When the Ocean Calls

Chapter Fourteen | Island Paradise

Heat beat down on my neck and arms. I stirred from unconsciousness, a tickle of cold water against my skin. Soggy ground pressed against my face, preventing my eyes from opening.

Ice water surged around my legs. My head jolted up with a shiver, eyes flying open. I pushed my chest up from wet sand that caked my skin and dress. The sun cast its rays over a beach, empty except for a few palm trees. Dense green vegetation formed a jungle beyond.

W-what? Where am I?

I twisted from lying on my stomach to sitting upright. The taste of salt summoned flashbacks to the storm. I was headed home, wasn't I? Only one more night of travel. But the Sailor's Star hadn't appeared in the sky, and then the storm began and my boat turned over, and now I was...here.

An itch crept up my sand-speckled arm. I brushed craggy bits of the irritant from my skin. My eyes glanced at the ocean—the fastest way to clean off.

My muscles ached with each labored movement as I shifted onto my feet. My legs wobbled under my weight, and I fell onto my tailbone. Pain shot through the bone. Ouch.

Time for a new approach. I lugged myself onto my knees and crawled to the water's edge. Mellow waves greeted me in rolling strides, a cadence of whooshes. Its cool touch lapped away the sand, left me clean and refreshed. I almost forgot the temperament that I had seen during the storm last night. Or had it been longer? I wasn't sure.

I ducked my head into the crisp water. My soaked hair pulled on my scalp, so I twisted it into a make-shift bun on my head. Somehow, the wet strands clung together and lessened their force. My mind sharpened, more to alert to my surroundings. As far as I could see, calm blue water surrounded the beach. By the looks alone, I presumed I was on an island, an abandoned one to be precise. It certainly wasn't a hot vacation spot. If it were, there'd be tourists everywhere, and someone would have found me before now.

An ache penetrated my heart. I was so close to reaching Lani. Her warmth seemed to envelop me with each mile traversed.

Now, she was once again so far.

You don't know that. You could be on a neighboring island less than an hour away.

I tried to stay optimistic. But deep in my bones, the chasm between my sister and I was larger than it had ever been.

My stomach rumbled like thunder in the previous storm. A heavy sigh exited my lungs. I'd lost my provisions when the boat capsized, and a glance around told me that there was no source of food on the beach, unless raw fish from the ocean counted. My eyes traveled from the waves at my ankles to the distant trees.

Perhaps there's food in there, or people who can help me.

The problem was that it looked populated with more than fruit. Wild animals could lurk in the shadows, ready to pounce on human flesh. I looked down, and for the first time since I'd awoken, I felt the cinch of the belt Pisces gave me. By some miracle, it still clutched my waist, all pouches intact. I thought for sure it would have come off during the storm. My fingers gripped my dagger's knubby handle and unsheathed it. The forest wasn't my first choice for finding food, but then again, this island didn't give me a choice. At least I had a weapon in case of an emergency.

I padded toward the lush vegetation. Sand turned to damp dirt squishing underfoot. My nose wrinkled at the icky sensation, but I ambled forward.

Please don't let there be bugs. Please don't let there be bugs. Please don't let there—

A twig snapped.

"Ah!" I gripped my dagger tighter until its abstract carvings dug into my palm. My gaze whipped from bushes to trees, muscles tensed and ready to strike. I waited a beat. Stillness penetrated the shadowy forest, disturbed only by my thumping heart.