Salty air nibbles my cheeks as I step onto the Lido Deck, the sky moving in turbulent waves above my head. Xander and I follow Eddie past the abandoned cabanas and pool to a set of stairs that lead to the Command Center.

“They’ll be joining us anytime, too.” Eddie hasn’t stopped talking since we left the Caferia. “They told me where I could find you.”

Xander nods, rubbing soft circles into my palm. His piercing gaze moves lazily along the horizon, where lightning flashes in uneven bursts.

The Command Center oversees the whole of the Griffin, as well as a three-hundred-and-sixty-five-degree view of the ocean surrounding her. The room is made entirely of windows, offering a reprieve from the sea wind.

“Wow, it’s breathtaking.” I spin in a slow circle.

“Welcome to Command,” Eddie waves an arm around the room as he makes his way to a set of computers on the far left side.

“Hey, Em!” Sophie enters, her long hair windswept. “This place is awesome.”

“That’s what I was just saying,” I beam.

Sophie wiggles her eyebrows. “How was lunch?”

“It was good, even though it was cut short.” I feel my cheeks heat a little.

Sophie rolls her eyes. “I know! When Eddie came looking for Xander, I tried stalling but it seemed too important.”

“Yeah, it’s ok. Thank you, though, Soph.” I smirk.

Sophie winks. “Anything for you, Em.”

I giggle at her Xander reference.

Xander wanders over to where Eddie sits perched. “So, what was so important?”

“Give me a minute, and I’ll show you.” Eddie signs on to the computer system. He waits for it to load.

Nathan strolls to them, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, eyebrows knitted together. “Hey, man. I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Nothing to apologize for.” Xander shrugs. “I think you’re right. Safety first.”

Nathan bows his head. “That, we can agree on.”

I glance at Sophie, trying hard not to laugh at their awkward exchange. “Apologies are difficult for you guys, aren’t they?”

Sophie coughs when both Nathan and Xander turn a slight shade of pink.

Nathan clears his throat. “Anyway, back to the storm.”

Eddie is watching the exchange in quiet fascination. He tries to hide a smile as he turns back to his monitor. “Right.”

I make my way over as images flash across the screen.

“Here we go.” Eddie clicks a few keys. Freezing some images in place, he explains, “So, this is our last super-storm. See how close it is to the surface?”

Xander follows Eddie’s finger across the screen with different colors and percentages. “I see it. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Nathan, Sophie, and I murmur our agreement, and Eddie grins. “Oh, well, radar can be tricky.”

“You ain’t kidding.” Sophie laughs.

“Anyway, the percentages show how far off the ground we are. Usually, we see numbers in the fifties and sixties.” Eddie points to several numbers in a wide arch that are all in the twenties. “But with our super storms, we’re getting percentages that reach no higher than the mid-thirties.”

“So, the lower the number, the closer to the ground?” Xander confirms.

Eddie nods. “That’s right.”

“Easy enough to remember.” Sophie walks around the cabin. Her eyes roam to all the computers and gadgets.

“Now our current super storm, along the skyline there,” Eddie jerks his thumb toward the angry clouds expanding toward the Griffin. “She’s reading in the twenties, as well. Giving us the same parameters as our last weather system.”

“But?” Nathan prods.

Eddie sorts through the radar still filtering across his monitor. “We had a few percentages in the teens, which is odd. And the reflectivity over the past half hour has changed.”

I frown. “What does that mean?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Eddie takes a long breath. “I can tell you, she’s losing momentum.”

“What?” Xander questions.

“Uh, guys.” Sophie inclines her head towards the window. “I think I know what he’s talking about.”

I look up to watch the storm that used to be crawling toward us along the horizon, now fading into nothingness.

“How did this happen?” Xander fumes.

“She lasted barely an hour.” Nathan huffs.

Eddie purses his lips. “I tell you. Odd.”

Editor: Claudia Cramer