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“Does she?” I glance back at Cordelia who’s speaking with Zara.
Before Captain Voss can respond, Cordelia strides over and grabs my arm firmly but discreetly. “We need to talk.”
“I’m glad you’ve joined us, Chief Engineer.” Captain Voss nods to the chair next to her and Cordelia takes the hint and slides into it, attention firmly on her leader.
“Have either of you heard of Victor Ardan?”
Cordelia and I exchange glances, the name clearly ringing a bell for her. I clear my throat and lean forward, sensing this conversation is about to get heavy. “I’ve recently heard of him. Ardan is making a bid to get control of Mystic Cruise Line. My team is digging into his background, but I don’t know much about him. Yet.”
Voss takes a moment, her gaze measuring each of us in turn. “Victor Ardan is a business mogul. He’s powerful with broad interests. He has a shadowy past well known and universally disliked in this part of the world.”
I lean forward to catch every nuance in her expression. “And you think he’s responsible for the sabotage?”
“I believe he’s conducting experiments to harness... unique properties of the archipelago and has a nefarious reason for wanting this ship and the others in the Mystic Cruises fleet.”
I frown, my mind racing to connect the dots. “Experiments? What kind of experiments?”
Captain Voss hesitates, her eyes flicking to Cordelia, whose eyes narrow, clearly uncomfortable with this discussion. “The waters of the Enchanted Inside Passage have properties not found anywhere else. They hold power, ancient and potent power. Ardan wants to harness it.”
She’s hiding something. The thought nags at me. Her answers are too measured, too cautious.
“He’s looking for ways to exploit the unique elements of these waters. But that’s not the whole story. He’s ruthless, driven by a desire for control and power. He’s willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goals.”
“What unique elements, exactly, is he after?” Voss is holding back and I’m certain my scowl telegraphs unhappiness with her prevarication.
Voss draws a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “There are properties in these waters that are... extraordinary. They offer immense power to those who know how to harness them. But Ardan’s interest is not in the mystical. He sees economic potential, through exploiting the supernatural, and that’s his goal.”
Cordelia’s shoulders relax slightly, though her eyes remain wary. Whatever the captain is holding back, Cordelia wants the secret kept.
My fingers tap out impatience against my knee as I look back and forth between the two women aligned opposite. How do these women expect me to be useful if they hide the full extent of the stakes?
“Why would he target specific crew members?”
Voss looks away for a moment, as if weighing her words. “I can only speculate. Certain crew members... they’re attuned to the power here. Disrupting them disrupts the balance.”
“Attuned?” I glance at Cordelia whose wide-eyed gaze is suddenly intensely focused on the captain.
“Yes.” Voss confirms, her tone softening slightly. “Like Cordelia.”
Cordelia’s jaw tightens, and her eyes flicker with an emotion I can’t quite place. Her fingers curl into fists at her sides, knuckles whitening as she draws in a sharp breath. Her gaze darts to the floor, then back to meet mine, as if she’s searching for the right words but can’t find them. Her lips part, but no sound escapes, and a shadow of regret clouds her expression.
Her body leans slightly towards Voss, a silent plea for the captain to stop talking, to not reveal whatever it is that Cordelia is desperately trying to keep hidden. I see the conflict in her eyes—a mix of fear and longing, as if she wants to tell me something but is held back. The intensity of her emotion is tangible, and it strikes a chord deep within me, stirring a protective instinct I didn’t realize I had.
Voss and Cordelia share an intense gaze and the captain nods. Turning back to me, she continues, “I have received confirmation Ardan has an underwater facility where he conducts research. I fear my crewmen have been taken to become subjects in his experiments.”
“And you knew this?” My voice comes out sharper than intended.
“I suspected. But I couldn’t act without risking everything.”
What is she holding back? There’s a tightness in my chest, a sense of urgency growing with every half-truth she feeds me.
“Is this all you have to share? Is there more?”
Voss’s gaze hardens. “This is as much as I can share, Mr. Jenks. We will remain vigilant and protect our ship and its passengers while we gather more information. It is my hope you will provide insights we do not have.”
I exhale deeply and stand, pacing the limited space of the room before turning my attention back to Captain Voss. “Why do you continue to feed me half-truths and vague responses? I want to assist, and I will. But what’s the point of sharing any information if you don’t place your trust in me?”
“I believe Ardan underestimates the strength and tenacity of those who protect these waters. Should you become the owner of our ship, Mr. Jenks, you become one of those protectors. For this reason, I will give you every latitude and every bit of information I am allowed.”
