Naomi loosened the ribbon from her hair, her locks flowing in tangled waves down her waist. She ran her fingers through to unknot what she could, staring absently at the flickers of light emitting from the bedroom lantern. Even in the safety of her chambers, she could hear the distant rumbling of heavy thunder from outside, and the ship was already far more turbulent than it had been all week. She heard the door close from behind, feeling the too-small mattress dip down as Cassien sat beside her, his familiar minty scent enveloping her. He removed his gloves before threading his calloused fingers through her hair, and for several minutes they simply tended to her silver mane in silence.

She felt his lips press against the nape of her neck, warm and tender. His deep voice rumbled against her, arms wrapping around her waist. "You seem distracted."

Naomi sighed, leaning into him. "Maybe a little bit."

"Is it about…?"

He knew her well. She nodded slowly, eyes downcast. "She reminds me of myself."

Cassien didn't pull away, but tugged her a little closer instead. "I disagree. You're much more pleasant to be around. And much prettier than anyone I've ever seen."

That got a smile out of her. "That's not what I meant."

"I know," Cassien murmured, kissing the top of her head. "But that got you to smile, didn't it?"

She tilted her head back against his chest. "She seems so… lonely. Don't you notice it? And I'm not just talking about no one wanting to talk to her at dinner. While we were cooking, she talked like someone who hadn't had a proper conversation in forever. I don't know - maybe I'm losing it."

Cassien stroked her hair in quiet thought before speaking. "Think about it this way: for all we know, she's playing us. It might feel bad to treat her like an enemy. But if keeping her at a far, far distance is what ultimately keeps all of us alive, then I'm fine with being the asshole."

Naomi turned around to speak, though Cassien gently quieted her with a quick peck to continue. "If this mission is successful, and she still shows signs of wanting to be better - then fine. But from what we know about her right now and the circumstances we're in, she's only an informant. An unreliable one, at that."

Cassien cupped her cheek gently. "My dove, you're not losing it. You always see the good in people when no one else does. That's one of your greatest strengths and one of many things I love about you. But there has to be a limit."

Deep down, Naomi knew that he was right. All of them were right in their approach to Kaelen - it was her shortcoming to be so desperate to find a redeeming quality in someone that, in the end, chose their own path with Alistair. She just didn't like the idea that being callous was the only way to be cautious.

Thunder cracked loudly outside at that moment, the ship rocking violently at the crash of waves surrounding them. The shift sent trinkets set along the shelves tumbling down - Naomi was lurched forward with a yelp, and Cassien quickly grabbed onto the small of her waist as she collided atop of him against the mattress. Memories of their intimate night rushed through her mind, and Naomi felt a deep stirring in her lower body - Cassien, however, had a distracted look in his amber eyes that meant only duty was at the forefront of his mind.

"Should check on that-" Cassien said, stopping short just as Naomi tossed her hair to the side.

"The others have it handled," Naomi teased. "And it would be rude for me not to say 'thank you' to that pep talk."

Before he could reply, she leaned in and planted a heavy smooch against his lips, her hands locking his wrists down against the mattress.

Cassien easily could've overpowered her, but he melted at her touch. "Naooooomi-" He barely managed to protest through muffled lips.

But there was no point fighting it. Their tongues mingled together in a fiery dance, and his arm scooped around her waist - reversing their positions so that he pinned Naomi's small frame against the mattress. Her hands roamed his body with an inquisitive touch as if it were the first time, a deep purr rolling off her tongue. The sound alone almost made Cassien choke; he cradled her carefully by the roots of her impossibly soft hair, pushing one knee in between her legs.

Cassien pulled away to bite the tip of his glove, tossing it aside. His fingers slipped beneath the fabrics of her dress to the thin lace of her undergarments, tickling, tracing, teasing. If it were even possible, their kiss deepened even more, hungry and wanting and-

Another thunderclap rattled the room, the bed frame trembling beneath them. Naomi finally broke away with a dramatic sigh.

"We'll finish what we started," Cassien said in a dazed voice before moving off the bed, helping Naomi to her feet.

Naomi handed his glove back before clapping a hand over her mouth to hold back a snort. "Maybe you should wait a minute."

Cassien rarely ever blushed, but now, his cheeks and the tips of his ears were flaming red. "It's your fault."

"Sorry, love." They both knew she was not.

Afterwards, they left the bedroom together into the main hall of the ship that eventually led to a narrow staircase to a small, square trapdoor. He had barely nudged it open when the howling winds slammed it open against the deck, hard pelts of rain hitting the deck in a crescendo of pings. The sky above was shrouded in black clouds, thunderous sounds ringing through the air. Forks of lightning illuminated the dark, the sounds of heavy waves seconds behind. Cassien reached through, straining to pull the door shut against the unrelenting force of the wind; it shut with a boom, his upper half soaked from head to toe. Cassien swept his hand through his hair repeatedly just as Aryn and Darius appeared from behind.

"I was going to ask how bad it was," Darius snorted at his appearance. "But I guess I don't need to."

"It's brewing just ahead of us," Cassien responded, expression serious. "We need to divert or the ship will be badly damaged, if not outright destroyed."

Aryn nodded, needing no further explanation. "Alright. We can shift the cargo below decks so that the weight helps against capsizing."

"The sails need to be furled, or they'll drag us even further into it," Cassien stated. "I'll do it."

He took several steps towards the trapdoor again before Naomi recognized exactly what that meant.

"W-wait! You can't go out there," Naomi stuttered, face plastered with worry.

Darius stepped forward. "Don't be a hero - you can't do that alone. I can reach the top of the mast faster to start the rigging process."

Cassien hesitated, and Darius gave him a clap on the back. "C'mon, we're all friends now, aren't we?"

"...Fine. Let's go."

He turned to Naomi, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. "Be back soon."

She barely had a chance to respond before the two men began to climb up to the trapdoor once more, and Darius shot her a quick grin. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him."

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A violent whirl of wind and rain rammed the trapdoor open once more, and Naomi watched as her dark haired duke vanished into the storm along with Darius close behind. Naomi's heart thudded like a war drum, her legs moving towards the exit even before she realized it, stopping only when Aryn tugged at her elbow.

"Naomi," Aryn's voice was like a cool salve. "We have to trust that they can handle it."

"I do trust him," She replied quietly, though she didn't turn her head.

"Trust them. Not just Cassien - Darius, too."

Naomi felt a sliver of guilt. "I'm just…"

"Worried. I know," He said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Trust me. I know. But standing here won't help them. Come with me."

Reluctantly, she followed Aryn down to the lowest parts of the ship, where Finneus and Kaelen were already pulling at cargo to one side of the ship with thick braids of rope. Her hands were still bound by chains, though the shackles around her ankles were removed.

"Finneus, Thom, we need to-" Aryn began.

"Steer the ship away. Angle it forty-five degrees," Finneus finished, wiping sweat from his brow. "I saw the wave just before I locked down the main steering to come down here."

"How are we going to steer it?" Naomi asked, rushing to a smaller set of supplies to stow away. "The wheel is up where the storm is."

There was no response to her critical question for several heartbeats, until Kaelen tilted her head towards the stern of the ship. "Over there."

They turned to see a massive wooden arm-shaped post that jutted out from the base of the ship. Naomi had no idea what she was looking at.

"Secondary helm - a tiller arm," Kaelen explained. "Only used during emergencies when the surface wheel can't be manned. Not every ship has this."

"How do you know that?" Thom questioned warily.

Kaelen scowled at him, standing straight. Thom was tall and broad-shouldered as a grizzly bear, but Kaelen easily could've been the female equivalent with her muscular stature. "Are you serious? Even in the middle of a fucking storm, you-"

Aryn grunted, securing the last of the cargo before turning to the two. "Thom. She's our best option right now. This is not the time to bicker."

Thom crossed his arms, unconvinced. "Fine. What do you need us to do?"

Kaelen paused, and Naomi could see the slight shock in her eyes of suddenly being properly addressed. "If we have to steer, it'll take all of us."

The five of them crowded around the wooden arm with no further protests, planting their hands firmly against it.

"One, two… three!" Kaelen barked, leading the pull.

The group heaved back in unison, forcing the mechanism to shift the rudders of the ship. Their boots pressed against the floor, using every ounce of strength to pull the arm back. The timber groaned heavily against their force, and Naomi felt her palms become slick with sweat. She wasn't sure how long they continued to pull for, though her muscles trembled with quiet exhaustion after some time. But it seemed to help - the rumbling of the ship seemed to lessen ever so slightly, and it wasn't tilting nearly as much as before. The group dropped to the floor in a huff, catching their breath. Minutes dragged by as panic started to fill Naomi's chest at Cassien's prolonged absence.

Where is he?

Just as she stood to go check on them, the door to the lower decks burst open to the sight of Cassien and Darius completely drenched to the bone.

"You're okay," Naomi let out a heavy breath, rushing towards him in a tight embrace, not caring that the water from his body soaked through her own clothes.

"Told you I'd be back," He gave her a small smile, though his breath was slightly ragged. He looked up to the group. "The steering or whatever you did - it moved us away just enough to furl the last sail and tie off the lines, but the storm's only getting worse. We only bought a bit of time."

"We need to brace ourselves," Darius added, his voice grim. "It's going to be a rough night."

**

The group decided as a whole to stay huddled together in the lower decks, allowing them to steer the ship further as needed. It wasn't the best option - but it was either to be completely exposed on the outer deck, separated by their individual rooms, or to stick together. Naomi had finally convinced them then to remove Kaelen's shackles, at least temporarily during the crisis. Kaelen didn't thank her outwardly, but she rubbed at the raw skin appreciatively with a quick glance at the duchess.

The storm continued to hammer relentlessly at the ship, and every toss and twist of the vessel made Naomi's stomach churn just as violently. She pressed herself close to Cassien's side, and he lifted his arm to pull her even closer, as if his touch alone guaranteed safety in the treacherous ocean. Naomi thought she caught the tiniest flicker of something sharp on Kaelen's face as the Seravethian woman watched them - though she couldn't quite place what it was.

Then, Kaelen's eyes shot away with suspicion - waiting and watching as if she were a predator stalking in shadowed bushes. Along the wooden bulkhead, she swore that a brass rivet was beginning to tremble. Then two, then three. Kaelen felt her heart drop to her stomach, launching to her feet; Darius, startled by her motion, materialized in a shroud of black smoke just beside her with his weapon readied.

"What do you think-" Darius started, though she immediately cut him off with a manic expression.

"Go up! NOW!" Kaelen roared with complete authority. "The hull-"

A deafening crack split in the air, wood bursting apart to make way for black, frigid water to explode inwards in an unstoppable flood. It surged through the lower deck, sweeping away barrels and crates in its wake. Cassien was standing before Naomi could even register the scene, yanking her to her feet. Icy water bit at her ankles as they all scrambled for the stairs, the lower deck flooding with unfathomable speed. Thom, Aryn, and Darius made it through first, holding the door open at the top, frantically waving at them to hurry. Kaelen shoved Finneus forward as he stalled to search for his liege, shouting at him to keep moving.

Cassien turned and shot a blast of frost towards the hole - for a moment, it seemed to work with the ice instantly freezing the water and creating a seal - but the pressure of the ocean waters won out. The ice broke, and water continued to roar inwards. He swore, continuing to pull Naomi with him.

Just as Cassien and Naomi made it halfway up the stairs, a loose barrel crashed into the back of her legs. She felt her knees buckle under the sudden force, her hands slipping from Cassien's. Naomi could barely register his shout before she tumbled backwards into the water; the cold seized her lungs as her entire body became submerged beneath the icy blackness.

Naomi flailed desperately for any semblance of direction or something - anything - to grab, but panic had completely overtaken her. Of the one skill her mother had never thought of, it had to be swimming. She kicked desperately, barely managing to surface for a single gasp of air before being pulled under the raging currents again. Her body was completely numb, and she could barely see her own hand in front of her face beneath the waters.

Strong arms wrapped around her torso, hauling her body upwards. Even with her entire being frozen, she could sense the familiarity of Cassien's body by touch alone. They burst through the surface of the water, and Cassien used every ounce of strength to force their way up the remaining stairs that had not yet been submerged. Thom slammed the door behind them just as water began to spurt and gush through the gap at the bottom, pouring into the main hall of the ship.

Naomi let out a ragged cough, trickles of water running from her mouth. "I'm sor-"

"We need to keep moving," Kaelen commanded, striding through the group.

"And go where?" Thom said, exasperated, squeezing the water from his curly brown hair.

Kaelen stomped towards the trapdoor, swinging it open with a thud. The thunderous whirling of the storm magnified tenfold with the open air, though she didn't seem the least bit scared.

She pointed upwards. "The ship is going down - there's nothing we can do about it. If you want to live, grab anything that floats and hold on for dear fucking life."

There was no time for arguments now. Naomi waved Cassien's concerns away as if to say that now was not the time. The group ran up the steps without hesitation, stepping onto the slippery main deck that was covered in seaweed, scattered ropes and even flopping fish. Icy needles of rain pelted at them, wind whipping so violently that it felt like their skin was being cut. The sky was almost completely black now, streaked only by bolts of jagged lightning that danced around them.

The ship jolted once more, and Thom nearly was thrown before he gripped the railings at the last second. Others braced themselves against the railing, and Cassien kept Naomi pressed against her as if she were a lifeline. Aryn began to unfasten life rings from their hooks, passing it out to the crew. But with the final one, a cruel realization hit Naomi, who stood empty-handed.

They were short of a single life ring.

Finneus halted from tying his. "We're short."

"What?" Thom was stunned. "We even stocked extras. The storm-"

"-probably washed it away," Aryn finished in a solemn tone.

Before anyone could even react, Cassien slipped his ring over Naomi's head, securing it tightly against her waist.

"Wait - Cassien! No!" Naomi protested, grabbing at his arms fruitlessly.

For once, he didn't stop at her touch. "You can't swim."

"Neither can you!"

"I can."

"Not in a storm!"

He cupped her face, pressing a fierce kiss to her forehead. Naomi couldn't tell if it was either rain or tears that streaked down his cheeks. "As long as you live, that's all I need."

"Please-"

She never finished her sentence. A monstrous wave rose over the ship, taller than even the mast, crashing down with an unstoppable force that blasted everything away in a torrent of seawater. Timber splintered into a hundred pieces, the ship groaning in a final cry as it turned over into the embrace of the ocean. Naomi felt herself torn from Cassien's grasp, the world turning black as they were swallowed whole by the storm's fury.

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