"Comeon, Viv." He rolled his eyes. "Don’t play dumb. That was not aregulargreeting."
She shrugged, but Lewis wasn’t letting it go.
"You seriously have nothing to say about?—"
"LAND HO!"
The cry rang through the air, tearing through the quiet murmur of conversation.
Every head snapped toward the shout from the crow’s nest. A sailor swung the bell at full force, the clang piercing and insistent.
"LAND HO!"
18
Vivienne and Lewis locked eyes for a heartbeat, excitement flashing between them before they bolted up the stairs with the rest of the crew. The rush of movement pulsed through the ship as sailors scrambled toward the railing, boots pounding against the wooden planks.
Vivienne gripped the starboard rail, her breath pausing as she scanned the horizon. The island was little more than a smudge, an indistinct green smear where the sky met the sea. As the Zephyrus pressed forward, the image sharpened, its silhouette emerging from the morning haze like something out of a dream.
Lewis exhaled a quiet, disbelieving laugh. “It’s there,” he murmured. “We’re actually here.”
The call from the crow’s nest rippled down through the ranks, officers shouting orders as the deck sprang into action. Ropes uncoiled, sails adjusted, and hands moved to slow the ship’s approach.
Captain Garrett strode onto the quarterdeck, placing his hat firmly on his head before gripping the helm. His shrewd eyes fixed on the lush island ahead.
The Isle of Verdance rose before them, a cascade of deep green spilling down the cliffs like an overgrown kingdom untouched by time. Towering rainforests stretched beyond the jagged coastline, their emerald canopies shimmering in the golden morning light. Waterfalls, broad and tiered, tumbled from the mountain’s heart, their misty plumes vanishing into the jungle below. The very air hummed, dense with heat, and thick with the scent of rain and soil.
Vivienne’s fingers curled around the railing. The island felt alive. Its energy like a slow, beating heart.
“Prepare to drop anchor! Slow the sails!” Commander Thorne’s voice rang out across the deck, crisp and commanding.
Gus moved with his crew, their hands hauling at the rigging, adjusting the Zephyrus’ pace. Cirrus stood at the captain’s shoulder, his ice-blue eyes scanning the water, pointing out where the depths were safe for anchoring.
Vivienne’s stomach coiled. Besides the incomplete map, the sketches in her mother’s journal, and the handful of plants Lewis had identified, how much did they trulyknowabout this place?
Captain Garrett straightened at the helm. “Bring us in! Prepare to make landfall!”
The ship slowed, the wind catching the edge of the sails as they were bound and the anchor crew took position.
“Drop anchor!” Thorne barked.
A heavy groan rumbled through the deck as the massive iron chain unspooled. The anchor plunged, lancing through the water and disappearing beneath the waves. The thick links rattled as the weight caught, jerking the ship to a slow, deliberate halt.
Satisfied, Captain Garrett dusted his hands off against his coat. “Prepare the longboats!”
The crew wasted no time. Pulley systems whined as four longboats descended to the shimmering water below.
“Ms. Omphrey, Mr. Conway,” Thorne called, his baritone voice carrying above the bustle. “Rationed supplies for this destination. Begin the transfer procedures.”
Barrels, crates, and thick canvas bags moved from hand to hand, sailors working in fluid maneuvers as supplies were hoisted from the hold and lowered into the waiting boats. Vivienne and Lewis, still standing near the railing, edged out of the way as the procession swelled around them.
“Ms. Banner. Mr. Blume.”
Commander Thorne called, summoning them to the quarterdeck. They climbed the steps, coming to stand before him, Captain Garrett, and Cirrus.
Cirrus caught her gaze, his signature smile tugging at the corner of his lips, warm and overfamiliar. Lewis’ shoulders stiffened beside her. She didn’t have to look at him to know he was glaring at Cirrus in full force.
“Yes, Commander?” Vivienne asked, steadying her voice.
