Page 82 of Endless Depths

“Where’s Morgan?”

He looks up with a frown. “What are you doing here? I already sent the others up.”

The engine stops. Darkness falls. Sinister silence replaces the echo of the engine fading.

“Seb?” I call.

No answer.

The hull groans as residual momentum pushesBriarup andover a wave. I exhale a trembling breath. If we fix the generator before the next wave crests, we’ll be okay?—

A wave crashes intoBriar’sside,pitching her hard to starboard, and tossing me against the wall. It takes way too long forBriarto right herself, and when she finally does, she doesn’t return to midline; she lists to the side even more.

Dread curdles in my stomach. TheBriar Anterosis sinking.

“Morgan? Seb?” I shout, panic mounting.

The engine roars to life, and the overhead lights switch on. Seb stands, and wipes his grease-stained hands on a rag.

“Where’s Morgan?” I ask again.

His gaze snaps to me with irritation. “What are you still doing here? He’s on the bow.”

Briardrifts into a lazy death spiral, riding down the slope of a wave and settling horizontally in the trough between the next wave. It’s the last place we want to be when we’re listing. The floor slants into a slide as the next wave builds.

“She’s going to capsize, Seb. We have to go.” Fear clutters my thoughts as the gathering wave dragsBriartoward the maw of the Bering Sea.

Seb snaps his fingers. “Look at me. I’m not scared, so don’t be scared.”

“Okay.” I take a deep breath and trust him.

The wave crests, then collides with theBriar, kicking heronto her side, and throwing me to the floor—No. Not the floor. The wall that became the floor. Our world rotated ninety degrees.

I jump to my feet and pull Seb up. “Come on. We have to get out before it’s too late.”

He shakes me off. “No. I can still fix this. Go find Morgan. He needs you.”

“Seb, please. I can’t lose you.”

“You already did.”

“Huh?”

“I sacrificed my life, and you’re wasting it. Now get the fuck up there and take care of them—all of them, including Finn.”

The boat rolls toward midline, but another wave slams into the side, forcing her down again. The engine shuts off. Sirens fill the silence.

“I would do anything to save you, so stop being a dumbass and let me fix this.”

Tears sting my vision. I think I understand.

“I love you, Seb.”

“I love you too, baby brother.”

He hugs me, and I remember every hug he’s ever given me within a fraction of a second. Then he pushes me toward the stairs.

It still feels wrong to leave him, but I have to get to Morgan. I scramble sideways over warm metal and machinery, climb the steps like monkey bars, and emerge from the engine room to find the window over the sink looking down on the dark ocean below.