Stolen By Black [manxman]

Chapter Three

"Where's Jeb?"

Matilda nodded toward the stern of the ship. "Should be takin' over for Aquila right now." Matilda usually took up that role, but Jeb had her taking stock of the weaponry. Jeb didn't have a defined right hand, but Matilda seemed to be the closest thing to it. They were always together, Jeb consulting with her and taking her advice. For every bit of gentle velvet Jeb was, Matilda was sharp steel. It was an interesting combination, to say the least, but Matilda seemed to know her shit, which made Vesper like her all the more.

"Thanks," Vesper said. He took off for the stern. The top of Jeb's hat was visible well before he was. Vesper didn't even get a full view of him until he'd ascended the stairs to the helm of the ship. "How much longer until we reach the Island of Crystals?"

Jeb had relieved the helmsman for a while so he could get some rest. The way he steered on occasion, gaze focused out toward the open sea, it was almost as if navigating the Midnight Thief had become an afterthought. All the real attention was solely on the water, the ship, and the azure, midday sky.

"We should be there an hour or so before sunset."

Vesper nodded and leaned against the rail of the deck, just a few feet away from Jeb. "Have you ever been to this island before?"

Jeb shook his head. "No, but from the way Althea described it, not many people have. It's been deserted for centuries, that's probably why Althea and her employers hid the key to the Sunken City there."

It made sense they'd want to hide it somewhere deserted. Hiding it in plain sight in a densely populated area posed too much risk. Even if it was found by someone ignorant that didn't understand the importance of the item they found, it'd be difficult to relocate.

"Tell me a story," Vesper said, propping his head on the heel of his hand. "Where was the best place you've ever explored?"

"I only get to pick one?"

"How many places have you explored?"

"I'm well into the three-hundreds now, but those are just my own adventures. I'm not counting the ones I went on with my mother or my friends as I grew older."

Vesper blinked owlishly. After being confined to the Raptured Waters for so long, he couldn't imagine having gone that many places. "Gods... No wonder you can't only pick one. Fine, if you had to pick your favorite place on a trip that was completely your adventure, where would you pick?"

Jeb hummed. His warm, chocolate-colored eyes trailed skyward. "Probably the Eastern Cove... I'd been to the Northern Cove with my mother, she used to love going there to see the Northern Lights. I remembered hearing stories about all the fairies and mermaids at the Eastern Cove and how it was covered with flowers and greenery in the springtime. I went mostly just to compare it to its Northern sister, but I was so surprised when I got there.

"Each of the four coves are just small little islands that all sorts of creatures live on. Each of them are like little natural sanctuaries where some sort of phenomenon occurs. For the North, it's the Lights. For the South, it's the ongoing cycles of fire where the Phoenixes continuously rebuild and rebirth. For the East, it's just a vast garden with hot springs everywhere. Mermaids and sirens sing. Fairies and nymphs tend to everything. I've never been anywhere that set me more at ease than the Eastern Cove. It's probably the most boring, but there's something about the atmosphere there that takes your breath away."

In Vesper's mind, it sounded beautiful. Like Jeb had said, nothing about it sounded particularly exciting, especially compared to the Northern Lights or watching the Phoenixes destroy their surroundings for the chance at rebirth, just like them. The way Jeb talked about it, voice soft and in-awe, that was all it took for Vesper to suddenly have a burning desire to see it too. He wondered what sort of light shone in Jeb's gentle eyes when he stepped onto the shore. Vesper wondered if the muscles in his back and shoulders relaxed after he got to walk through the garden and listen to the gentle harmonies of the merfolk.