her sword training should have made her feel a little more confident in herself, like Kiyami—at least now it didn’t fly from her hands every time someone hit her—but apparently not much had changed.

A small tugboat approached their vessel, and a man waved from it. Kiyami threw him rope, which he secured before he began pulling the ship behind him toward the docks.

“Our escort has arrived!” cried Raiden. “Velluno awaits.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

“All right, Admiral, you keep these men in line,” Raiden said, bending low to the ground so he could be eye level with his dog. He put his hands on either side of the animal’s head and brushed across the tops of the ears with his thumbs. Although Raiden had said he was keeping a group of men aboard the ship at all times for security reasons, Celeste guessed a large part was due to the fact Bastian had managed to convince Raiden that bringing the Admiral along to get supplies was a bad idea. The captain stood, brushed himself off, and squared his shoulders. It was like watching him transform from one person to another. The transition from Raiden the animal lover to Captain Raiden Sharp the pirate.

“Make sure to get our supplies first,” he told the crew surrounding him. “Then you’re free to spend the rest of the time as you please.”

“I still need money for supplies,” Torben said, jutting out a hand toward Raiden.

Raiden scoffed. “I know I gave everyone their portion of the raid money and more for supplies, Torben. You’re not fooling me.”

Celeste’s hand fell to her side, feeling the weight of her own raid money in her pocket. She almost had refused it, then considered giving it to Kiyami. She wouldn’t be needing it. But she didn’t want to rouse suspicion.

Torben grinned and shrugged. “Wanted to make sure you’re paying attention, Captain!”

Nasir chuckled under his breath and took his partner’s hand, steering him away from the group. The gunner Oakes stalked after them, getting quickly distracted by the sights of the festival. Bastian and Kiyami peeled off next, heading toward the lumberyard. Kiyami held her map aloft, which she and Bastian had used to plan their route around the city. Soon they disappeared, swallowed by the thick crowd.

The town was overwhelming in its activity. Small humans—children, Celeste corrected herself—chased each other about and shouted joyfully. Humans argued at stalls while others walked in pairs, holding hands. One couple in particular, Celeste noticed, pressed their lips together in a kiss. A sign of love. A soft smile reached her lips. At least humans and sirens had some things in common.

The people of Velluno shone as brightly as their buildings. Among the red, orange, and yellow, some stuck out in shades of blue like the sky and sea. Celeste’s simple blue dress seemed pale in comparison. The clothes were the same in style and silhouette to those in Port Romsey, but here the women often wore woven brown hats on their heads, tied with ribbons to keep the sun off their faces. Others wore crowns woven of ribbons and flowers. Celeste pulled her attention away from the town long enough to see Raiden trotting off down the dock. Her feet clipped along the floorboards as she dashed after him, but as she drew closer to the city, she found more to distract her. Men climbed on ladders, hanging lanterns and ribbons all along the main street. Flowers decorated every doorway and window, drooping with the weight of the blooms. Vendors fanned themselves with colorful papers, sitting beneath fabrics stretched above them to block the punishing sun. Carriages passed, drawn by what she now knew were horses, and she saw people riding horses as well. She wondered what that would be like. She had ridden on a dolphin, but only a couple of times.

As she caught up to Raiden on the cobblestone street, the smells of Velluno filled Celeste’s nose. Beyond the salt spray of the ocean and the fresh fish being sold by vendors along the dock was the sweet scent of the white blossoms on the trees that wove through the town. And, of course, there was the food. Some of it was now familiar. The warm butter of fresh bread, the sharpness of pungent cheese, but others were new. Different. There was something that smelled acidic and sweet.

“This area is known for its citrus,” Raiden commented, smiling as he watched her eyes devour the sights of the food stalls around them. “Have you ever eaten an orange?”

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