Page 88 of Found at Sea
I stopped and turned to him. “Yes?”
“Can you take the light with you?”
Leaving him in the dark made my stomach knot, but maybe the light coming from where Horace sat near the stairs was enough for him. I grabbed the lamp and walked toward the older man.
He sat on a wooden chair with his feet kicked up on a short barrel and bowed his head to me before leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes.
As a nervous tick, I clutched the necklace that hung around my neck as I climbed the stairs up to the forecastle and up still to the top deck. I’d only been down in the brig for a short time and I rejoiced at the fresh air once outside. I could only imagine how Alek felt, having been down there for five days.
Byron bumped against my shoulder as he passed, causing me to stumble into one of the spars. He didn’t say a word, just kept walking as if he didn’t register I was even in his presence.
Redmond glared at me from his spot nearby, as did a few of the other men.
I hadn’t felt that unwelcome among the crew since the night I boarded theCrimson Nightover half a year ago. And perhaps not even then. Hostility was thrown my way in the form of glares and the occasional shove or push. All for trying to stop the murder of an innocent man—nymph or not.
Dax caught my eye, and that strange feeling from earlier returned. He’d been ill-mannered toward Horace for seemingly no reason. Unless he had an ulterior motive for wanting to watch over Alek’s cell.
Kellan descended the stairs from the upper deck and viewed me with a scrunched brow. “Why do you frown?”
“I’m not frowning,” I said before smiling. “See?”
He cut his eyes at me, clearly not believing a word I said. That day he wore a long black coat, and as the breeze nipped at my bare arms, I understood why.
The air had begun feeling colder days ago. We were farther north where the sea wasn’t a gorgeous crystal blue but rather a dark, murky blue that revealed nothing beneath the surface. It was daunting.
“How is Alek?”
“As good as he can be, I suppose, given his situation,” I answered as another shiver passed over me. The sky had darkened, blocking out the only sunlight that would’ve helped warm my chilled flesh.
Kellan shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders. The action came easy for him, as if he hadn’t even thought about it before doing it.
I smiled at the kind gesture and snuggled into his coat.
“Looks as if another storm is coming,” Kellan answered before running his hands up and down my arms. “No need to worry. We should only catch the edge of it.”
“Where are we?” I asked, shifting closer to tuck my head against his chest.
“We’ll be arriving in Wintervale by morrow,” he answered.
Wintervale. I played the name over in my head, trying to recall it. When I’d sat down with him months before to plan the course toRan’s road, I’d seen so many different town names that they all started to blend together.
“How far do we have left to go?”
Amusement shone in his blue-brown eyes. “Again with the questions. What am I going to do with you, sweet bird?”
“You could start by answering said question,” I suggested, grinning up at him. Standing on my tiptoes, I brushed my nose along his unshaven jaw, loving the tickle from his stubble.
“After Wintervale, we should reach our journey’s end within two weeks,” Kellan answered, nuzzling my head before pulling away. He cast a look to the crew before his gaze landed on mine again. Showing any kind of affection was still difficult for him when we were around other people, but he was gradually becoming more comfortable with it. “It would help if we had precise coordinates. All you know is a general area of where the goddess is said to dwell. I feel as if we are chasing…”
“A myth?” I finished for him.
“Aye.” He grimaced. “I fear there will be nothing there to find. Even if Ranisreal, how do we summon her? There are too many missing pieces to this map, Fletcher.”
“Do you trust me?” I touched the side of his face and stroked his cheek with the pad of my thumb. His eyes bore into mine, and he slowly nodded. “Then believe me when I say, wewillfind the answer. The lost heart of Triton is here in the north. I know it.”
***
Kellan had been right about the storm. In our cabin, I heard thunder rolling in the distance, but other than some rain, it wasn’t severe. Lying beside him that night, it didn’t take long for our mouths and hands to seek each other.
