Page 58 of Fate of Echoes and Embers
“Neither am I. But if you’d like me to, I am happy to accommodate the activity you mentioned last eve.”
He was impossible. But at least I was spared from further explanation. Telling him I was angry at myself for giving in after promising never to fall for Marek’s charm again was not something I relished doing.
“Thank you, but I will kindly pass on your offer.”
“When living on a ship,” he said, shifting his weight from one foot to another, “tempers often run high. It does little good to dwell on such things.”
“You are saying I am temperamental.”
His eyes widened. “I did not mean?—”
Smiling, I waited for him to realize I had been jesting myself. When he did, Marek shook his head and turned toward the bow. Whatever he was about to say would have to wait. I’d seen that look on his face before and though there was no storm on the horizon that I could see, either one was brewing or something was amiss.
“What is it?”
“Close your eyes,” he said.
I did, waiting.
“What do you feel?”
I assumed he meant a change in the wind direction, but it wasn’t that. “Nothing?”
“Is there a breeze?”
I tried to sense for one.
“Not really.”
“Now, take a deep breath. What do you smell?”
I did that too. “The sea air?”
“Anything else?”
“Salt and brine and…” I could not place the other scent.
“Something faintly metallic?”
I nodded my head. “Aye.”
“Open your eyes.”
When I did, Marek was watching me closely. I tried not to look at his lips.
“Look up. What don’t you see?”
“No sun?” I guessed.
“It hasn’t been sunny all day. What’s missing that was in the sky earlier?”
Of course. “Gulls. In fact, there are no birds whatsoever.”
The way Marek smiled, as if he was proud of me for guessing correctly, should not have made me feel as if I had single-handedly somehow saved Hawthorne myself.
“A storm is brewing,” he said. “Though the signs are subtle. Hold the wheel while I prepare.”
He was off again, and while I watched him, as the sky darkened, I realized I had no trepidation being alone here at the helm. Perhaps I should, having such little experience. But instead, a sense of power and fearlessness settled over me.
