This storm is getting worse. Marina fought for balance on the slick deck as the ship pitched across choppy waves. Gray-blue water splashed and soaked the hurried crew as they rushed to keep afloat. Swirling winds curled the sails into thrashing the mast and rigging. 

Over the ocean’s roar, Captain Aquilla’s voice boomed commands. As the frigid rain attacked, the pirates struggled to stabilize the cannons. Lightning crackled against the oppressive clouds. She clung to the rail as they lurched hard to port, plunging deep into the surging sea. 

“Tie off that rope, or I’ll send you to Neptune’s hold myself!” Cassian’s voice ordered from high above her, standing on top of the rigging as he helped to fasten the flailing sails. Marina caught his eye. 

Neptune, keep him safe. I can’t lose him, she prayed as the ship righted itself. A bolt of lightning nearly set the sails ablaze, but they rolled starboard just in time, sparing them from the strike.  

One sailor, caught off guard by the rising wind, flew through the air toward the ocean. Marina caught the man before he fell overboard. 

“Hold tight! I’ve got you,” she yelled, clinging to his weathered palms. Her arms strained as she pulled him back aboard. After a moment, the sailor struggled to his feet. 

Boots thudded beside her as Cassian appeared next to them. 

“Darling, get below deck,” Cassian ordered. “This is no place for you.” She just looked at him as if he’d suggested she invite Lucian to dine with them. 

What is wrong with him? Marina was more than upset. Did he think she was too weak to handle a storm? This wasn’t the first hurricane or storm they’d seen since leaving Port Victoria. 

“Like hell!” Marina huffed. 

“Stop bein’ stubborn, wife!” Cassian exclaimed. 

“I’m another set of hands! Didn’t the captain order all hands on deck?” Marina argued. He’s out of his mind if he thinks I’m going to cower because of the rain and storm. 

“Aye, but I won’t lose you.” He admitted, as rain pelted them in sheets. Her ire softened when she saw the fear in his eyes. 

She knew then that they had crossed into something deeper, yet that realization did nothing to dull the pull drawing her toward the heart of the action. 

“Cassian, you’ll lose me if I don’t stay and help,” Marina shot back.  

Somewhere behind them, a bobbling lantern’s light cast a dark shadow over them.. The flame flickered in the storm as it came closer. “I’ll toss ye both into the sea if ye don’t get to work!” Captain Aquilla barked at his son and daughter–in–law.  

A shrill whistle cut the chaos, and all fell silent. Even the ocean seemed to still. For a fleeting moment, the world held its breath. 

“Rogue wave off the starboard side!” The bosun in the crow’s nest pointed towards a looming wave. Not allowing a split–second pass, Captain Aquilla, Cassian, and Marina led the crew in a swirl of activity. After they secured the lines, most of the men were ushered below. 

Marina and Cassian secured themselves to the mast to keep the sails tied down. Captain Aquilla held fast to the helm, determined to keep the ship steady. 

The monstrous wave swallowed them in one swift movement. Marina instinctively closed her mouth and let herself breathe slowly through her nose. Bubbles floated towards the surface in a column. Alongside her, Cassian was doing the same. 

Marina searched desperately for the captain as the water fought to claim them before the wave broke. The storm seemed to be moving on now; the waves moved across the ocean and on to other mischief. 

Marina almost cried with relief when she saw Henry still tied to the helm.  A gash across his forehead dripped bright blood into the seawater. He had been knocked unconscious. 

“Cassian! Your father!” Marina untied herself and rushed to the fallen captain. She freed him from his bonds, then ripped off part of her shirt to use as a makeshift bandage and pressed it to the wound. 

Don’t let Neptune win, Henry. Cassian needs you. I need you. 

“Get me something to wrap his head,” Marina ordered, but Cassian was already tearing into his own uniform. Together, they wrapped his head. “Can you get him to his cabin?” Marina asked Cassian. He lifted his father to his shoulder and carefully carried him away. 

*** 

Hours later, Neptune’s Revenge limped towards a lush green island shrouded by mist. Cassian took the helm and directed the crew to secure the ship to the dock. After they lowered the gangplank, Marina stepped ashore. Their doctor was swept overboard last week, and she had agreed to search the port for a healer—or at least medicine—for Captain Aquilla. 

Thanks to the dockmaster, they learned they had made land at an island called Axilla Lovis, or Jove’s Armpit, named for the jade trees that mimicked a man’s hairy pit. At least if you squinted and tilted your head to the left. 

Someone was drunk when they named this place. Amused, she wandered through the dockside marketplace. Despite feeling slightly out of her element, she blended into the bustling crowds. 

It looked like the same drunkards had cobbled the town together from whatever scraps they could find. No two buildings matched. Shacks of warped timber stood next to huts with little more than mud walls beneath a thatched roof. Even the tavern appeared to have been built from the remains of a boat dragged straight from the water. 

Marina knew she looked ragged. The ripped shirt, sodden from the rain and water, clung to her. Stringy hair framed her shoulders and back. She hadn’t had time to change; she’d been too busy helping pull the battered boat into dock. 

The sound of hammers and shouting sailors carried from the docks as repairs continued on the storm-worn ship. After a month at sea, there was much to mend. Cassian had stayed behind to supervise the work and organize fresh supplies for the voyage ahead. 

She searched the marketplace, passing rows of crowded stalls tended by women with goods spread across wooden tables. Exotic spices perfumed the air at one stand, while another glittered with gold jewelry that flashed in the light. Nearby, pastries fried beside strips of meat, their rich scent enough to make her stomach growl. 

I haven’t had anything but hard tack at breakfast, and that was hours ago. Oh, that looks promising. Marina followed the smell of the cooking food to the stall. Paying a copper penny, she soon had the pastry in her hand and ate as she walked. 

A sweetly smiling woman approached her, a small child in tow. “Are you new? I can help.” 

Marina nodded, still chewing a bite of the food. “I need medicine. Or a healer. Our captain was injured during a storm.” 

The woman grasped her elbow and pulled her down the street as she indicated a line of weathered wooden shops a block to the right. Age and neglect clung to the buildings like rot. “Doctor Sano’s shop is down there.” She threw Marina a cautioning look. “Just know: he’s expensive.” 

“Money will be no issue, I promise.” 

The woman opted to stay quiet and lead the child away. Marina walked past the shops, listening to locals gossip about a recent hurricane that had blown through. Out of nowhere, a blue sparkle caught her eye. 

In the darkened window of a shop, nestled among other bejeweled pieces, a stunning necklace of platinum, aquamarines, and light blue sapphires rested on a velvet pillow. Despite heavy clouds blocking the sun’s rays, the delicate filigree and metal work glowed. 

Marina couldn’t tear her eyes from the necklace as the surrounding voices stilled. She pressed her palms against the glass, and the world around her faded away. Unfamiliar memories flashed in her mind. Something was calling her to question everything. 

This can’t be possible. I remember this necklace, yet I’m sure I’ve never seen it before now. 

Editor: Shannon Hensley