by Amy Boyles
I sighed. “I know. I was just hoping that you wouldn’t try to talk sense into me.”
“Oh? Because sometimes you want to just go around thinking senseless thoughts?”
I poked his rib cage. “Exactly.”
We returned to our cabin. Roman fumbled in his pocket for the key card. He found it and waved it over the reader. It bleeped, and I threw open the door.
“I don’t know why you have to always make sen—”
I stopped. The blood rushed to my feet. A frigid chill spread like melting ice from my heart down to my toes.
“What in the world?” I said.
Roman took me by the arms and dragged me from the room. Anger flashed across his face—a dark, seething sort of rage that I’d only ever seen on his face maybe once before.
“Stay right here,” he insisted. “Don’t move. Stay put. I’ll be right back.”
Roman disappeared inside the cabin, leaving me standing out in the hallway. The image of my clothing strewn about the room flashed in my head. Drawers had been upended, our suitcases ripped apart.
As I stood in the empty hallway rubbing my arms to bring back the warmth, I wondered who on the Majestic had broken into our cabin and ransacked it.
TWENTY-ONE
“Dylan, I came as soon as I found out.” Grandma stood in the small holding room where I’d given a statement to the ship’s detective. I really didn’t have much to tell him other than we left our cabin and when we returned it had been pulled inside out. Basically everything that Roman and I had brought had been vomited out of place and thrown everywhere.
“Was there anything missing?” she said.
I rubbed my temples. “No, nothing that I know of. I don’t know who would’ve done this.”
“Where’s Roman?” she said.
“He’s in another room giving his statement.”
The sweet scent of her White Shoulders perfume trickled up my nose when she hugged me. “Listen, I know throughout the years we’ve had our differences...”
“Throughout the years?” I scoffed. “We’ve had differences in the last five minutes thanks to your decision to marry a total stranger.”
I couldn’t help it. The break-in had agitated me beyond repair. My nerves were frayed wires, ready to spark at any and every moment. The fact that Grandma was sitting here telling me we’d had differences was a complete and utter joke.
But still, a pang of guilt needled me. I released a shot of air. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
Grandma sniffed. “You did mean it, but it’s okay. I know this episode is bothering you.”
“To say the least,” I snapped. “I don’t understand it.”
Grandma patted my hand. “Maybe you’re getting too close to something.”
I shook my head. “We’re not close to any answers, though I will say there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
Grandma blinked rapidly at me. “Of course. What is it?”
“You may want to sit down.”
“What is it? Are you dying?”
I narrowed my brows until I felt them pinch. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, you just seem so serious. I thought maybe you had a terrible illness and had just found out. Don’t worry; if you need me to be quiet about it, I’m nothing if not completely discreet.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not dying, and you can’t be trusted with any secrets.”
Grandma shrugged. “I have no comment.”
I flared my arms. “Look. We’re getting offtrack. I need to speak to you about Alistair.”
Grandma slapped her thigh. “Not this again. Dylan, we’ve been through this. We’re two consenting adults. If we choose to spend our wedding night mating like lions—”
I rose. “Oh. Wait. No. Hold it. Not what I’m going to talk about. Grandma, can you please stop giving me images that are forever burned in my mind in the worst of ways and be quiet?”
She clasped her hands. “Well, okay,” she said, mumbling.
“Look. Okay. I have good reason to believe that Griselda gave birth to an illegitimate child. That child is on board this ship. I won’t say who, because that’s none of my business, but I wanted you to know because Alistair is the father.”
I held my breath, watching as Grandma blinked silently at me. “You mean Captain Byrd?”
My jaw fell. “Yes. You already knew?”
She scoffed. “Of course I knew, Dylan. Alistair is my husband.”
I leaned so far forward I nearly fell from my chair. I sat up and shook out my tangled brain. “You already knew?”
Grandma peered down her nose at me. “Like I said, Alistair is my husband. I know his secrets.”
Sure you do.
“One of the workers saw Griselda arguing with a man the night she was murdered.” I twisted my fingers, afraid to even suggest what I was thinking, but I had to say something. “You don’t think it was Alistair, do you?”
Grandma adjusted her scarf. “What makes you even think that?”
“Well, because Byrd was threatening to tell the world about their relationship. What if Griselda didn’t just want Byrd silent; what if Alistair did, too?”
Grandma shook her head. “According to Alistair, it was always Griselda who didn’t want Byrd to be known—because of the money she inherited from her husband. I’m apt to believe him because he is my husband.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, whatever. I had to ask because I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.”
“What job?” Grandma said.
“You know, just—well, not my job. But, whatever.”
Luckily Roman walked in. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
We walked Grandma back to her new stateroom, where Alistair met us at the door. “I heard about what happened. I don’t know what sort of vagabonds they let onto these ships nowadays.” He licked his lips. “They didn’t get anything, did they?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He squeezed his hands. “What about the nectar?”
“Oh, that. I’d almost forgotten.” I pulled the vial from my pocket. “I didn’t leave it in the room.”
His eyes sparked when he saw it. “Yes. Well, be sure to keep it safe.” A trickle of saliva dribbled down his chin until he swiped it away with a handkerchief.
“Thanks,” I said.
Roman and I returned to our cabin. We’d put most everything away and still had a bit more to go.
“What a honeymoon,” I said.
Roman dropped a pair of briefs into a drawer. “I’m sorry. I thought this would be great.”
I glanced at him and smiled. “I didn’t mean this as a choice. The island’s wonderful; the ship is great. It’s just there’s been a lot of drama.”
“Everywhere you go,” he said.
I laughed. “I guess that’s true.” I hipped a drawer shut and plunked down on the bed. “Tomorrow’s our last morning on the island. Is there something fun you’d like to do?”
Roman smiled. “There is indeed.”
“What’s the mysterious look for?”
He winked at me. “Get a good night’s sleep. I think you’ll enjoy this.”
I changed my clothes and drifted off nestled beside him. He clicked the lights off and sighed. “Roman?”
“Yes, darlin’?”
“Do you think whoever did this will come back?”
He wrapped his arms around me. “The locks have been changed and extra security features added. No. Even if they try, they won’t make it.” He smoothed the hair from my forehead. “Try not to worry. I’m here to protect you.”
“I’m not worried.”
With that I drifted off into a dreamless yet restless sleep.
“You’ve drank dewdrop buttercup nectar and lived. I’m pretty sure you’ll get a thrill from this.”
I swallowed hard. I stared over the precipice of an ancient cave that was now a lake. A wave of vertigo washed over me.
“I don’t know.”
Roman grinned at me. Between the lip of the edge and the green lake were wisps of what looked like clouds.
“What are those?” I said.
Roman took my hand. “Those are magical layers of love.”
I crossed my arms. “I know that’s not what they are.”
Roman grabbed my shoulders and squeezed. “Are you sure?”
I glanced back. “I’m sure you’re pulling my knickers.”
“Knickers?”
I frowned at him. “Panties?”
“Darlin’, trust me. Jump and you’ll feel a clarity you’ve never experienced before.”
I shot him a dark look. “Exactly how does this help us solve the mystery?”
Roman hugged me tight. “Just do it and you’ll know exactly what I mean. The wisps are supposed to pinpoint your mental focus in a way you’ve never experienced before.”
I crossed my arms. “Are you saying I’m scatterbrained?”
“Are you avoiding the situation?”
I glanced over the lip once more. Nausea twisted my stomach. I felt a surge of breakfast threaten to spew from my mouth. I closed my eyes and eased back. “No, of course not. I’m perfectly fine.”
But boy, did I want to vomit. I could do it. I wouldn’t let Roman down.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said.
I took a deep cleansing breath. Every time I glanced over the railing on the ship, the sick wave got to me. Of all the things that had happened in the past few days, this was the easiest of those to deal with.
I took Roman’s hand. He sidled up beside me. “On the count of three.”
I nodded.
“One. Two.”
I shut my eyes tight.
“Three.”
I felt the tug as Roman jumped and I followed. A blast of cold air hit me, and I sucked in a breath.
For a moment I felt suspended in outer space as air wrapped around me. I didn’t feel like I was falling anymore. Instead it seemed I was trapped in a bubble that was plummeting at a snail’s pace.
I opened my eyes and saw the cotton-candy wisps of clouds were surrounding me. I still felt Roman’s hand at the end of mine, but I couldn’t see him.
What I could sense was that the cobwebs infecting my brain had cleared. The fear had disappeared. I felt stronger, richer, more secure. I wasn’t afraid to say what I thought and to go after what I wanted.
Well, at least for the moment I didn’t.
Then the feeling vanished and my toes hit water.
My body jerked as I raced down. I pumped my legs until I reached the surface and found Roman there, smiling and waiting for me.
“How was it?” he asked.
My mouth split into a wide smile. “Wow. That was awesome. Can we do that again?”
And so we did. The cavern jump wasn’t as dramatic as it was initially, but it was still pretty cool. We dried off, got dressed and headed back to the ship, where we were pushing off from the Majestic and heading back to Castle Witch.
I kissed Roman when we got back on board and threw my arms around his neck.
“What was that for?” he said.
“For giving me this trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon and an even better man to spend it with.”
“Love you, darlin’.”
“I love you.”
We went back to the cabin and changed, getting ready for the big party. I showered and slipped into a sky-blue sleeveless dress that rippled beautifully in the wind. Roman changed into a white shirt and linen pants. We didn’t rush getting ready. By the time we headed back up to the open deck, white lights had been strung from all the poles and the sun had set, giving the place a magical feeling.
A band kicked up a song, and Roman swept me onto the dance floor. He twirled me round and round. I laughed, throwing my head back and feeling elation as we wound down our honeymoon.
We didn’t stop dancing until I was sweating and panting. “I’m starved,” I said.
“Come on,” Roman said in my ear. “Let’s grab some food.”
A huge buffet had been laid out. I plated up crab and lobster, salad and potatoes. I glanced around for cornbread but couldn’t find any. Oh well. Couldn’t have everything, I suppose.
We found Grandma and Alistair at a table and joined them. “How was your day, kids?” Grandma said.
“Awesome. We went to this huge crater and jumped into a pool of water.”
“Ah,” Alistair said, “the clearing pool. Helps you see things crisply. Anything that’s been clouding your vision evaporates. Did it do that to you?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It helped me realize that I need to use the dewdrop nectar to find out who killed Griselda.”
Alistair dropped his fork. “Now. Are you sure you want to use the nectar on that? As I said, the authorities will sort all that out.”
I shrugged. “I know. But if I can help Maria, I think I should. I don’t need to find a buried treasure or win a million dollars. That’s not what the nectar’s supposed to be used for. The purpose of that flower is to help other people. That’s what I plan to do. Help someone. It’s not right to take a gift and use it for yourself. Give back to others, right, Grandma?”
Grandma wiggled her ringed fingers at me. “That’s exactly right. You’ve learned well, Dylan. Magic should be used to help others. You can use it to help yourself because there are times when you’ll need to hide from a group of flame-throwing banshees or will need to make a wedding dress quickly and will require your magic. But other times, using your gift for the sake of others is the way to go.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think so too. So when do you think I should use the nectar?”
Roman forked a glob of crab salad. “I would say wait until tomorrow. That way you can talk to the detective when he’s fresh. You can even use the nectar in front of him; that way he’ll know you’re at least trying to tell the truth.”
I shook my glass of sweet tea, letting the ice tinkle along the sides. “That’s a good idea. Tomorrow morning it is, then.”
Alistair lifted his brows. “And I assume you’ve been keeping the vial close? At least ever since last night?”
I nodded. “I’ve been keeping it with me at all times.”
“We still don’t know if that’s what the thief was looking for,” Roman said.
I nodded. “That’s true. But I’m not willing to take any chances.”
We finished up dinner, and Roman and I danced a bit more. We laughed and felt footloose and fairly fancy-free until we headed back to the cabin. It hadn’t been broken into, but just in case, Roman checked first. When the coast was clear, Roman headed out to get some ice for a small bottle of champagne he’d grabbed up on deck.
We were going to have a final toast to our honeymoon.
I was waiting for Roman to return when a call came through on the magical screen.
“Hello?” I said.
Alistair popped up on screen. “Dylan, I’m so glad I caught you. Where’s Roman?”
“He went out to get some ice.” I scooped a glob of lotion from a tub and rubbed it into my arms. “Is everything okay?”
Alistair shook his head. “No. Are you sitting down?”
“I am now. What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
His voice trembled. “Your grandmother and I were walking back to the room when she clutched her chest and fell.”
“What?” I shrieked.
Alistair nodded. Tears flooded his eyes. “I had her rushed to the infirmary. Do you know where that is?”
“No.”
He explained how to get there, and before ending the call, he said, “Hurry, Dylan. It doesn’t look good. I don’t know how much time she has left. You’ve got to come right away. Don’t wait for Roman. Your grandmother needs you now. There may be only minutes left to say goodbye.”
TWENTY-TWO
I didn’t wait for Roman. I had to go. Had to find out about my grandmother. If something happen
ed to her and I wasn’t there, I would never forgive myself.
Every trifling argument we’d had in the past few days lingered in my mind. So much for the mental clarity that the pool had provided. All that vanished in an instant.
I’d been so harsh with her about Alistair, finding a way to needle him at every turn. Time and again she’d said she loved him, but I mean, who could blame me for being apprehensive about the relationship?
But now he’d called me right when it happened. Something had to be said for that. Alistair had stepped up when he was supposed to.
From this moment forward he was a true, real member of my family. I’d make sure he knew it.
I raced through the ship, remembering the directions he’d laid out. Up to the deck and then past the swimming pool, which was empty at this time of night.
In fact, the party was all cleared up as well. The band had left, and the buffet of seafood was gone as if it hadn’t been there only an hour before.
Guilt, fear and panic clamored for control of my body. I forced all of them down, fine-tuning my emotions until all I felt was a need to reach Grandma’s side.
I only hoped I wasn’t too late.
I reached the swimming pool. Moonlight glinted off the softly sloshing water. A figure stood against the railing. It looked like a man hunched over, his shoulders sagging.
I walked softly up behind him. “Alistair?” I whispered.
He slowly turned around. Alistair’s eyes brimmed with tears. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his lashes. “Oh, Dylan,” he said.
Confusion twisted inside me. Why was Alistair out here? Why wasn’t he in the infirmary with my grandmother?
Frozen dread hit me, but I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t grab hold as to why Alistair wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
That wasn’t true. I wanted there to be another reason as to why Alistair was at the pool and not beside my grandmother.
I needed there to be a reason beside the obvious—that Grandma was dead.
“Why are you out here?” I said. My chest constricted, closing off the air I needed in my lungs. I heaved in a deep breath.
“Oh, Dylan,” he repeated. Alistair reached for me, and I hugged him.