Page 4 of Treasure of the Abyss

It’d been so long since she last stepped foothere.

Camrin was near the end. When he looked up and noticed her approaching, he waved, a huge grin on hisface.

He dropped the rope he’d been fiddling with and strode toward Macy, quickening to a run as he drew closer, until finally he took her by the waist and drew her close. Her stomach lurched, and her heart leapt into herthroat.

“I missed you,” he said, either not noticing or unaware of the desperate way she clutched his shoulders, and lowered his mouth to claimhers.

He’d kissed her before, but never like this. This was more than a brief brush of lips, more than a stolen peck. This was intimate, eager…sealing.

Macy stood still, willing it to end. Longing for solid ground beneath herfeet.

“That’s enough, you two,” said a familiar voice behindher.

Camrin paused and lifted his head, grin returning. His blue eyes were bright as they shifted to look pasther.

“I expect you to take care of her,” Breckett said, placing a big hand on Macy’s shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze. “You look beautiful,Macy.”

“Thanks, dad.” She turned, slipping out of Camrin’s hold, and hugged her father. She shut her eyes as his big arms encircled her. One of his hands cupped the back of her head, smoothing down herhair.

“You’ll be fine, Macygirl.”

She nodded, wishing she believed him.Needingto believehim.

“You know…you can tell him to forget it,” he whispered to her, voice gruff. “Your heart isn’t with the sea, anymore, and that’s no fault ofyours.”

She strengthened her hold on him as tears pricked her eyes. She’d loved the water when she was young. Loved the sea. The rhythm of the tides, the light sparkling atop the water, the boundless possibilities; it had spoken to her. Her parents could barely keep her away from it…and that had been theproblem.

“I’ll be okay, dad.” She hoped her words didn’t sound as hollow to him as they did toher.

Breckett sighed, long and slow, turned his head, and kissed her cheek. “All right.” He released her, tugging his fingers through his thickbeard.

She stepped back. “Tell mom I love her, and I’ll see her when I getback.”

“I will. You two enjoyyourselves.”

“We will,” Camrin said, taking Macy’s hand and twining theirfingers.

Just before Breckett turned to leave, Macy caught the shimmer of tears in his eyes. Fighting back tears of her own, she allowed Camrin to lead her to hisboat.

At six meters long, it was one of the smaller boats, but it was Camrin’s pride. He’d dreamt of having his own boat since they were children. Its sleek, wooden hull rode the surface with a shallow draft. He was as familiar with the coastal waters as any of the more experienced fishermen and handled his boat as naturally as most peoplewalked.

He helped her over the railing, and her heart nearly stopped as the boat swayed beneathher.

“There you go, Mace.” He followed behindher.

Macy sat on the bench and clenched the rail as his weight rocked the boat. Leaning over the side, he untied the rope anchoring them to the dock, coiled it up, and turned to raise the sails. The wind filled them as Camrin adjusted the boom and sat down at therudder.

When she was seven or eight, Macy would’ve givenanythingto have a boat of her own. She’d dreamt of sailing whether awake or asleep, and when she wasn’t out with her father, had spent her time watching all the holos about ships and the sea she could find — not easy, when only a few buildings had fully functioning electricity, and most of the projectors were worn withage.

That had been before she learned how dangerous and unforgiving the sea couldbe.

The wind swept the boat away from The Watch and toward the horizon. It flowed through her hair, ruffled her dress, and caressed her skin. It had been solong…

Gradually, her grip on the rail loosed. She shifted her eyes to gently rollingwater.

“Nervous?” Camrinasked.

She glanced at him; he watched her with a smile and swept his tousled red hair back from hisforehead.

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