Crystal's one escape from the pretentious life her parents want for her is the dreams that fill her mind as she sleeps. In those dreams awaits the same boy who comes to her night after night, filling her heart with hope that can only be a fantasy. T...
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Mom always loved the water. Every chance she got, she would take me to the beach or on boat rides and tell me stories about pirates, treasures, and mermaids. She loved the calming waves and the never-ending possibilities that came with them. If she had her way, she would've named me Captain too, but Dad thought it was a bit too much. She would tell me, "You're a Captain at heart, just like me, but most captains are treasure hunters at heart and I hope you find yours one day. That's what I want for you."
So I'm not surprised when the flight to her base brings us to the edge of the desert. It's fitting in a sick and twisted kind of way. McClay made sure that even after she was gone, the last thing remaining of her in this world would be land-locked, far from where any waves could reach it.
What is surprising though is the barrier still wrapped around the place.
"What use is uncovering the base if I can't get to it?" I whisper from behind the captain's wheel.
"Maybe it can only be accessed on the ground?"
I look up and find Seong standing a few feet away. Behind him, the rest of our brothers have hung back on the deck but their stealing glances show just how nervous they all are.
Confusion must be evident on my face as Seong shakes his head and grins. "You didn't actually think we'd let you do this alone, did you?"
"I...I didn't want you guys to get any of the blame for this...what I did." Just thinking about Crystal's face as I sailed away reopens the already raw wound in my chest. My hand flies to the spot where the pain throbs unbearably, my fingers wanting to dig in and carve out every last trace of it.
"I'm not sure I would've made the same decision," he says slowly. "But...I'm not gonna blame you for doing what you did. Especially after finding out she's engaged."
My eyes squeeze shut as another stab of pain slashes away at me with that reminder.
Seong shrugs. "Either way, we're here for you. We're a family and that means supporting each other even if we don't always agree with the choices one might make."
"Yeah, we're here for you," Noah adds.
The others nod while Woong pushes up from his resting spot on the ledge of the ship. "So what do you say, Cap? Let's land this thing and search for a way in on the ground."
Their encouraging smiles and soul-deep support ease my pain if only just a little. It's enough to fill me with energy to do what needs to be done at the very least.
Together, we take the Halazia down to the desert floor and leave it nestled between the dunes. But the second we jump off, a sudden breeze blows past us and cuts several paths in the sand. Each one trails off in different directions.
"What the hell is this?" Miles asks, walking around the point where each path connects.
The sun setting in the distance makes it hard to tell where each one might lead. Even seeing my mom's base from the sky, I can't spot any trace of it down here. The only hint I have on which path might lead there is the direction in which I was sailing. Well...that and a weird pull deep in my bones like a magnet.
