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

Chapter Eleven: Restoring Lereli

Once I step on board, the oldest soldier double-checks that all of us are accounted for, then he pulls up the ramp and we're off sailing.

Gediyon tells me that it'll only take an hour to sail to Lereli, which is a relief since all of the other traveling we've done so far turned out to be day trips. He tells me he'll start breakfast for everyone, but I stay on deck to watch the water.

Sailing through the Tainted Sea, ahead all the way to the horizon is sparkling clear water.

I contemplate whether I should go downstairs and help Gediyon with breakfast, when I turn around and Jayse approaches me. He makes eye contact with me—gosh, his eyes are so pretty—so I figure he actually wants to talk to me and not just steal my amazing viewing spot.

"Sorry to bother you, Michelle, but I was wondering... If you aren't from Lereli, does that mean you'll accompany us back to Arriscyal?"

"If that's where we happen to go next, then I guess so. You don't think there are any other princes in need of rescue, do you?"

He laughs. "I hope not. Say, where is it you're from again?"

"Uh..." I see Launce and Nichols peeking out from the stairwell. Launce smirks and nudges Nichols in the side, who punches him back. Why are they so weird?

It'll be easier for me to act like myself instead of a Goddess, anyway. I don't know Starrs enough to tell Jayse an outright lie, so I say, "Davis. Little farm town on the west coast."

"Oh." I can see him trying to find Davis on that mental map of his. "I don't think I've ever been there."

I shrug. "It's in the middle of nowhere." I lean back against the edge of the ship, but I forget that I already stepped away, so I stumble back against it. Yeah, real smooth, Michelle. I hide my dumb expression and face the sea, then ask him, "You been to Lereli before?"

"Once, but I was very young. I do remember a lot of seashells, though."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool. I hope all the fog has gone away. I bet it's really pretty now!"

"Oh, of course—you were the one who fixed the dam, right?" He pauses. "That's quite an accomplishment. How did you do it?"

I don't know how well I could explain it without mentioning my Goddess abilities, so I just say, "I have skills."

I make faces at the sea, hoping it'll make faces back and tell me what an idiot I'm being, when Jayse moves next to me to watch the same view. I immediately try to wipe my expression blank, but the smile that takes over isn't any more pleasant than my grimaces.

"Have you been to the Arriscylean palace yet?"

"Uh..." Well, yeah I have, but what kind of question is it? It isn't as if I had a formal tour of the entire structure, so I say, "Not really."

"Would you like me to show you around when we return? I know more secret passages than anyone else is willing to admit."

I smile. "Sure! Sounds fun."

Is he actually hitting on me? It might be because I'm the only girl on board, but if I were a guy, I'd leave myself alone. Still, I continue answering Jayse's questions as naturally as I can. So far, it doesn't seem like Jayse realizes that I am Goddess. I'm scared of how he might shun me if he did know.

I'm not the kind of girl who would keep talking to a guy if he approached me the way Jayse did. I'd ignore the guy and walk off. He was probably desperate anyway if he was hitting on me, because back home most people knew me as an awkward dork.