Page 28 of Voices in the Stars (The Lost Witch #1)

Atlas spent the next several days avoiding me.

I would see him everywhere. Mainly hanging around the captain, talking in hushed voices.

Their eyes would almost always be on me, though.

They’d follow my movements throughout the day, which mainly just consisted of finding new places to sit where the burning on my head wasn’t as bad.

Still, the hairs on the back of my neck would stand, and every time I looked back, there they would be. Just watching me.

I did try to listen a couple of times. I would act like I headed down below to rest. Instead, I snuck around, pressing myself against the raised wall that held up the raised section of the ship.

Even then I could barely hear anything they said.

The sound of the crew talking and yelling around me, paired with the sounds of slapping water, blocked out everything.

All I could understand was my name and Eris’ being repeated.

After spending most of the day attempting to listen in, I gave up and did my best to ignore them.

Once my sickness started to fade, I found myself enjoying being out here.

My favorite place to sit was where Atlas had sat with me.

Watching the countless amounts of birds sailing overhead helped keep my attention elsewhere.

I wanted to know what it felt like to fly about without any care like they did.

There were no similarities between here and Donnaway except this. Watching the birds, wishing I could be up there with them. Even in a completely different world, I was still a captive. Trapped as I had to watch one person dictate my entire life. At least here I got the adventure I dreamed of .

The only thing that would make it better was if I could bring Josi here to watch them with me.

She wouldn’t care about the birds or fish swimming below us, but it would ease the gnawing feeling in my chest that I abandoned her.

She was trapped in Donnaway, getting married to Ben because that’s all she knew.

If I could just show her this world, that there was more out here.

Not that any of that would be possible. The further Atlas took me, the more it felt like I would never see Josi again.

Birds danced around each other, swooping down as the others chirped and circled above it. I jumped as there was a large splash below me. It was a disruption of the normal, repetitive sound of the crashing waves.

I stood, leaning over the waist-high railing.

Ripples circled out from a spot to our right.

I stared down into the dark, churning water, squinting my eyes.

I gasped and stumbled back as it happened again.

A large fin surfaced before slamming into the water, creating a loud cracking noise before it disappeared back into the water again.

This time I could see it, though. The water wasn’t dark.

There was a large body circling our ship.

Large fins were moving the water, causing the constant waves clashing against us.

It was larger than the boat. Much larger.

I steadied myself, leaning further over the railing.

It seemed so close to the surface. If I could just get a little closer, I could see more of it.

Another fin reappeared this time as it stayed up.

Dark blue scales sparkled against the sunlight.

Water poured off them, creating a shimmer of every color imaginable.

It was beautiful even as it caused a chill to run down my back as I watched it slip back under the water, the scales blending in until it was almost invisible once again.

“I would stay away from ‘im, miss.”

I jerked away from the edge, glancing back at Sal.

Their face was trained to the ground, dark hair covering most of their face.

Their hands were behind their back. The clothes they wore were baggy enough that I was shocked they could stay on.

Their shirt had golden designs sewn along its tan edges, but it hung off one of their shoulders.

It was ornate enough to make me think the people on the ship were supplied with clothing others no longer wanted.

There was a slight chance it did belong to them, though, because it matched an equally gold dagger that was belted around their waist. There was a hard line separating the darker golden color that ran along their arms and the pale patch that started halfway along their shoulder up to their neck.

With the amount of time spent outside, I was certain their face matched the tan on their arms. Even my skin had taken on a more golden hue after only a few days.

“What is it?” I asked, turning back toward the water.

Sal shrugged as they moved to stand next to me.

I took a sidestep away from them. This was the closest any of the crew had gotten to me.

Even my meals were just slid toward me, causing me to have to rush to stop them from careening off the edge into the water.

There was a flash of blue from underneath Sal’s hair as they looked up at me before quickly glancing at the water below.

“No one knows for sure,” they answered. “Some think it’s a water god that makes sure every ship makes their journey safely.”

The tension left my shoulders as I leaned back over the railing, watching its mysterious dance underneath us. Something that must be keeping other creatures far from us.

“Isn’t that a good thing, then?” I questioned the person standing next to me, wondering about their warning just moments before.

Sal shook their head. “Whatever it is, it’s no god.” Their voice deepened as they spoke, losing all timidness. “It’s just waiting for a ship small enough to fit in its mouth. Now, it just feeds on everyone’s fear as they watch it.”

“How do you know this?” I tried to keep my voice even as I kept staring at the creature. Its face was somewhere deep below us. Judging from the size of the rest of it, swallowing us whole would be no challenge to it.

Sal chuckled as they stared across the horizon, their eyes following the movements of the birds just like I had done many times now before answering, “Have you met any of the creatures here? There isn’t a single thing in this world that isn’t evil.”

I glanced over my shoulder to where Atlas stood on the raised deck, his eyes already trained on me.

There was a real look of fear in his eyes the last time we spoke.

Even before that, he revealed little moments where he truly cared.

I wasn’t sure when my thoughts toward him changed, but he wasn’t evil .

“I don’t believe that,” I spoke, turning back toward Sal.

Sal shook their head and swiped their hair out of their face before looking over me. Piercing blue eyes held my attention.

“You really don’t belong here,” they commented, voice devoid of any emotions that would’ve changed it to an accusation. Instead, it just sounded like they were filled with curiosity.

“No, I don’t,” I answered, leaning my elbows against the railing.

“It feels like I’m stuck in some twisted dream,” I muttered.

I had partially accepted that somehow this world was real, and I was caught up in the middle of it.

There was still a part of me clinging to the hope that I was still fast asleep.

“Sal.” They jumped as their name was boomed behind us.

They glanced behind us before coming back to me. Heavy foot approached us. Sal reached out, grabbing my arm as they spoke. “Sometimes the only way out of a dream is to do something drastic.” They then ran off, leaving me, mouth agape as their words sunk in.

I glanced back in time to see Sal reaching the captain and Atlas.

The captain said something to Sal, making them run off down the stairs.

I turned back toward the river, spinning my ring as Atlas walked up next to me.

We stood in silence. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see him glancing at me before turning away.

He did this several times as we listened to the chirping birds.

I let myself sink into my thoughts since he seemed to be in no rush to speak to me.

There were several things that happened already that felt drastic.

Sal’s words felt like they knew something that I didn’t.

Maybe it was my subconscious finally letting me know that this was a dream.

Yet, I’d almost died several times, which seemed pretty drastic to me.

Maybe I needed to let it happen. Let a creature here kill me so I could finally wake up. I shuddered at the thought.

“I’m not going to be able to go back home,” I muttered.

It wasn’t a question. Just a statement that we both knew was true at that moment. This was my life now. I’d have to learn how to make it my home.

“Are you going to miss him?” Atlas asked, his attention on my ring.

I snorted a laugh at that.

“Not even a little bit. Glad to be away from him, actually. ”

“Why the ring, then?” he asked, brows furrowing.

“Never given a choice,” I answered.

“If you could choose now?” Atlas’ voice was soft.

I slid the ring off my finger. Light danced off the simple band. It was the last thing I had of home. The carving of flowers made my chest clench as I stared at them before dropping the ring into the river. Even if I found a way back, it would never be the same.

“What do you mean this feels like a dream?” Atlas asked, finally breaking the silence.

I snorted, shaking my head. “You don’t get to just start questioning me.”

He opened his mouth again before seeming to think better of it, and closing it instead. He moved so his side was leaning against the railing, fully facing me now.

“Do you want something?” I asked, getting annoyed with him constantly watching me. It was one thing when he did it from afar, but this close it was unnerving. Like he was trying to peek into my soul.

“Thought I wasn’t allowed to ask questions,” he answered, fighting back a smile.