Page 18 of Across the Sapphire Sea
Elias nodded. He was rattled but fine. Valeri guided him to an empty chair and pushed him into it, then he took a cloth from his pocket and would have wiped Elias’s cheeks for him had Elias not grabbed the cloth himself.
“Thank you.” He dried his face and stuffed the cloth in his pocket while Valeri hovered over him.
“Why were you on the deck during a storm?” asked Laurence, his tone clipped. He and Remy were already seated. Across from them on a bench, Aella inched closer to Ash.
Elias would have admitted his desire to watch the weather change, but Valeri answered quicker and with a sharp tongue.
“To get away from you.”
Elias glared at him. “Don’t fight.”
Valeri returned his glare, lips pressed to a thin line.
Elias reached for him and tugged. “Please, just sit with me.”
Valeri sat, and though the anger never left his face, he draped an arm around Elias’s shoulders and squeezed. Elias leaned into the embrace.
The room felt stifling despite the cold. No one wanted to be there.
“Will the ship survive the storm?” asked Remy, voicing the concern in Elias’s own mind.
Ash answered, his low voice soothing, “Of course. Cog ships were made to withstand this weather. We’ll ride it out, then the captain will bring us to the nearest port to assess damages. No need to fear.”
The boat churned violently, causing all six to sway sideways before righting themselves. The rise and fall of the ship brought Elias’s nausea back with a vengeance. His gaze flitted to Valeri.
“You’re all right,” said Valeri quietly. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Elias took the words to heart. He needed the gentle assurances. Between the mounting panic and his upset stomach, his nerves were on edge.
“Where is the nearest port?” asked Remy. “Why don’t we go there now?”
“It’s safer to ride out the storm at sea,” Ash explained. “The waves along the shoreline will be worse.”
Worse than this?Elias’s fingers gripped Valeri’s thigh for support.
“This isn’t so bad,” said Laurence, who held Remy much the same way Valeri held Elias. “I’ve been in worse. Try not to worry; the winds will soon pass, and the water will calm.”
Aella’s normal complexion was pale, but she’d gone ghostly white. Elias couldn’t actually vomit, but Aella probably could.
“Ash,” said Elias, motioning to the storage closet, “get Aella a bucket. She might be sick.”
Ash turned to Aella and studied her. “Are you ill?”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I’ve been better.”
Ash retrieved the bucket and passed it over. He sat down closer to her. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well.”
Setting the wooden container in her lap, Aella nodded gratefully.
Thunder clapped loudly, rattling the walls. The air was alive with the storm’s energy. Elias hoped the crew were all right.
Another jolt sent them all lurching.
Waves pummeled the hull. Elias clung to Valeri and resisted the urge to shut his eyes and pretend this wasn’t happening. Valeri held him in one arm and gripped the counter with the other to keep them steady.
“Laurence,” said Elias, though he knew addressing his sire’s first fledgling might anger Valeri. He wanted the distraction a story might bring, and actually talking with Laurence might make the vampire less intimidating. “You said you’ve been in worse? What happened, and why were you at sea?”
Laurence’s eyes met his, gray pupils shining like polished silver.
