Bane had been wondering the same thing. “I suppose Ron will have a plan. He generally does, and he knows we won’t go down without permission.”
“Have you heard if his appeal to the courts has done any good?”
“No, but I’m sure we’ll find out when we get there.” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was like a warm tropical breeze blowing over the sea. He remembered the day his mother left in a vivid motion picture that played over and over in his mind. He, Mano, and Kaia had been playing in the tree house by the lagoon. He had taken a Cup of Gold flower to his mother with pride. She always smelled of ginger and sunshine. She took the huge flower and stuck it in her hair. It covered nearly the whole side of her head, and the fragrance of it enveloped him when she leaned down to hug him. “You’re my poet, Bane. Don’t ever change.”
He’d promised he wouldn’t, but when he woke up the next morning, she and Kaia were gone. She’d left the flower he’d given her behind, and he knew then that a poet would never win the heart of a princess. And the responsibility for his brother had fallen on his skinny shoulders. He’d sworn to broaden them enough to make sure he and Mano were never hurt like that again. He couldn’t let his guard down, ever.
He became aware that Leia was staring at him. “What?”
“You seem almost dreamy. What were you thinking about?”
For a crazy minute, he wondered what she would say if he told her she looked as beautiful as the sea. The words stayed clamped behind his teeth. He nodded toward the deck of the ship. “Looks like they’re all waiting on us. You took too long on your makeup.”
She punched him in the arm, then undid her seat belt and grabbed her satchel of gear. “I don’t wear makeup and you know it.”
“You don’t need it.” She looked at him with surprise in her eyes, and he looked away. No woman respected a soft side. He needed to remember that. “You seem to have recovered from the break with your mom.”
She frowned. “It’s been coming a long time. Now I understand there’s something broken in her. It’s freeing, actually. I don’t have to worry about pleasing her anymore, now that I know it’s not possible.”
“I’m sorry.” He wanted to tell her his love was as limitless as the sea, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Don’t be. I’m fine.” She straightened her shoulders. “Let’s go. I’m eager to see what’s down there now.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t want you getting narced again.”
“I’m fine. We’ll need to do this in short hops. Do you think Annie is right, and we might be getting ready to deal with a new seamount?”
“She might be. The crack was definitely widening. She brought along some equipment to test the water. Maybe that will tell her more.” He had swum near the seamount offshore the Big Island. It was very unpleasant with underground hissing and popping that was so loud it was hard to think. And the water was nasty—too warm and filled with ash that made visibility poor.
“I guess we’re going to find out.” She walked ahead of him to the boat. Kaia stood with Mano and Annie at the edge of the dock. The divers Tony had hired were already in the boat.
“I thought we were going to have to drag you both out of bed,” Mano said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
They climbed into the smaller craft that would take them out to the research ship. The steward guided the boat out on the choppy waves. He loved the sea—the smell of it, the feel and taste of the salt in the air. God was good that he had allowed Bane to do what he loved and get paid for it.
He glanced at Leia with her face in the wind as well. Her eyes were bright, and he knew she felt the same way he did about the ocean. The ship anchored above the site where they’d found the Spanish galleon. They all boarded the ship. Bane turned to find Ron. “I thought we’d be anchored a ways from the site. What gives?” he asked Ron.
Ron smiled, but the impression was that of a shark on the prowl. “Judge Hapo is a friend of mine. He saw the merit of my claim and has lifted the injunction for now. It still has to go to court, but until it does, we can proceed here. I’ve got Trimix gas in the tanks, so we’re all set.”
The boat pitched and yawed with the high surf, and he planted his feet apart to maintain his balance. “If Annie is right, we may not have much time anyway. There may be a volcanic event brewing.”
Ron’s gaze turned to Annie, who clung to the railing. “Really? There hasn’t been an active volcano in this area for centuries.”