page28 (1/2)

“They’ll find Pithom,” I told her “Don’t worry”

She nuzzled in again, closing her eyes “They won’t find it”

“Why not?”

“It’s what I wished for on the basil leaf,” she explained “A ghost ship”

A ghost ship I keptto burst her bubble

Pitho syste

“I’ to find it someday,” she declared

Yeah, okay

I gazed down at her, her black lashes draping over her pale skin, and I alination was full of wonderous things, and I didn’t have any iination at all I didn’t want her to be like me

The adventures in her head sounded like a different world

I lifted my hand to move away the lock of hair on her cheek, but I stopped, putting my arm back down

I forced down the lump in my throat as I stared at her “Can I come?” I whispered

“There’s nothing you love at sea, landlubber,” she teased with her eyes still closed “No birds”

I turned away There are some birds

I didn’t ever really want to go anywhere or see the world I liked being home, anywhere I didn’t have to face people or meet new people

But if she was going…

“Can I coain

She nodded, yawning “Mm-hmm But I’m captain”

I bit backher drift off to sleep

Ship or no ship, she was the captain of everybody, and she knew it

Standing up, I pulled the covers tighter over her, tucking them under the mattress to keep them in place

Rising up, I looked down at Octavia, the origami dove still tucked under her chin The purple bruise on her arm from one of the men’s hands stood out, dark and visible, even in the dih the

I flexed ain

Do you have any bad feelings about tonight? he’d asked

I had bad feelings all the tiot hair on my bed When Marinait the way I liked

I watched Octavia sleep

I had bad feelings when things were taken away from me