It’s #BookQW and Coral is tired of the ‘games’ boys play!
More from Chapter 8:
Ty was cute. He didn’t play games like these other fellows, or even duel. With her magic quashed, it’d be safe to have a little fun with someone nice. It could be a trial to learn if Ty was like Lemon and wanted only to play with her magic, or if he might be a boy Coral would like to see again when they were in port.
At the bakery, he dismounted while she untied the handcart. “What kind of a swap did you have in mind for the deliveries?” she asked.
“Sailing lessons.”
“What, you don’t sail? Why do you want to live by the sea?”
“I do sail.” Ty jerked his thumb seaward. “I rip at home, but oceans…”
At the word rip, Coral winced. But as he continued, it sounded like he meant going fast. On her home island, rip referred to only one thing: the dangerous energy rips their wizards were fighting to repair in their shielding. If they failed, they’d be exposed to the human world.
Ty was saying, “That’s why I moved here, to become a better sailor.” He kicked out a foot and dropped his head so his dark hair covered his eyes. “I, uh… Promise you won’t laugh?”
Spells, the fellow was stuttering. “I promise.”
“My goal is to live and work on the sea, but I can’t get a job with any of the ships here to learn more, because I don’t know enough about ocean sailing—how to deal with the changing winds and mysterious currents. I thought since you live on a schooner, you could teach me those techniques on a large boat.”
“Oh, no.” He really didn’t know about larger vessels. “My parents would qu—” Ach, that was too close to the truth. “They’d anchor me forever on the isle if I tried to sail The Peaceful by myself. A schooner the size of ours requires two good sailors.”
The movement was slight, but his jaw tightened. Upset, his body language said. Yet all he did was nod once.
“I understand. Thanks anyway.” He climbed on the Vespa, started the motor and roared down the alley much faster than they’d arrived.
There went her chance to get to know him, er, to have him make the deliveries.
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Sail into the perfect game of secrets and adventure with a story that can be read as ‘first in the series’.
Lost Whisperer of the Seas is available everywhere ebooks are sold, but if you’d like to support me directly, please shop my Payhip Store. There, you download the same file as elsewhere, and more of your money stays with me, rather than elsewhere.
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On a personnal note:
Life is returning to the usual routine after our incredible trip to the Arctic Circle. Some days are much warmer in the metro-D.C. area, some are not. It’s spring! Walking is pleasant–I’m trying to lose the extra vacation pounds (ugh)–and the flowering trees are putting on a show.
It’s more than a show. The native bees are quite active on sunny days.
With commercial bees in decline, support native bees in your yard by delaying your spring clean up. These over-wintering insects need strings of warm days and nights to emerge. Wait until plants are beginning to send up new shoots – a sure sign the ground has warmed enough. And leave the insulating leaf litter and mulch in place.
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