14. Rissa

14

RISSA

The weathered wooden planks of the dock creaked beneath my boots as I trailed after Luce. Briny sea air filled my lungs, tinged with motor oil and fish. Sunlight glinted off rows of gleaming white yachts, their masts swaying gently in the breeze. Luce strode ahead with his usual easy confidence, heading straight for the largest boat in the marina.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I muttered under my breath.

Behind us, Rey chattered excitedly. "I can't wait to set sail! It'll be just like Pirates of the Caribbean. Do you think we'll find buried treasure? Battle sea monsters? Discover uncharted islands?"

Cathy laughed. "Slow down there, Captain Jack. This trip is more business than pleasure."

I clenched my jaw. The prospect of being cooped up on a boat for weeks with Luce was one thing. But adding Rey's hyperactive antics into the mix? I suppressed a groan. At least Jeanette seemed content to hang back in sullen silence. Small mercies.

I hated being out on the water so, so much.

Luce turned to flash me a cocky grin. "All aboard, Rissa. Next stop: adventure on the high seas."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the reluctant smile tugging at my lips as I followed him aboard. Despite the risks, his enthusiasm was infectious. Maybe this trip wouldn't be the usual disaster when I set foot off land.

Rey bounded behind me, his hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "I still can't believe you never told me about your history. How could you keep something like that from your great boss and king?"

I whirled to face him, poking his chest with my index finger. "Well, excuse me for not sharing every last detail of my life with you. It's not like I go around broadcasting my weaknesses to the world."

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no need to get snippy. I'm just excited to see what these powers of yours can do. Can I borrow them sometime? Maybe take them for a spin?"

I snorted. "Sure, Rey. I'll just lend you a piece of my soul like it's a spare set of car keys."

Luce laughed as we headed towards the largest and fanciest sailboat in the marina. "I think ‘bit off more than he could chew' will be written on your tombstone, Reynard."

Rey widened his eyes in exaggerated innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about, Luce. I bet they'd be a blast to play with. I wonder what they feel like? Are they hot or cold? Do they have a flavor? I bet they taste like peanuts. No, wait, donuts! Or maybe pineapple?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to push him overboard. Though he'd probably just turn into a seal or something and bark just as annoyingly. "For the love of all that's holy, Rey, my powers are not a damn buffet. Can we please focus on the task at hand?"

Cathy placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "Deep breaths. You know how he gets when he's excited. Everything's going to be fine."

Gritting my teeth, I watched as Luce stopped. The sleek vessel next to him gleamed white in the sunlight, its polished teak deck and chrome fittings speaking of luxury and elegance.

I squinted up at the yacht swaying in the water, my brows furrowing. "You know how to drive this thing?"

Luce looked a little surprised by my question, his shoulders straightening. "Of course I do. Why would I have a boat that I don't know how to drive?"

He paused, a mischievous glint entering his gaze. "But as it happens, this isn't my boat. It belongs to someone I used to know, someone I haven't had any association with in a good fifty years. My boat isn't even stored in this marina."

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I thought it would be better to commandeer a boat not tied to us directly. That way, they may not realize what we're doing or where we're going."

I cocked my head at him, considering his words. "All right, that's pretty smart."

As we boarded, I couldn't help but be impressed by Luce's foresight. His quick thinking and resourcefulness were proving to be valuable assets.

Luce led us through the yacht, pointing out the various amenities. "There are two bedrooms and then a comfortable pull-out sofa in the main area," he explained, gesturing towards the stern. "Plenty of space for all of us."

I nodded, taking in the layout. The galley kitchen was compact but well-equipped, and the bathroom looked surprisingly spacious for a boat. Whoever owned this yacht spared no expense when it came to comfort.

As we entered the master suite, Luce turned to me with a grin. "Rissa, you and Jeanette can share the king bed. I'll take the couch."

Jeanette snorted, her delicate features twisting into a look of disdain. "It's okay, I don't mind taking the sofa."

I raised an eyebrow at her, surprised by the sharpness in her tone. What was her problem? We weren't exactly best friends, but I didn't think sharing a bed would be an issue.

Before I could question her further, Cathy piped up from the doorway. "So, how long are we going to be sailing for?"

I tore my gaze away from Jeanette, focusing on the task at hand. "It's about three thousand miles out. If we book it every day, we should make it in a couple of weeks."

Luce nodded, his expression thoughtful. "When the wind isn't good, we can use the engine. Coming back will take longer if we run out of gas, though."

I bit my lip, considering our options. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best plan we had. And with magic to help us along the way, we should pull this off.

Jeanette held up one hand and said, "I'm sorry, it seems strange to me that we aren't just flying to the closest port and then taking a boat."

Luce shrugged. "I thought about that, but even chartering a private plane leaves a paper trail for the Council to track. Then they could blow the plane out of the sky, and even though this will take longer, I feel like it's more discreet and harder to intercept."

Jeanette shrugged. "Whatever."

What was her baggage?