Chapter 10
S
omeone had clearly found her downstairs, because she woke up in her own bed the following morning. There was no indication of that person staying, nor did they change her or put her into something more comfortable. That would have been awkward, to say the least, so she was thankful.
She ventured out only once to ask Alyse how long they had until they arrived in Celadon.
When Alyse replied, “Tomorrow,” she returned to her room.
She didn’t search very thoroughly, just around the hull, but Jayce was once again nowhere to be found.
He must be a spy, to be able to disappear on a ship of this size.
When the next day arrived, it was the first time she felt no movement of the ship, indicating that they had docked or were preparing to disembark.
She knew that this island was tropical, so she strategically put a one-piece swimsuit, not particularly the best fit, under her gold and white dress for a quick plunge into the sea.
As she exited, the entire crew, including Jayce, leaned against the railing, gazing towards the island.
She approached, maintaining some distance from the others, and fixed her gaze on the breathtaking sight before her.
Celadon, an island resembling paradise, was revealed in all its glory.
Her eyes widened in awe as she absorbed the vision of the small port nestled amidst the natural splendor.
The surrounding beaches, with their glistening white sand, seemed to stretch endlessly, inviting her to step onto their pristine shores.
A gentle breeze caressed her face, carrying the scents of the exotic blooms and salty sea air.
The temperature, perfect and balmy, enveloped her in a comforting embrace.
For the first time in a few days, she felt a sense of tranquility wash over her as if the island itself exuded a healing aura.
The brilliant hues of the lush greenery, and the vibrant blues of the surrounding waters painted a scene that resonated deeply in her soul.
With a smile playing at the corners of her lips, she felt a magnetic pull towards the island. She was captivated by its allure and was ready to dip her toes into the sand and swim in the water.
“Good morning,” Tessa said at her approach, “will you be coming ashore with us?” She had a smile on her lips and seemed just as excited to get off the ship as she was.
“Yes, I’m dying for it, honestly,” Azahara’s giddiness translated in her tone. For once, that joy was not ripped away by guilt.
They were joined by Alyse and Lucala, who were all jumping for joy to hear that Azahara would be partaking in the day’s fun.
According to Alyse, Rowlin would be requesting the supplies they needed in town and joining them shortly after that. The rest of the crew would be heading down to the beach together to take in the perfect weather granted by Celadon.
Azahara went to see if Jayce would be joining them, but not to her surprise; he was no longer where he had been moments ago.
“He has some business to attend to in the port,” Carmen said, her hand brushing behind her pointed ear as she leaned towards Azahara. “He is in kind of a bad mood today. It’s probably for the best.”
“Jayce? In a bad mood? I’m more inclined to want to see that than not.“ She huffed and followed the crew down the ramp and onto solid ground. It was obvious that Azahara was not used to being on a ship for as long as she was, and her sea legs wobbled on the unmoving floor.
Darian, the other middle-aged human male, took her arm and steadied her. “Gotcha, little lady, it’ll take sum’ gettin’ use to, but you’ll get there.” His accent threw her off as much as the stable ground did. How had she not spoken to him in the nearly fifteen days she’d been onboard?
“Thanks, Darian.” He smiled at her, letting her go as soon as she could walk stably.
Azahara took in the breathless sight of the mountains that stood as sentinels, their peaks reaching toward Parádeisos.
Verdant foliage adorned their slopes, painting a beautiful tapestry that blended seamlessly with the azure sky.
Some waterfalls cascaded down the rocky cliffs, their crystalline streams creating a sympathy of soothing sounds she could hear even from here.
The mountains seemed to hold a rugged beauty, their imposing statures filling her with serenity and wonder. This would be a beautiful place to live, she thought, her chest rising as she took a deep, longing breath.
The walk down the dock went by in a blink, and soon, she had her toes dipped into the warm sand on the beach.
Everyone parted then, and with some running straight for the water, while others—Zephyra and Tillin mainly—stripped to their bares and lay on the beach.
The other missing soul was Xol, which she was a bit upset about.
Azahara was slightly curious about what she would look like in a swimsuit. Or, to answer the question, would she burn? Her pale skin did not seem like the kind that should stand the test of the sun.
Feeling embarrassed thinking about Xol that way, she shook free of the thought.
Part of her wanted to take in the moment alone, walk along the beach, and seek comfort in herself.
As she looked out at the crew bouncing a ball between them and splitting into two groups, she fought the prospect of companionship instead of solitude.
She had isolated herself a lot onboard.
“Come on, Aza!” If she joined, it would have made them uneven, but by the looks on their faces, they didn’t seem to care.
Sucking in an intoxicating breath, she slipped her dress off and began rushing into the water.
The swimsuit was white, with thick, stretchy material.
It had black stitching, with a gold circle that pulled the front together.
It was cut from her shoulders down to her belly button.
The back was no higher, and she wondered exactly who in their right mind would buy this as an option.
Unfortunately, she had only been able to pick up two suits before the panic attack at the Port of Kortez. Neither of them was better than the other, and while this one screamed for attention, the other one was, well—she didn’t even think it would cover her nipples.
“Oh my gods,” Alyse’s mouth nearly sank to the seabed. “Your body is illegal. Someone, call the authorities.”
As her hips met the warm waters, Azahara rolled her eyes and felt her cheeks igniting. “Stop! You are one to talk, Alyse. Have you seen yourself?” While the Captain had little in the chest department, her ass made up for it. That, and her beautifully curved hips, they begged to be gripped.
“I’m not interested in women, but jeez, I have to agree with Alyse,” Carmen said sheepishly.
Tessa was giggling, and with one look at the men, she knew they were silently agreeing. The thought of running riddled her.
“I should have worn shorts and a shirt,” Azahara confessed, turning back to walk towards the shore.
“No, no. It’s fine. It’s boys versus girls, and you’ll give us an advantage.” Alyse was hurrying and pulling her back, while she felt Tessa taking her other arm. They dragged her backward, not allowing her to leave.
“Okay, okay!” A giggle escaped her, “I’ll stay, sheesh, just don’t keep staring, or else I’m leaving!” That, thankfully, got a laugh out of them. “What are we playing?” She asked once she was released.
With Théodore, Zayne, Darian, and Lucala facing Carmen, Tessa, Alyse, Yelena, and Azahara, the Captain went into detail about the simple game with no name. They would need to keep the ball from hitting the water and only had three hits before it was returned to the other team.
They did a practice round, where Yelena served the red ball, which was about the size of someone’s head, over to the boy’s team. Zayne knocked it up with his forearms to Darian, who flicked it towards Lucala. Then, with a swat, the ball was hit right back towards the girl’s team.
Not knowing exactly what to do, Azahara reached out and caught it as it made it to her.
Tessa laughed, “We don’t catch it,” gesturing for the ball, Azahara tossed it to her. “Once it’s back to us, we will do the same and hit it back to them. If it drops into the water, the other team gets a point. Make sense?”
The real game began with a shrug of Azahara’s shoulders and a gentle nod. She wouldn’t say that the group was competitive; that would be too gentle of a term. The amount of name-calling and gestures of ‘fuck you’ and ‘eat shit’ would have made her think they were enemies instead of family.
Though, with the laughs and bouts of jokes, she knew it was all in good fun.
Azahara began to pick up the game quickly.
By the third round, she was making plays as advanced as Alyse and Yelena.
At one point, Lucala had jumped nearly straight out of the water and spiked the ball hard toward the edge of their invisible ring.
With a thrust of her body, Azahara sprawled out, barely hitting the ball with her closed fist and sending it back towards the girls.
After reappearing from under the water, she heard the howls from the ladies, indicating she’d saved them from losing a point.
“That was some dive,” It wasn’t just his voice that caught her by surprise, but his proximity. Her head craned back when she stood to see Jayce standing mere inches from her. “Is there anything you aren’t good at?”
Her body tingled as his bare chest graced her vision. He was sculpted to perfection, and she hated herself for feeling the tightening between her stomach and groin.
“Lying. Remember?” She found her voice, and when her gaze returned to his face, he gave her that handsome smile.
“Right.” Without looking away from her, he continued, “Théodore, can I join?”
The girls groaned.
“Absolutely, we could use the help.”
Jayce winked at her, and every part of her vibrated.