The Starriest Summer (The Cycle of the Six Moons, #1)

Chapter Eight: To Enemy Waters

The next place Canaria and I appear is the seaport. The wind blows back my hair at once, and I can smell the salt in the ocean. Docks made of stone and wood stretch out from the coast below the palace; cargo ships pull in and sailors pace. Men in white cloaks load a medium-sized vessel with barrels and crates. I guess that's where I'm going.

"This is as far as I go," Canaria says, stepping back to the sphere.

"Righty-o!" I wave to her. "Thanks for helping me out!"

She waits until I descend the steps before disappearing. Once she's gone, I gallop downward to the military vessel. Water sloshes beneath my footsteps.

"HALT! Where do you think you're going, missy?"

I turn around and see a tall, muscular, dark-skinned man running toward me with a megaphone at his mouth. A girl about my age, with long strawberry blond pigtails, runs to catch up with him, though she doesn't look away from some kind of clipboard. When the man sees my face, he trips and falls flat on his nose, and it's miraculous that the girl doesn't trip over him.

Actually, the man's bowing, but I guess he isn't very graceful. "Miss Goddess! I apologize!"

"Miss Goddess?" the girl gasps, looking up from her clipboard. She bows, hanging upside-down from the hip up, the tips of her pigtails brushing the docks.

I shrug. "It's cool, guys."

Both of them lift their heads and look at me. The man says, "Goddess, you're so young!"

"You don't look much older than me." The girl holds a hand over her mouth. Her nails are painted aqua.

The man rises to his feet and rubs his stubble, looking between me and the girl. "And I thought Jayse was young, but then—ah, maybe I'm just getting old."

"If I'm as old as Goddess, herself, then yes, you are old." The girl smirks, and the man grins sheepishly. Aww, he's just a big teddy bear!

He asks me, "How can I help you, Miss Goddess?"

The girl goes back to looking at the papers on her clipboard.

I say, "I'm looking for Gediyon. I'm gonna help him save the prince!"

"Y-you?" he chokes. "Did you speak to Trissa about this?"

"Yup, she sent me here."

He arches his back and yells at the sky, "What is everyone smoking?" I like this guy. He looks back at me and says, "Miss Goddess, that's dangerous! Everyone will be facing the Taesmals and their twisted pets! Maybe even the Taesmal King himself."

"Oh well! The more danger, the merrier!"

I think he wants to slap his forehead, but he ends up smashing the megaphone against his nose.

"Careful, Uncle," the girl sighs.

Uncle? There's no way she and Byran can be blood related because they look nothing alike. She has light skin with rosy undertones, and he's—well, he's a big black guy.

"Ah, Byran, Chili. I see you've met Michelle."

I look over my shoulder and see Gediyon, and I'm so excited that I hug him. Even the pigtails girl—I guess her name is Chili—says, "Hi Gediyon!"

Byran rubs his nose. "Well that's a sight!" Once I let go of Gediyon, who gives me a pat on the back, Byran says, "Gediyon, Miss Goddess wishes to accompany you!"

"You do?"

"Yes! And the queen let me come." So that makes everything okay!

Byran scratches the back of his head. "Can't really argue against either of them."