Aggressive whispering pulled Mira from her slumber; despite her restless mind holding sleep at bay for most of the night, what little she did get was rejuvenating – perhaps due in part to the clear air and gentle sway of the ship. The source of the noise that woke her was none other than Miguel arguing with a thin, grumpy man whose dark wavy hair was pulled into a low ponytail. The dark-haired man, who must have been Tulio, gesticulated wildly, occasionally pointing in their direction and at the grate above them. Mira peeked through her lids, listening to their hushed argument.

"Listen Tulio, they're here and we can't change that-"

Tulio brandished his pointer finger under Miguel's chin, cutting him off. "How did they manage to stow away for weeks without being found? I'll tell you how: it's impossible! They look suspicious and there's no way we can help them escape too!"

"But we can't leave her here!" Miguel exclaimed, crestfallen.

"And what do you suggest we do about her scary bodyguard, huh? He could probably rip you limb from limb!" Mira almost choked. Sure, the scars and eyepatch might be intimidating at first, but he was hardly a brick wall like Dilan or Aeleus. "Besides," Tulio continued, "we won't have room for them on our boat."

"Right," Miguel deadpanned. "Because we're rowing all the way back to Spain?"

Tulio had a manic gleam in his eyes. "You got it!"

"Sensational – I like it. How do we get on deck?" Miguel asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. He tossed a juicy red apple between his hands. Her stomach grumbled softly. Where had he gotten that, and where could she get one?

Tulio's voice dropped to a hushed murmur Mira had to strain to hear. "In the dead of night, you're going to grab some provisions and hijack one of those longboats-"

"Ugh, really?"

"Well, what's your idea, smart guy?" he snapped.

That was her cue. Abandoning the pretense of sleep, Mira stretched, instantly drawing their attention. "Good morning," she murmured, glancing back at Braig. Still asleep. Her heart twinged with guilt; he was probably still exhausted after the ordeal the night before. "I couldn't help but overhear-"

"Eavesdrop, you mean," Tulio muttered crossly.

She ignored the comment. "-it sounds like you're struggling to find a way out of here."

Miguel nodded eagerly. "Do you have any ideas, Miss Mira?"

"You can drop the 'miss.' Just Mira is fine. And you're... Tulio, right?" The grumpy man gave a terse nod. "Great. Now that we're acquainted, we should-"

"What about the muscle over there?" Tulio interrupted. "Who's he?"

"Never mind about him," she said shortly. "You can be introduced when he wakes up. We need to come up with a plan-" The neigh of a horse cut her off, and a white stallion poked its nose through the grate, sniffing loudly. It was a beautiful creature with a stunning silver mane, but its eyes were frantic and bulging. She followed its gaze to the apple in Miguel's hand, understanding dawning. Didn't they feed the poor beast?

Miguel's grin lit up his face. "I have an idea! Tulio, give me a boost!"

Perched on Tulio's shoulders, Miguel tempted the horse with the apple, promising to give the scrumptious fruit to it in exchange for a pry-bar. The hunger had to be getting to them because there was no way-

A ring of keys fell through the grate onto the floor a few paces in front of her. Mira wasted no time and snatched them, staring at them in stunned silence. Either the horse was intelligent – or they were extremely lucky.

Tulio regarded her with suspicious eyes and an outstretched hand. "Why don't you hand those over?"

"Not until I have assurances that you'll help us," she gestured between herself and Braig, "escape."

Miguel grinned. "I like her – she's smart!"

Tulio glared between her and the blond, grumbling a few choice words under his breath. If he thought that was threatening, he was sorely mistaken. "Fine. We're leaving in the dead of night. Once we're above deck and have secured the boats, you're on your own. Got it?"

"Fine by me. But," she raised a brow and jangled the keys, "I'll be holding onto these until then." She wasn't born yesterday.

Braig woke at dusk with shadows under his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes like he hadn't slept in days. Even worse was the greenish pallor his skin had taken on. He groaned and Mira rushed to his side immediately, cutting off Miguel's grand recount of a con involving impersonating minstrels at a ball.

Kneeling beside him, she pressed a hand to his forehead. His temperature was normal. Why did he look so sick? Had she missed one of his injuries? A quick glance behind revealed Miguel and Tulio's keen eyes on them. No magic, then. "Braig, are you okay?" she whispered urgently.

"M'fine, Princess," he grumbled, swatting her hand away. "Just let me sleep."

"We have an escape plan. We're leaving tonight and I need you to be alert."

His eye cracked open, squinting at her. "Fine." Mira stood, frowning as he pulled himself to his feet. Braig swayed dangerously before leaning heavily on her. The sudden increase in weight had her struggling to stand.

"What's wrong?" she hissed, leading him toward the conmen. He grunted unintelligibly.

"Poor chap, was he flogged?" Miguel winced when Mira nodded. "Is he your husband…?"

Mira stared at him blankly. "Uh… no? Of course not."

"Ah, right then," he brushed off the awkwardness and smiled. "It's nice to meet you…"

"Braig."

Mira raised a brow at the unfriendly tone. What was with him? Miguel, however, was unaffected. "Wonderful, nice to meet you Braig. I'm Miguel, and my partner here," he gestured to his right, "is Tulio."

The silence that ensued was painful and awkward; the two men shifted uncomfortably under Braig's stern one-eyed glare. Mira scowled, snapping her fingers to get his attention. "Hey." His golden gaze settled on her irritably. "Do you want to hear the escape plan or not?"

He exhaled through his nose. "Let's hear it then."

"Right." Mira narrowed her eyes. "We have the keys to that grate up there," she jangled them lightly, "and when everyone has gone to sleep tonight, we're going to let ourselves out and steal a pair of boats – plus provisions. Easy enough, right?"

"And where do you plan on going in these boats in the middle of the ocean?"

"The nearest land, obviously," Mira deadpanned. Braig pulled her out of earshot from the conmen, lumbering unsteadily to the other side of the brig. "What's your problem?" she hissed.

"How do you know you can trust them?"

Mira rolled her eyes. "We can't, duh. That's why I have the keys."

"Fine. But how are we going observe Cortes's use of the darkness if we leave this infernal ship?"

"Unfortunately, that's no longer an option. I forgot to tell you last night, but the second we dock, they plan on burning us at the stake. If it's all the same for you, I'd rather be elsewhere when that happens," she stated matter-of-factly.

Braig pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course, they do. So, we escape the ship. What if we don't find land?"

"They've been at sea for weeks; they're bound to be near land by now."

"And if not?"

"What's your deal?" Mira crossed her arms, staring up at him in defiance. "You're the one who wanted to stay in this world. If you want to do that, we must get off the ship. Why are you being so difficult?"

"I just…" The ship swayed and he paled. "Boats and I don't mix."

Her jaw dropped. "You're seasick?"

He took a shuddering breath, sinking into a crouch. "Mm."

What a relief. She kneeled beside him, rubbing circles on his back. "And here I thought you were still injured. Well, we'll be out of here tonight and on," she faltered, "on another, smaller boat… looking for land."

He groaned.

Mira sat beside Braig, who'd elected to sleep, until it was time to enact the plan. In different circumstances, she might have tried sleeping a little herself, but she didn't trust Tulio not to steal the keys and abandon them in the brig. Instead, she waited for the shadows to grow longer as the day turned into night, keeping a watchful eye on Tulio while he repeatedly banged his head against one of the wooden posts. He claimed it was helping him think. When it was finally time, Miguel crouched in front of her. "Ready?" Mira nodded sharply and shook Braig awake.

Scaling the wall of the brig and unlocking the grate, Mira pulled herself onto the deck, crouching behind a nearby barrel. The ship was deserted. She peered back into the brig and motioned for them to climb up. Miguel and Tulio scrambled out, followed by Braig at a slow, but steady pace. His green pallor hadn't abated in the slightest. Once they were all out, they made quick work of selecting their boats and stealing provisions. The soldiers weren't expecting to be robbed in the middle of the ocean, so everything they needed was easily acquired. It also helped that the night watchman had fallen asleep at his post. After grabbing plenty of water, Mira and Braig hopped into their longboat.

Amid lowering themselves to sea-level, the horse neighed loudly, trotting toward Miguel and Tulio's boat a short distance away. "What's going on?" she hissed, eyes darting to the doors leading below deck.

"Oh! He wants his apple-"

"Then give it to him before he wakes up the whole crew!" Tulio snatched the apple from Miguel and threw it up to the deck. Mira rolled her eyes.

"Let's get this over with-" There was a whinny and a huge splash, and in an instant, Mira and Braig were drenched in seawater. The horse had leapt from the ship and was struggling stay afloat. Nearby, the apple drifted away. She whipped around, glaring venomously at the pair. Why didn't they simply hand it the apple? Their incompetence was going to-

"Altivo!" Miguel gasped, leaping from their longboat and leaving Tulio to struggle with the rope. The boat hit the water with a slap. Their panicked yelling registered distantly. There was no way the crew hadn't heard the commotion!

Braig grabbed her hand, pulling her attention away from the fools. "C'mon."

"Yeah but…" Miguel and Tulio were now joined by the horse in their boat while all their supplies drifted away. "They're gonna die out here…"

"Not our problem. Grab an oar."

Mira opened her mouth to argue, but one look at his clammy face had her agreeing with little fuss. "I have a better idea – try to relax, okay? I'm going to use my magic to push the boat"

He nodded approvingly. "Don't drain yourself."

Thunder sounded in the distance; within minutes, a deluge followed, bringing with it wild gales and roaring waves. Ignoring her saturated clothes and the rain pelting from all sides, Mira reached for the magic within her, forcing it through their boat to make it move. They needed to get away from Cortes's fleet as soon as possible. She didn't fancy being run down by a large ship. Already, Tulio and Miguel had rowed far ahead of them. Her breath came out in short pants and sweat mixed with rain dripped from her temples in the humid night air. Braig leaned over the front of the boat, but she paid him little mind. It took all her focus to keep the boat from capsizing amid the tumultuous waters, and they weren't getting far. She didn't have the strength to fight the sea!

A shadow blocked the light of the moon and Mira froze. Her gasp was swallowed amid the thunder. A giant wave loomed high above their boat, threatening a watery grave. Born and bred on Destiny Islands, she'd spent much of her childhood on the water, and one of the first things she learned was how deadly the waves could be, even close to shore. They could crush someone in the sand or drag them down. With winds this strong, and a wave this high, they had no chance if it plunged onto them.

Braig pulled her to his chest. "Princess! We've got to get out of here!"

The wave curled above them, its watery ceiling rushing down – this was it. Do or die. But in place of fear, calmness washed over her. She was in her element; she could do this. "Waterza!"

Magic rushed through her, encouraging the water to flow over them and rejoin the sea, propelling them through the tube of the enormous wave and out the other side. With her magic acting as a guide, the sea did the rest, jetting them across the ocean surface. There was so much energy surrounding them! She laughed buoyantly, giddy with the power. Mira turned in Braig's arms, breath catching in her throat.

As if in a trance, he pulled her closer and stared into her eyes, lips parted. His hands were like fire on her hips. Mira bit her lip, and his eye followed the movement, dilating. She exhaled unevenly, stomach aflutter. "Braig?" With her soft utterance, the spell was broken, and he reclaimed his seat, turning his back on her. Averting her eyes, Mira resumed her work, encouraging the water to bring them closer to the wayward conmen. Their boat had stopped moving forward and was being carried by the whim of the surrounding waves.

As it turned out, they had fallen asleep, likely exhausted from battling with the storm. Mira sighed and tethered their boat to hers with some rope they stole. Despite the years between the last time she sailed, her hands remembered all the knots her parents taught her. Sailing was a beloved pastime they'd enjoyed as a family. There was something about working together on the water and riding the ocean waves. The laughter and joy of being present in the moment with someone else. The wind in her hair.

Mira glanced at Braig. Her smile dropped. He wasn't enjoying himself – not in the slightest. "Braig? Are you doing okay?" No answer. She shuffled toward him, gingerly stepping over their supplies. His head was cradled in his arms and his good eye was shut. Sleep had claimed him too. It was probably for the best. Mira exhaled softly, returning to her seat at the back of the boat. It was up to her now. With only the sea for company, she was in for a long trip.

The men didn't wake until the waters had calmed and the afternoon sun had reached its peak. Mira vaguely registered them moaning about the end of their lives, but it was difficult to focus on anything other than the water. They were nearly there. She had no choice but to press on, despite her dwindling magic reserves. With one last push, Mira beached the boats onto shore. Her arms shook with the effort and her head throbbed. Her strength was spent. The conmen hadn't noticed that they'd arrived, too immersed in their eulogies. Braig laid with one arm across his face to block the sun. She nudged him with her foot.

Nearby, Miguel and Tulio shattered the silence with exclamations of, "It's... It's land!"

Braig stretched and stepped out of their longboat, taking a deep breath. "Finally!"

Mira didn't have the energy to point out that, out of all of them, she was the only one entitled to such an exclamation, given that she'd done all the work. Instead, she pressed her mouth into a thin line and followed him only to catch her foot on the edge of the boat, landing face-first in the sand. Close enough. Though her chin throbbed, the ground was warm and inviting. Her eyes drooped. She could almost envision she was napping on the beach just like she had done as a child...

"Princess?" Braig's panicked voice was distant to her ears. Strong hands rolled her over, pressing against her forehead. "Talk to me, what's wrong?"

She brushed him off. "Go 'way. Magic... tired."

There was a screech and Braig jumped, swearing. He relaxed a moment later. "Those idiots... How did they get here at the exact same time as us?" He picked her up off the sand, pulling her against his chest.

Mira shrugged weakly, acutely aware of the loud thumping of her heart. "An act of God."

"Feeling divine, are we?"

"Worship me," she muttered.

"With pleasure." His chest rumbled with laugher, sending her stomach aflutter with nerves. His voice had no business being that husky at this hour. Idly, he ran his fingers through her hair, soothing the tension in her scalp. It didn't fix her headache, but it eased the pain a little.

"You kept the map but couldn't be bothered to find a little more food?!" Her eyes snapped open at Tulio's exclamation.

"But Tulio, this could be it! Look at the whistling rock! The stream! Even those mountains – you said yourself, it could be possible! And it is! It really is the map to El Dorado!"

"You drank the seawater, didn't you?" Tulio deadpanned.

"Oh, come on!"

"No! I wouldn't set foot in that jungle for a million pesetas!"

"How about, a hundred million?"

"Braig, what are they going on about?"

"Apparently, the blond idiot has a map, and it leads to... riches?" He shrugged. "The black-haired idiot wants to get back on the infernal boat." He shuddered, glancing down at her. A brilliant halo of sunlight glowed around his head. "If we don't find anything on this island, we're leaving. Through a corridor."

"No arguments here. I don't have it in me to venture across this world's ocean again."

"Speaking of that, what did I tell you about exhausting your magic? You need to learn your limits-"

"If you'd rather have drowned, you're welcome to jump back into the ocean. Besides, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard if someone hadn't fallen asleep."

"Hey now. Either I slept for barfed on you. Take your pick."

"Disgusting."

He opened his mouth to reply, but Miguel sprang over to them and knelt beside her. Braig stiffened. "Mira are you alright?!"

She winced at his volume. "I'm just tired from... from the heat." A weak excuse to be sure, but he bought it, nonetheless. "What's all the fuss about?"

Miguel perked up. "By some stroke of luck, we've managed to reach the island where El Dorado is said to be!"

"El... Dorado? What's that?"

"Why, it's the city of gold!"

"Gold... huh." She stifled a yawn. "That's nice."

"N-nice? That's all you have to say?! Mira-" he grasped her shoulder, only for Braig to slap his hand away. "Eh... sorry. Well, at any rate, Tulio and I were gonna search for the city... did you want to come with us?"

Mira shook her head. "As fun as that sounds, I'd rather find shelter and rest. I wouldn't want to slow you down." His face fell and she added, "Maybe we'll catch up with you later?"

Miguel nodded reluctantly. "Well... Alright. I guess we'll see you-"

"Miguel! What happened to blazing a trail through this god-forsaken jungle?!" Tulio yelled and the blond scratched his head sheepishly.

"I have to go now, but I hope we meet again, Mira." With those parting words, he bounded away after Tulio. A city of gold. Sounded more like an impractical fairytale than a real place. But Miguel was convinced that his map would lead him there. His heart was set on it. She envied that kind of unshakeable belief. Perhaps she'd have to see it for herself.

Braig snorted, pulling her from her musing and peering down at her with a smirk. "Someone's in love with you."

She scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm just calling it how I see it."

"Well, technically, you only have half the vision that I do so..." She let the statement hang.

His lips twitched. "Wow, you are cranky. How about we find that shelter and get you out of 'the heat,' hm?"

"While you're at it, grab some food too. I'm hungry."

"Your wish is my command." He hoisted her up into his arms and moved closer to the shade of the jungle. It was a welcome reprieve from the moist heat in the direct sun. Her eyes drooped. "Do you have any other requests, Princess?" She stifled a yawn and shook her head. "Alright. I'll be back soon." But she barely heard him, exhausted as she was. Mira was powerless to resist the seductive pull of sleep, already drifting into dreams of ocean waves and rosy days long gone away.

Later that evening, when the sun went down and the air cooled, Mira and Braig set off after the two conmen. They'd discussed their options at length and settled on poking around the island. If El Dorado did exist, Mira reasoned that it would be a sight worth seeing, if nothing else. They could always look for the darkness afterwards.

To her surprise, navigating the jungle wasn't as challenging as she expected. Whether Miguel and Tulio were leaving a trail for them on purpose was unclear, but the broken branches and trodden plants left in their wake made following the pair easy. The conmen also drew the attention of the surrounding wildlife to themselves so Mira and Braig didn't often have to fight off more than mosquitos.

During the second night of their trek, it rained and thundered heavily, forcing them to take cover below the canopy of a tall tree. They were huddled closely with their arms and thighs pressed together, and Mira was more aware of him than she'd ever been. Braig's mood had improved drastically since their time at sea, and she wanted to ask him about what happened on the boat. But it never felt like the right time, and she lost her nerve.