him. “Nikki. You let her think her faith made the ball touchable.”
“But she was finally able to touch it, wasn’t she? So what does it matter?”
Winter tossed her head, sending hair over her shoulder. Trapped in the light of the moon and a billion stars, she looked … pretty. The breeze caused her long gown to cling to her legs. Red-polished toes peeked from the hem. His gaze returned to her face and found a frown.
“It matters because you can’t borrow faith. You have to find it in yourself.”
“Really? Thanks for the lesson.” He turned away from her and leaned against the railing. “Why are you even out here in the middle of the night?”
She moved beside him and leaned too, mimicking his posture. “I heard Nikki get up, and I’ve been worried about her. Plus, I’m a light sleeper.”
As she spoke, Raven couldn’t stop himself from looking at her. In the planes of her face, in the gentle edge of her eyes, pain long forgotten—or pushed away—lingered. He wondered how old Winter was, and why her skin felt like ice. She seemed older than the other females, but he knew next to nothing about her. What are you hiding? Most guys would coax her into a conversation slowly. Which might be a good idea, because suddenly he felt like he needed to know more about this girl. “So,” he began. Choose your words carefully. “What’s up with you? Are you, like, really old or something?”
Winter's eyes widened and angled to stare at him. Her mouth was open slightly, but no words came from it.
Way to go with the slow and subtle approach. He shrugged. “You don’t look old or anything, but you don’t carry yourself like a teenage girl.”
Her lips came together and she ever so slowly turned back toward the water.
Raven took a deep breath. “Sometimes, admissions are hidden in words. ‘I’m a light sleeper.’ That’s all you said, but your eyes told a different story. Maybe something happened that’s hurtful, but it happened so long ago you didn’t think you’d need to hide the pain anymore.”
Winter gazed out at the night, but her shoulders dropped marginally, telling him he’d struck a nerve.
He shrugged. “Maybe you didn’t even think it hurt anymore.”
Still silence.
Raven dropped into silence too.
“I was … captured once.” Her voice was steady but low. “Tortured. For days. Maybe weeks. It was a very long time ago. I’ve had a hard time getting used to sleeping belowdecks.”
“The small, confined space?”
“Yes. And the smell of wood. Or oil.” Winter shook her head, and her long hair fanned around her like darkened smoke. “I don’t know. It’s something in the room, I guess. I never sleep much, but it’s been worse on the boat.”
“Some wounds take a long time to heal.”
She looked over at him. “And some you just learn to live with.”
“That’s hard enough to do for a single lifespan. We have several to remember our mistakes, our regrets. Our pain.”
A faint smile touched Winter’s face. “But also to remember our victories. The people we saved, rescued.”
Raven tilted a little closer to her and tried to pierce her with his gaze. “Why don’t I see that reflected in your eyes?”
A sound that wasn’t quite a laugh escaped her lips. “Easier to remember the bad stuff, maybe? Hold on to the good in each journey you take, Raven.”
He turned and looked back at the door where Nikki had disappeared. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“But also remember, journeys end. And we have to walk away. Don’t do more damage than good.”
Anger shot through his chest. Just when I was starting to think I liked you. “I’ll try to remember that. Thanks, Mom.”
“Nikki is a human.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“One day …”
“I get it. One day she’ll return to a normal life.”
Winter shook her head. “No, she won’t.”
What did she mean? What did Winter know about Nikki’s future?
“Don’t look so worried, Raven. What
“But she was finally able to touch it, wasn’t she? So what does it matter?”
Winter tossed her head, sending hair over her shoulder. Trapped in the light of the moon and a billion stars, she looked … pretty. The breeze caused her long gown to cling to her legs. Red-polished toes peeked from the hem. His gaze returned to her face and found a frown.
“It matters because you can’t borrow faith. You have to find it in yourself.”
“Really? Thanks for the lesson.” He turned away from her and leaned against the railing. “Why are you even out here in the middle of the night?”
She moved beside him and leaned too, mimicking his posture. “I heard Nikki get up, and I’ve been worried about her. Plus, I’m a light sleeper.”
As she spoke, Raven couldn’t stop himself from looking at her. In the planes of her face, in the gentle edge of her eyes, pain long forgotten—or pushed away—lingered. He wondered how old Winter was, and why her skin felt like ice. She seemed older than the other females, but he knew next to nothing about her. What are you hiding? Most guys would coax her into a conversation slowly. Which might be a good idea, because suddenly he felt like he needed to know more about this girl. “So,” he began. Choose your words carefully. “What’s up with you? Are you, like, really old or something?”
Winter's eyes widened and angled to stare at him. Her mouth was open slightly, but no words came from it.
Way to go with the slow and subtle approach. He shrugged. “You don’t look old or anything, but you don’t carry yourself like a teenage girl.”
Her lips came together and she ever so slowly turned back toward the water.
Raven took a deep breath. “Sometimes, admissions are hidden in words. ‘I’m a light sleeper.’ That’s all you said, but your eyes told a different story. Maybe something happened that’s hurtful, but it happened so long ago you didn’t think you’d need to hide the pain anymore.”
Winter gazed out at the night, but her shoulders dropped marginally, telling him he’d struck a nerve.
He shrugged. “Maybe you didn’t even think it hurt anymore.”
Still silence.
Raven dropped into silence too.
“I was … captured once.” Her voice was steady but low. “Tortured. For days. Maybe weeks. It was a very long time ago. I’ve had a hard time getting used to sleeping belowdecks.”
“The small, confined space?”
“Yes. And the smell of wood. Or oil.” Winter shook her head, and her long hair fanned around her like darkened smoke. “I don’t know. It’s something in the room, I guess. I never sleep much, but it’s been worse on the boat.”
“Some wounds take a long time to heal.”
She looked over at him. “And some you just learn to live with.”
“That’s hard enough to do for a single lifespan. We have several to remember our mistakes, our regrets. Our pain.”
A faint smile touched Winter’s face. “But also to remember our victories. The people we saved, rescued.”
Raven tilted a little closer to her and tried to pierce her with his gaze. “Why don’t I see that reflected in your eyes?”
A sound that wasn’t quite a laugh escaped her lips. “Easier to remember the bad stuff, maybe? Hold on to the good in each journey you take, Raven.”
He turned and looked back at the door where Nikki had disappeared. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“But also remember, journeys end. And we have to walk away. Don’t do more damage than good.”
Anger shot through his chest. Just when I was starting to think I liked you. “I’ll try to remember that. Thanks, Mom.”
“Nikki is a human.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“One day …”
“I get it. One day she’ll return to a normal life.”
Winter shook her head. “No, she won’t.”
What did she mean? What did Winter know about Nikki’s future?
“Don’t look so worried, Raven. What
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