Page 13 of Whispers of the Starlit Sea
Arick nodded, staggering as he crossed the few feet to reach Thomas. Even with his seasoned sea legs, staying upright was a challenge as the ship bucked beneath them.
Lighting tore across the sky, lasting long seconds. A cry came from the foremast. Fire broke out, and two sailors fled from it, shimmying down the mast as fast as they could.
The wind shifted again. As the ship swung wildly, its masts groaned under the strain. A deafening crack reverberated through the air, sending a chilling shiver down Arick’s spine.
Massive waves pummeled the ship. With a scream, one of the sailors lost his grip on the ropes and vanished overboard. Arick kept one arm firmly around Thomas, guiding him to the stairs.
With a blinding crash, lightning struck the mast again. Already cracked, the mast could no longer withstand the ferocity of the storm. It snapped, sending giant splinters and rigging through the air, carried by the gale-force winds. The mast crashed to the deck, splitting open the once pristinely polished dance floor. The ship shuddered under the impact and tilted toward the water. Screams filled the air as the party-goers fell through the broken railing into the seas below.
Arick closed his eyes as nausea swept through him. He searched the horizon for the shore, but darkness met his gaze. The harbor wasn’t that large — lights from the city had been visible all around them only moments before.
Waves lashed the ship from all sides. Thomas stumbled beside him, and the two fell. They slid down the stairs, the momentum ripping them apart.
Arick lay on the deck, dazed. Above his head, the crest of a wave threatened to collapse.
Then the ship slammed back down, and the world righted itself.
“Arick!”Thomas screamed.
Fighting to sit upright, Arick searched for his cousin. His white shirt stood out against the black a barrel-length away, and Arick leaped for him.
The ship lurched again, sending them sprawling toward the railing.
Something loud and furry tore past Arick. Barking madly, Cookie reached Thomas’s side. He bit into Thomas’s shirt, tugging.
A wave crashed over them, blinding Arick. He gasped for breath and wiped water from his eyes.
“Thomas!” he yelled. The deck was empty.
Arick shoved himself to his feet and ran across the deck. He clung to the railing as he searched the churning seas for signs of Thomas.
A bark and a flash of white.
He grabbed one of the mooring lines that had been coiled nicely on the deck. Without another thought, Arick flung himself over the rail and into the water below.
“Holdup!Whereareyou going?” Ciara grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop.
“Away!” Sorcha sobbed.
Ciara wrapped her in a hug. A rubbery nose bumped against her side as Ciara’s dolphin, Cuan, offered her comfort as well. Distant rumblings made her shudder.
“What happened?”
“I just do everything wrong, and Rona…” She rubbed the cut on her finger, the bleeding already stopped. The sting of her sister’s words, though, lingered.
“Rona needs to leave things well enough alone.” Ciara’s voice was hard.
Sorcha glanced around, noticing for the first time how far away from the grotto they were. “What are you doing out here?”
Ciara wouldn’t look her in the eye. “Cuan wanted to join his mates, and I couldn’t disappoint him.”
Sorcha gaped at her sister. “You’re going to the surface? In a storm?”
Ciara’s jaw tightened. “Yes. I can help. Come with me. There are a lot of humans in trouble up there.”
“All the more reason not to go!”
“They’re too busy trying not to drown to worry about ensnaring a mer! Come on!” She grabbed Sorcha’s hand and took hold of Cuan’s fin. He took off, pulling them along as if they weighed nothing, and emitted happy little noises all the way.
