Vivienne glanced at Cirrus, who moved through the terrain with effortless confidence. He turned to speak, but Lewis slid forward, cutting between them and forcing Cirrus behind.
Lewis shot her a sidelong glance, curiosity shining in his golden-brown eyes. “Are you sure these ruins exist?” he teased.
“They exist,” Vivienne said without hesitation, casting him a quick glare. “The real question is whether they’re what we’re looking for.”
“What exactlyarewe looking for?” Lewis asked.
Vivienne exhaled, brushing damp hair off her neck. “Answers about the island and the tribute we need to find. No one knows what it is or where to start.”
Lewis wiped sweat from his brow. “And if we find nothing?”
She smirked. “Then we’ve still uncovered something no one else has.”
Cirrus seized his moment, gripping Lewis’ shoulder and tugging him back. “Map reader stays in front, Blume,” he said, impatience simmering.
Lewis muttered something under his breath. Vivienne didn’t catch it, but by the sharp scowl on Cirrus’ face, he had.
* * *
The group had been hikingfor hours when Captain Garrett called for a break. Dr. Mercer relayed the order, and Commander Thorne followed with sharp instructions: rest, hydrate, and eat only approved rations. Dr. Mercer tended to twisted ankles, scratches, and swollen insect bites while Lewis inspected food supplies. Meanwhile, Captain Garrett and Cirrus scouted ahead.
Vivienne sank onto a massive tree root, sighing as the ache in her legs caught up with her. As she rummaged through her pack for water and a snack, her fingers brushed the worn leather of her mother’s journal. With most of the crew preoccupied, she flipped to the sketches of Verdance, tracing the symbols around the ruins.A temple? A city?She leaned closer, trying to decipher their meaning.
"Miss Banner," Thorne’s silky baritone carved through her focus.
She snapped the journal shut. "Commander," she greeted, feigning nonchalance. "Just jotting some notes."
A subdued smile tugged at his lips. "You can take the Antiquary out of the library, but you can’t take the library out of the Antiquary."
"Guess not," she acknowledged with a bounce of her shoulders.
"May I?" He gestured to the space beside her, and she nodded. Resting his forearms on his knees, he spoke in a hushed tone. "I want to apologize for last night. I never meant to put you in an awkward position with the crew."
Vivienne frowned. "If anyone made it awkward, it was Cirrus and Lewis."
"Protective?" The commander suggested.
"Territorial," she corrected with a smirk.
Thorne exhaled a chuckle. "Let the record showyousaid that not me."
She shot him a mock salute as Cirrus emerged from the trees, his voice deceptively cordial. "Ah, commander. Nice to see you remembered a shirt this morning."
Commander Thorne stood, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Pity you forgot your manners and your rank."
Cirrus paled, opening his mouth before snapping it shut.
Owen tilted his head. "I’ll take that as a sign you've remembered both." His expression warmed as he turned to Vivienne. "Miss Banner, let me know if you need my jacket again." His voice dropped slightly. "Or anything else." Then he strode off toward the captain.
Cirrus bristled. "Spending a lot of time withCommander Thorne-in-my-side,aren’t you?"
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "What does it matter to you?"
His nostrils flared as he glanced around, then grabbed her wrist, leading her deeper into the trees. Once they were alone, he faced her, eyes burning. "Are youtryingto make me jealous? I made my intentions about us clear yesterday, and now you're throwing it in my face. How am I supposed to react?"
Vivienne yanked her arm free. "You can’t get upset every time I talk to another man. We’re on a crew of mostly men. It’s going to happen."
"But you’re not wearingtheirclothes. Or wandering through the rainforest with themshirtless," he lashed back.
