“Of course,” she replied.
“I figure this is the best place to see one.” He swept his hand up toward the sky.
Above their heads, the night sky was seamless, full of glittering stars embedded in a deep azure depth that seemed to stretch forever.
Willow gasped, looking from side to side. “You can’t tell where the sky ends, and the water begins.”
Christian smiled. “We’re surrounded by stars.” Christian leaned back, gazing upward, watching the stars glimmer and twinkle in the dark.
Willow pointed frantically. “There!” she called. “A shooting star!”
He followed her gaze and spotted a brief streak of light across the night sky.
“I saw it,” Christian said, joy bubbling at her excitement.
She looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Did you?”
He nodded. “I did.”
She nestled close to him and stared at the dark, clear sky, illuminated by thousands of stars that sparkled like diamonds. “Let’s see how many we can find.”
His arm draped around her, pulling her against him. His gaze lingered on her as the soft moonlight brushed across her face and lit her delicate features. Emotion swelled in his chest as he took in her ethereal beauty and the strength and excitement that radiated from her.
She turned her large blue eyes to him and caught him watching her. She smiled. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
Christian shrugged. “I can wait for you.”
“What are you looking at?” A voice interrupted them.
Christian turned to see Demory looming over them, his bald head glistening in the moonlight. His eyes were trained on the stars, but Christian sensed a darker energy emanating from him. Anger burned through Christian’s veins. “What do you want, Demory?”
“I was just taking a stroll on the deck and saw you here.” His gaze shifted to Willow. “You must be Willow.”
“You knew my father,” Willow answered.
Christian didn’t want her to talk to Demory, whose words were always laced with deceit. Every word uttered from his mouth was a lie or a manipulation. “He knew him.”
“John and I had a relationship,” Demory said, lifting his gaze to the sky again. “A working relationship. He stayed out of my way, and I stayed out of his.”
“What are you doing onboard?” Christian demanded.
“I told you I was seeking passage to England,” Demory replied.
Willow’s eyes grew distant at the banter. She crawled to the railing and knelt, hooking her fingers over the wooden banister, looking out over the side.
Christian’s eyes were trained on her as he spoke to Demory, his words edged with suspicion. “And you conveniently picked this ship?”
He shrugged. “It was leaving immediately. You know how dangerous it is for Templars in France.”
“You’re not a Templar.” Christian rose, vigilantly watching Willow take in the surroundings.
“Neither are you, and yet you are leaving.”
Christian had a nagging feeling about Demory, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. He didn’t like him, and a deep mistrust ran through him. “As you said, it’s dangerous.”
“What’s that?” Willow asked, pointing to the rear of the ship. “It looks like a ghost.”
Christian moved to her side as Demory leaned over the railing, peering into the dark distance. Far behind them, a faint glow caught Christian’s eye. He squinted, trying to make out the details of the eerie form. The ghost-like figure seemed to float over the black water.
