Lewis tapped his chin. “TheHevea brasiliensistree produces anextremelysticky sap. We could glue his yapping mouth shut.”
She huffed a laugh. “I’ll keep that option in mind.”
* * *
Vivienne sat cross-legged,the charcoal tracings spread before her, their lines stark against the parchment in the fading light. She traced the images with her fingertips, the shifting moon phases, the blooming and closing flower, the owl perched at the center. None of it fit together.
Her gaze flicked to another tracing, the weeping goddess. Were her tears meant to be taken literally? Or was it symbolic of something else? The questions churned, refusing to settle.
The deepening twilight cast shadows over the tracings. The air cooled, thick with the scent of damp earth and moss. Vivienne blinked against the growing darkness, exhaustion tugging at the edges of her mind.
Still, the carvings gnawed at her thoughts, whispering their secrets just out of earshot.
Sleep found her before she found the answers.
29
Leaving camp felt surreal. Vivienne wasn’t ready to walk away from Captain Garrett, Melodie, Gus, or the rest of the crew.
Melodie embraced her, murmuring a good luck charm in Zaharaan, her first language. Vivienne clasped Gus’ uninjured hand as he was lifted onto a makeshift stretcher, one of the first sailors bound for the Zephyrus. The captain had only given her a warm smile and a firm pat on the shoulder, no words, just quiet assurance. Though the plan had been hers, anxiety gnawed at her. The thought of the ship sailing away, leaving her temporarily stranded, sent an icy prickle down her spine.
The four of them followed the charted path in the direction of the large, leafless tree. Commander Thorne led with his customary vigilance, sword at the ready. The air held its usual heaviness with the added weight of her unresolved argument with Cirrus. Vivienne kept her gaze ahead, shoulders stiff, refusing to acknowledge him. Cirrus walked a few paces in front of her, his posture just as rigid, his jaw tight with frustration.
Lewis walked next to Vivienne, pushing to keep up with her pace. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She had been quiet since they left camp. He sighed. “Looks like it’s going to be a long day.”
Vivienne pressed her lips together. “It might be.”
Lewis lowered his voice. “About last night… you and Cirrus, what’s going on?”
Vivienne exhaled, some of her defenses slipping. “It’s not the first time we’ve fought, and it won’t be the last.”
“Couples quarrel?” he asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, feigning nonchalance.
“What?” Her brow furrowed. “No. We… Cirrus and I aren’t a couple. I don’t know if I even want to re-open that door. Not after slamming it shut the last time.”
“He’s acting like you are.”
Vivienne’s gaze dropped to the uneven ground. “You know as well as anyone that things between Cirrus and I are… complicated.”
Lewis studied her expression. “Complicated? Sure. But are thingsoverbetween you two?”
“They never started again,” she clarified.
He frowned, watching Cirrus walk ahead in his natural place at the front of the group. “I’ll always be here for you, Viv,” Lewis said, voice barely above their footsteps. “I always have been.”
Vivienne met his gaze, her expression warm. The tiniest flicker of what she thought might be hope sparked in Lewis’ eyes. He waited for her to say something more, but the moment passed, and they turned their attention back to the path ahead.
* * *
They paused to rest,taking long sips from their water skins. Lewis and Cirrus ventured off to forage, leaving Vivienne and the commander alone under the shade of broad-leafed trees. With the "no one goes anywhere alone" policy in place, Thorne remained close, his hand never far from the grip of his sword.
"This might be the quietest part of the voyage so far," he stated.
"That’s what happens when half the group isn’t speaking to each other," Vivienne replied, prying a small rock from the sole of her boot.
Thorne paused. "I hadn’t?—"
"It’s okay, Owen, I mean, commander." She glanced at him with understanding. "The entire camp heard us fighting last night. You don’t have to feign ignorance."
