She had to say it. “I don’t want you on my crew.”
Everyone fell silent. Even the water in the canal felt hushed.
She was saying this all wrong. She tried again: “I want you to sail with me. But not as my crew. I certainly don’t want you to feel like you have to buy your way onto my crew. I want…” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to think, trying tofeel. She opened them again and said firmly, “I want us to be partners. On the sea. Like… like my parents always were. We belong together on the waves, as equals.”
He gaped at her. “You want…”
Marin said, “I want you to buy half ofSilver.”
It was a little bit nice to see Dax finally speechless.
“Those gems, I think they’ll just about cover it,” Marin said. “We’ll be partners, co-owners of… whatever this business is.” They could figure out the details of what they’d do later. A vote, by the entire crew. “We need a name.”
Ree piped up, “Wax Myrtle and Company Supply Runners.”
“Not that,” Marin said.
“The Serpent, The Shrub, and—”
“Hush,” Dax told him.
He hushed.
“You want me to co-own your boat?” Dax said. “I thought you were a solo sailor. I don’t want you to feel… This is your boat.”
“It could be ours,” Marin said. “I’d still be in charge of sailing. Obviously. But… it would be our home, together. Our little family’s.”
He smiled as bright as the sun over the sea.
“I want us to be partners in business, whether it’s supply running, music, or both, and I want us to be partners in life.” There, she said it, as clearly as she could.Thatwas what she wanted to say. “I love you, and I want to sail with you for the rest of my days.”
Dax was smiling still, his glorious-as-the-sunrise smile.
Ree asked, “Can I cheer yet?”
Marin laughed. “He hasn’t said yes yet.”
Dax leaned forward and kissed her, his lips soft and sweet andtasting of the scent of fresh grass and the open sea. She felt as if she were being gifted the world and all its wonders. “Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, Captain. I love you too.”
They sailed back to Flicker.
Blue and crisp, the sea and sky seemed to be celebrating with them. Perri dove through sparkling waves as the wind blew steadily from the east. It was sharply cold, but it didn’t play any games. They made good time.
Shortly after dawn, Marin spotted her home island in the distance. The old volcano was a clear silhouette on the horizon, breaking the smooth line of the sea. As they sailed closer, she spotted what could have been birds circling above the shore, though it wasn’t until they were closer still that she could see their furry bodies beneath their spread wings. She wondered if Stowy was flying with them.
“Perri, lead the way!” she called.
Excited, the sea serpent charged ahead.
She heard shouts from nearby fishing boats, and this time she didn’t bother to try to hide her return. She waved to the other sailors as she steered toward her parents’ cove.Let them spread the word. I’m ready this time.
The first to greet them was the orange cat. Stowy circled above the cove as they arrived and then he settled on the bow. He meowed imperiously, and Dax knelt to scratch his cheeks. Stowy leaned into the scratch. “Good to see you again, Escatralius.”
Marin tied off at the dock, as Ree leaped from the mast onto the dock with a “Ta-da!”
“Very nice,” she told him.
“I should have waited for more of an audience.”
