Ria had slept in Carmi's room. Gin's aunty was delightful, and they spent part of the night talking about him and his stay in Acante. He had been a headstrong boy. He was popular--knew plenty of people but usually kept to a close circle of friends.

Carmi noted that Juli came one day and told him about a job she was taking on the Opal. Gin and Andro had argued. Andro would never leave because of Carmi, and he didn't want Gin to go either. But there was nothing he could do. And so Gin took the opportunity on the Opal and left them both in Acante.

Ria and Carmi slept late in the night and woke early.

They were now prepared to leave Acante before the sun rose. The waters were still dark as they stood on the boardwalk outside the house.

Carmi had insisted on packing some bread for them, but they only needed the chest and its contents--the documents and the tsokolate that Gin had given Ria that night they were in Basiago.

Ria glanced at Gin, who had borrowed clothes from Andro. Carmi had also given Ria some old clothes she'd worn when she was younger and thinner. The tunic fitted Ria perfectly, as did the pants that didn't need to be belted.

A light on the horizon blinked into existence and distracted Ria from studying Gin.

The light came closer and grew into a small fishing vessel.

"Hoy!" Andro shouted beside Gin, waving a hand to the ship that proceeded to the lower dock by the house.

They climbed down the stairs to meet the boat. Ria and Carmi first, then Gin and Andro followed.

A woman stood on the main deck, leaning over the railing as two men pulled the ship closer with a rope thrown and looped around a cleat on the dock. "Carmi!" she said.

"Jinae," Carmi returned. "You take good care of my nephew and make sure he gets to Basiago safe."

"If I do, does that make us even already?" Jinae placed a hand on her hips as the two men rolled out the gangway plank.

"I will think about it," Carmi said and received an unsatisfied laugh from Jinae.

"Alright, Aunty. We'll be going now." Gin turned to Carmi.

Ria bowed with gratitude. "Thank you so much for accommodating us."

"You were a delight. Come visit anytime soon," Carmi said.

Ria climbed onto the ship and watched Gin hug his aunty before patting his cousin on the shoulder and whispering in his ear. Andro looked at Gin and nodded.

When they were both on board, Captain Jinae commanded her crew to set sail, and within minutes, they were in the open water, meeting the sunrise.

Mist had formed around the boat, causing the early burning light to sparkle against the clear waters. Ria could see the reef they'd swam in yesterday, primarily reflecting the colors of the sun in crimson, gold, and amber. It's warmth washed away the night's cold blanket.

Gin had left Ria on the deck to go and help the crew with the ship. Ria would have volunteered if she knew what she was supposed to do, but she left the work to the experts. She stayed at the tail end of the ship behind the bridge where she wouldn't get in their way.

She watched the horizon as it darkened with threatening rain, the air becoming humid.

She thought about the documents and the implications for her and her brother. She opened the chest and found the contents were the same. The two scrolls were intact with no damage. She also noticed the small box of tsokolate Gin had given her.

She took out the sweets and opened it. The scent of dark cocoa wafted at her nose. Inside were four bite-sized squares. She took one and unwrapped it. Its top was pressed with an intricate symbol of a flower, most likely the branding of the shop where it was bought.

"That one is a little bitter, I think."

She turned and saw Gin behind her. "What?"

Gin pointed at the tsokolate in her hand. "That one is heavier on cocoa, so it's slightly bitter. There are different flavors." He stepped closer to stand with her behind the bridge.

"How do you know?" she asked, glancing at the tsokolate.

"It's the symbol." He pointed again. "Flower is the darkest one. The sweetest one has a moon mark."

"Oh. I like all of them." She popped the tsokolate in her mouth and saw the heat in Gin's eyes as he followed her lips.

Her psychestringere caught a hint of lust, and she liked it. She slowly melted the treat on her tongue, watching as Gin stared. When she swallowed, his eyes glanced at the bob of her throat. Heat coursed through her body.

"It's delicious," she said, breathy and trying to control her movements.

Gin stepped closer, "You should also try the others."

Ria mirrored his step and saw his jaw clench. They were so near that if one of them moved, they could already touch.

"Are you doing this to me?" Gin whispered.

"Doing what?" She asked, but she knew what he was asking. The answer was no. She could sense his desire, but she wasn't influencing it.

His eyes searched hers. Then he glanced at her lips. "This." He leaned down, and she craned her neck to meet his stare.

She wished she could stop feeling his emotions and just be in the moment. She sensed his hesitation.

Please, don't.

He didn't pull away. "Ria." His breath came warm on her cheeks. "You're the princess."

She wanted to shake her head at that, but she kept steady, like the stable sailing of the ship they were on now, like the soft breeze that blew her hair away, and like the bright sun unwavering above. She parted her lips. "I'm not."

"How does it work?" he asked.

"Mmhh?" She could barely say a word.

"How does your psychestringere work?"

"Oh, uhm. I can feel every person's emotion when I look at them." She was doing it now, consuming all his wanting. "I can influence emotions if I wish to, also by looking at them."

"So you can feel what I feel?" His eyes grew dark. "That's not fair. Can you show me yours?"

Her eyes widened. She was reciprocating everything from Gin and maybe even more. Showing him would be like stripping naked in front of him. "I--I can." She hesitated.

"Then show me." He drew his face to hers until their lips were only a breath away. "Go on."

He was right in a way. It was not fair that she knew how he felt, but he didn't with her. So, in a slow release, she let her psyche flow to him gradually until her heart opened up.

A surge of desperate control emanated from Gin like a crashing wave, but like the sea, the rhythm retreated. "Cut the sea devil," he cursed.

"Wha--"

Gin's lips pressed against hers, and all emotions exploded in her chest. She closed her eyes to stop sensing him, or she might choke on the heaviness of his psyche. She focused on the soft touch of his lips that parted her own, forcing deeper into her.

He stepped closer and pushed her against the wall behind the bridge, pressing himself against her as if he could merge them into one being--chest to chest and hip to hip.

His hands moved to her waist and shoulder as she pushed her palms on his front. She felt awkward at first, not knowing where to place them, but he took her wrists and guided her arms to loop around his neck without breaking the contact of their lips.

She gasped against him--drowning--and he let her breathe while he traced the curve of her chin, moving to her neck and collar. Her fingers tangled in his hair. She opened up to him, facing skyward to expose more skin and gasping again at every touch. She was burning hotter than boiling steam.

Gin groaned and stopped moving, but his lips were still against her throat, threatening to drive her insane.

When he pulled away, her heart screamed with resistance. Come back. But she opened her eyes and saw him staring at her.

She was breathing hard, and so was he, their chests heaving.

"Was that your first kiss?" He gave her a one-sided smile.

She pressed her lips together, still warm and swollen.

He smiled wider. He stepped back, pushing away from her until a cool breeze separated them, until he was only like a photo--framed to be stared at--and until the kiss was like a dream--an impossible thing that might not have happened.

But it did happen, and she held that truth as she bit down on her lower lip, keeping herself from reaching out and pulling him back.

"Gin," someone called from the bridge above.

Gin looked up as if nothing had happened, calm and collected. "What is it?"

Whoever had called him hesitated for a moment, likely looking at how close they stood together--but then he spoke. "We need your help in the boiler room."

Gin nodded. "I'll be there in a moment," he said. Then he looked back at Ria.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Was she? After giving her that kiss, after making her chest hurt with desperation, and after all the places he'd touched, she wasn't alright. She was elated.

She nodded, trying not to shake. "Go on."

He stepped closer again, and as if it was the most natural thing as if it was something they had been doing for so long, she tilted her chin to meet his face. Their lips touched briefly with a sounding peck.

Breathless, she took one last take of his ecstasy before he walked up to the bridge, leaving her to ruminate all the soft kisses on her lips and neck, all the careful touch of his fingers on her shoulders and her waist, and all the ways their bodies pressed against each other like they were two halves separated for a long time and finally found each other again.