Page 37 of Midnight Serenade
I felt the beginnings of panic start to hit me.
What was I going to do?
I treaded water for a while, not fighting as the currents pulled me one way, then another. I’d been in crises before, the times too numerous to count, so I didn’t fully panic, but I came close. I’d never felt so alone before in my life. I crunched numbers in my head and realized no one would even think to look for me for another seven hours. Mama always got up early, having always been an early bird, and she would wake up Micaela, and it would be Micaela that would know I wouldn’t leave my room without her and call Sebastian, who’d order a search of the ship.
So that meant that I had to survive in the South Pacific Ocean for seven hours, in the middle of the night, with no flotation devices, no food or water, and no help.
I wanted to cry.
Suddenly, something wet and leathery skimmed my right foot.
I yelped, jerking my foot away from what I darkly imagined was a shark, when a huge turtle's head popped out of the water,gently nuzzling my bare shoulder. I gasped. The turtle had to be six feet long, atleast, and half as wide!
I hesitantly reached a hand out as he kept nuzzling my shoulder, and I skimmed my fingers along his shell. I assumed it was a he. I didn’t know how to tell with turtles, and I wasn’t going to stick my head underwater at the moment to look.
The sea turtle nosed his humongous head under my arms, supporting me until I leaned against him. Had I accidentally been sending out those SOS siren signals Sebastian had told me about?
“You must have felt my SOS and come to help.” I leaned my cheek against his shell, looking at the miles and miles of vast, dark ocean surrounding me. “Thank you,” I whispered.
Sebastian
My cell phonebuzzed and buzzed, then stopped, and buzzed and buzzed again, waking me out of a deep sleep. I fumbled for it and answered, my voice raspy from sleep.
“Hello?”
“It’s two a.m. Do you know where your siren is?”
I was instantly wide awake. I flew out of bed and started shoving clothes on, whatever came to hand first. Kazi, who’d been laying at the foot of my bed, had woken up as well and was whining in the back of his throat, looking both sle and nervous at my frantic, jerky movements.
“Who is this?” I demanded.
“My name is Aashvi. I’m an oracle who resides in Moonhaven. I got your number from King Draven of the vampires. YourArismahas been abandoned in the ocean far behind you.”
My undead heart stopped. “Shewhat!”
“Nearly two hours ago an assailant threw her body overboard. She still lives, as the sharks won’t touch her except to nuzzle her, and the waters are warm, but if you keep going, she will not survive the night.”
I bolted out of my suite at a speed most passengers wouldn’t be able to detect and Kazi wouldn’t be able to keep up with, but I had to reach the Bridge quickly.
The Captain and his officers were all startled as I burst in and blinked at me in astonishment. “Code MOB. Turn back the way we came. She went over two hours ago.”
I remembered I had Aashvi still on the phone, but when I went to thank her and promise her a fortune and my undead gratitude, she’d already hung up. If I was ever able to track her down, I was going to offer her free cruises forlife.
Kazi finally caught up to me. I scooped him up and held him to my chest like I did when he was a cub because he was making heartbreaking confused and distressed noises.
“Shh. It’ll be okay. We’ll get her back.”
The Bridge was in a state of controlled chaos as the Captain radioed our change in itinerary, and that we had a person lost at sea that we were going back for. The crew moved efficiently to turn the ship again, following the route we’d come.
I got Rafe on the walkie. He’d been awake and working to allow me the opportunity to get some sleep. We were usually on alternate shifts, so there was always someone available to handle ship emergencies.
“Rafe, Grace was thrown overboard two hours ago by her stalker. We’re going after her. Make an announcement in themorning and let guests know the projected change to our itinerary. We’ll skip our last port of call to make up the time. If anyone seriously complains, offer them a complimentary three-day cruise onStarfire.”
“Understood.” Rafe’s voice sounded both full of fury and terror in equal measures. Two things I was currently experiencing myself. “And the person who did this to her? How do we find them?”
“I’ll take Kazi to her cabin and balcony area. He’s not as accurate as a trained dog, but he might be able to pick up an anomalous scent.”
“10-4. Micaela is going to be furious that she missed the assailant.”
