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Whit abruptly sat up in the lounger. “That wasn’t—”
The deck of theElephantinegroaned as it rocked sharply.
“Is that normal?” I said, my unease rising.
He pulled me up from my seat and to the railing and pointed his finger at the dark river churning as the wind blew around us like a shrill tempest. The water grew tumultuous, rising and falling in between large protruding rocks. “I must find Reis Hassan,” he said grimly.
“Will we be all right?” But he wasn’t listening to me, his attention was trained on the water. A chill gathered over my skin, making the hair on my arms stand on end.
I gathered the front of his shirt in one hand. “Whit.”
He looked down, lips parted in surprise. The full force of his blue gaze met mine. He brought his hand up to my cheek, hesitant and slow, almost touching. Something cold flashed in his eyes, and he dropped his palm. I missed his touch even though I hadn’t felt it. Gently, he pried my fingers loose and stepped away from me, his face closing as if it were a doorway he refused to allow anyone through.
The boat dipped again, and something dragged along the underside of theElephantine. “What was that?”
“Go back to your cabin.” He left me on the deck. “I mean it, Olivera.”
The boat heaved to the right and I stumbled, swinging my arm wide to right my balance. I took a hesitant step forward, and then another, but the boat pitched again, and my stomach dropped to my toes. I doubled back to the saloon. The rest of the crew rushed past me, speaking in rapid Arabic. They all wore expressions of panic.
“Sitti! You must go to your room!” Kareem said, sweeping past me. “It’s not safe!”
“As soon as I find my uncle,” I said.
But he’d already gone from my sight. I ran into the saloon and found him rolling up a map spread wide across the table. Something battered the windows and I spun around, letting out a gasp.
“Is thatsand?” I asked.
In two strides Tío Ricardo was in front of me. “It’s coming from the desert.”
The boat groaned loudly as it struck something hard beneath our feet. His face paled, then he turned me around and pushed me toward my cabin. “Stay in your room until I tell you it’s safe to come out, Inez. If we capsize, go out through the window. Leave everything behind. Do you understand?”
Numbly, I nodded and rushed to do what he said, my heart in my throat. I shut the door behind me and sat on the floor, my knees close to my chest. But no, staying inactive during such a time was immeasurably foolish. Suppose we flipped over, what then?
I looked around the room with a critical eye.
What could I stand to lose?
None of my parents’ things. They weren’t special items to anyone else, but because they had belonged to my parents, they were priceless. The boat rocked, groaning from being thrashed around by the heavy blast of wind. It howled outside my window with murderous intent. I stood on shaky legs, my arms windmilling, and took cautious steps toward the drawers under my bed.
A loud curse brought me up short.
That sounded like my uncle.
I rushed to the door and peered across the short corridor. One of the doors on the opposite side was ajar, swaying in rhythm to the movements of the ship. It creaked loudly. I stepped out into the hallway, my mouth opening—
Through the gap of the door, I caught sight of my uncle. The door swung forward, blocking my view, but then moved back the other way. I moved closer, my steps light against the wood. I thought I’d seen something familiar…
Tío Ricardo was rapidly going through his things—not unlike what I had been doing. But in his hands was a notebook, the cover painted with lush peonies. They were my mother’s favorite flowers. I’d recognize her diary anywhere.
I was the one who’d painted it, front and back.
My uncle knelt over his trunk and pulled out several loose sheets, reading them quickly and then folding them in half, only to tuck them withinmy mother’s words. Intuition flickered, and an urge to rush inside and demand he hand me my mother’s private thoughts nearly overwhelmed me. But I stayed back, for once thinking it through. If I went in now, he’d probably lie to me, and then he’d make damn sure to hide her things from me.
Better to wait until he left the cabin.
Tío Ricardo barreled out of his room, his upper body pitched forward as if he were a charging bull. When he disappeared up the steps, I darted across the narrow hallway, shutting the door behind me.
He’d left the space tidy and organized, the trunk locked. With a muttered curse, I dropped to my knees, pulling a pin from out of my hair. I knew how to pick a lock thanks to my father’s fascination with perfecting random talents. He could hold his breath underwater for three minutes, and he knew several different sailors’ knots and how to untie them, and for a season, he was fascinated with burglars.
