Page 79 of Voice of the Ocean

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, love,” he said into her wet hair.

She squeezed him tighter in reply.

The ship beneath them rocked. The wind howled. And Celeste held Raiden.

And it was okay.

She was okay.

And she felt the last shred of resistance fall away. Celeste cared for him. She couldn’t pretend otherwise anymore. And maybe—just maybe—it was okay that she did. Because although he made her angry and afraid and sad and happy and every stupid little feeling all at once, it was all worth it. She’d rather live with the fear of losing him than live without letting herself feelthis—whatever this was—for as long as she had it. And whatever happened, she knew she could weather the storm.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

The hours passed in a blur, and the storm raged on. But, praise the Goddess, things went smoothly. Or as smoothly as they could while sailing a dangerous current during a horrible storm. But no one complained. Not even Torben, who ordinarily enjoyed complaining often about a range of topics. Celeste kept her eyes trained on the churning waters, watching for any sign of a scout—the splash of a fin or the crown of a head. But she saw nothing. Which was good, given she wasn’t certain what she’d do if she did see one. Reason with them? She doubted anyone from the Chorus would trust her, even if she was technically on a mission from the queen. Would she tell the crew? Capture the siren temporarily until they were safe? She hoped she never had to figure it out.

When she wasn’t on the quarterdeck with Kiyami, Celeste was in the navigation room with Raiden, going over directions and giving him guidance. And although she felt the grueling stress weighing on her, she was invigorated. The work was hard but rewarding. She was useful for once. More than useful.Indispensable. And Raiden followed her instructions with ease. Every moment between them was easy. When they reached the first bend of the current, the crew was more than prepared. The turn was smooth compared to the horrors of the entrance. And after they completed the turn, Raiden took one look at Celeste and ordered her belowdecks.

“Get some rest,” he said.

Celeste ignored him. She didn’t feel tired, and it was only afternoon, despite the storm making it appear otherwise. But as she helped Nasir mop some of the water off the deck, she found herself nodding off.

“Go rest, Celeste,” Raiden repeated, snatching the mop from her hands and glaring at her. “I won’t tell you again. We need you well rested for the next leg of the journey.”

She gave him a look of annoyance but turned to head toward her room.

“I’mstillyour captain,” he called after her. “You seem to forget that on a regular basis.”

Celeste offered him a rude hand gesture she had learned from Torben, before ducking out of the rain and into the hallway to the officers’ quarters. But she did not stop at her closet. Instead, she strolled to the captain’s door. When she checked the handle, she found it unlocked. With a little smirk, she entered, allowing herself to drip all over the lovely rugs. A stir-crazy Admiral leaped upon her, tail wagging so furiously that his entire body shook.

“Hello there,” she whispered after closing the door behind her. With a smile, she crouched down to the dog’s height, scratching his head and back. Once the Admiral settled, Celeste peeled off her wet clothes and used a towel she found on the dresser to wring out her hair. She tossed the wet things into a heap on the floor. Payback for making her sleep in a closet for weeks. It wasn’t as though he was using the room anyway. And the plush bed was practically begging for someone to sleep in it.

She opened a drawer in his dresser to find one of Raiden’s many billowing black shirts.Thank you, Captain, for your generosity!the siren thought with a smirk as she pulled one over her head. She padded to the bed, sinking wearily into the silken sheets and fluffy pillows. It was heavenly. Like lying in a cloud. Celeste stretched her legs and arms, savoring how muchspaceshe had compared to her tiny closet. A part of her raged, knowing Raiden slept in such luxury while she slept in a cramped closet with a dog.

On cue, the Admiral leaped upon the bed, curling against her hip. The dog’s body was familiar and warm. In seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

Celeste awoke to the feeling of someone watching her.

She bolted upright, pushing her white hair from her face. But it was only the captain. He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his muscled chest. His brown eyes danced with amusement as he took in her unkempt appearance. The surprise on her face.

Night had fallen. The only light in the room came from a flickering oil lamp held beside the bed. Celeste looked around for the Admiral, but he had gone. Raiden must have let him out.

“Did I interrupt?”

Celeste made a show of yawning and stretching.Yes, you did, it seemed to say, as she threw him a sleepy grin.

“Please, don’t get up on my account,” Raiden said. His eyes snagged on what she was wearing. His shirt was only long enough to cover the tops of her thighs. She tugged at the hem, avoiding his gaze.When did I start worrying about nudity?Apparently, after several months of being around humans, she had somehow picked up some of their ridiculous modesty. Or perhaps it was the expression on Raiden’s face. The humor had disappeared from his eyes, and his lips parted slightly. They looked soft.

Her heart hammered. But she didn’t move to cover herself. Instead, she let him look. Watched him as his darkening eyes ran up her legs to his shirt. It hung off her shoulder, baring the column of her neck. When his eyes at last met hers, she suddenly felt wide-awake.

“If you wanted to stay in my bed, you only had to ask.” He smirked.

In response, Celeste leaned back into the pillows and made herself very comfortable.Oh, he’ll regret saying that.

Raiden watched her and laughed. “I’ll inform the Admiral he’s getting a roommate.”

A chuckle escaped Celeste at the joke, and Raiden’s face softened.

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