Some willingness, I thought bitterly

I climbed onto the boat and walked to the bow. As with all the other boats I had seen so far in this supernatural dimension, this one was also drawn by sea creatures—two large, pure white dolphins, to be precise. Their reins hung over a metal clamp, behind which was a wooden bench just about wide enough for the two of us to sit.

“Okay.” I breathed out, looking back up at the sky—still mercifully swarming with clouds. At least there was a small covering we could take shelter under once the sun broke through. “This boat should be all right, I guess.”

“So…” Julie began tentatively after a pause. “Where exactly are we headed?”

As much as it made my stomach sink, I couldn’t think of any way to reply other than, “Let’s head for your father’s ship.”

Maybe by some miracle along the way we’d come up with some other idea. But for now, this was all I had.

Julie nodded and immediately grabbed the reins, taking a seat on the bench. I walked to the stern of the ship and stood gripping the railing, the wind blasting through my hair as the dolphins lurched forward with supernatural speed. I watched the witches’ hilly island grow further and further away.

All the while, Hortencia’s words played over in my mind.

“Either a destroyer or hero of realms you shall be.”

CHAPTER 28: BEN

I didn’t know how many miles an hour we were traveling, but these dolphins were anything but ordinary. Uma’s island soon turned into a dot the size of a period until it faded completely out of view. We found ourselves entering a world of endless masses of water. The waves were calm at least, which I was glad for. The speed at which the dolphins were traveling made the ride bumpy enough.

As expected, the clouds didn’t keep the sun at bay for long. They began to thin, allowing rays of piercing sunshine to spill down from the heavens. So much so that it became uncomfortable for the two of us even while sitting beneath the covering. It wasn’t very wide, and sunshine kept spilling onto us, even when we sat directly in the middle of it. My only relief came from Julie’s confidence in navigating the boat. She constantly consulted a map and by the time night descended, she assured me that she recognized the area we’d reached. This was the hope I clung to, even as the hours passed by. Precious hours. Hours that, for all I knew, could be the last of my life. At least, a life worth living.

I was grateful to Julie that she insisted that she didn’t need to sleep, hence we didn’t waste any more time. The dolphins were showing no signs of tiring, although I supposed we would have to stop at some point for them to feed. Hopefully that would not take long and we could continue traveling throughout the night.

Julie and I barely spoke, even as we sat so close to each other, we were practically touching due to the narrowness of the bench. But as night progressed, she became more talkative.

“I’m thinking about how exactly we will do this,” she said, her eyes fixed on the waves. “Once we spot my father’s boat, I will bring ours right up to it. I’ll board it first and seek out my father. Once I’ve brought the box upstairs, you probably need to step aboard at least for a few moments to help transfer the box to your boat. It’s large and even though I could manage its weight, my arms aren’t physically long enough to lower it…” She threw me a sideways glance. “You need not worry about being in danger from my father’s crew. You won’t stay long and they’ll all be too preoccupied with my return to pay much attention to you.”

“What makes you think he’ll give up the box so easily?” I asked, frowning.

“I never said that it would be easy,” she said, tightening her hold on the reins. “But I know my father… Somehow, I’ll find a way to get it to you. That is my worry, not yours. You have enough to worry about as it is.”

“And then how will I get to Cruor?” Asking the question sent chills running down my spine.

Her jaw tensed. “That is, I’m afraid, something that I cannot help you with,” she said, to my dismay. “But you’ll have the box on your boat. Despite the distance from The Tavern area to Cruor, it’s a straightforward journey, and there are a number of landmarks along the way. I’ll leave this map with you and tell you which signs to look out for.”

“And human blood,” I muttered. “You said some needs to be placed inside it?”

“Yes,” she said. “Human blood is something I can help you with. We have a small stock of it on board my father’s ship—or at least we did when I left. I’m sure it’s still there and I’d manage to swipe enough for you without too much difficulty. Once we get the box, I’ll give you detailed instructions and advice, as much as I remember the warlock giving my father. It’s hard to explain thoroughly without having it in front of us.”

She paused, falling silent for a while. When she spoke again, her voice was lower. “Once I return to my father, it won’t be so simple to extricate myself again. It pains me to think of you alone in this. Though in fact… I’ll be sad to leave you at all.” She left her words hanging in the air as I wondered what exactly she meant by them. Then her glance, infused with an unexpected affection, made me realize.

“I… I would have liked to have known you better,” she continued. “I guess what I’m saying is, men like you don’t grow on trees.”