I broke the surface, screaming West’s name and a cry escaped my throat when I spotted the boat pushed up onto the shore ahead. Beside it, West was calling out to me. I frantically swam for the beach and when I felt the sand under my feet, I stood, trudging up out of the water. West caught me in his arms, dragging me from the surf.

“Where’s Koy?” I panted, looking up and down the beach.

“Here.” He waved a hand into the air. The rope to the tender was pulled over his shoulder as he hauled it higher up the beach.

I dropped to the sand when we reached the cover of the trees. “West,” I croaked, “the stone.”

“I’ve got it.” He had one hand clenched around the small purse tied to his dredging belt.

I let out a tight breath, looking past him to the Marigold. She was just a shadow in the mist. West stood at the water’s edge, watching helplessly as she tipped and swayed, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

The storm had come in fast. Too fast. And the winds were stronger than we’d predicted.

Another gale swept over the island, bowing the trees until their branches touched the sand. The thunderous resonance of another wind swelled, skipping over the surface of the sea, and it slammed into the ship.

The Marigold heeled, the masts reaching out over the water on the starboard side, and then suddenly she righted, snapping back up.

West took a step into the water, his eyes widening.

“What is it?” But I realized as soon as I blinked the rain from my eyes what had happened.

The Marigold was moving. Drifting.

“The anchor line,” West said, his voice almost inaudible.

It snapped.

Another strike of lightning cracked overhead, and another, until the wind slowly calmed. The water steadied with each softening wave until they were pushing up around our feet in a final gasp.

West was already towing the tender back into the water.

I jumped in with the oars and handed them to Koy as soon as we were afloat. We glided over the shallows as the Marigold drifted farther. I could already see Willa up on the mast, a bronze scope shining in her hands.

By the time we made it past the break, she’d spotted us.

The crew was already waiting when we finally reached the ship, and I caught the lowest rung of the ladder and pulled myself up, my hands so numb that I couldn’t feel the rope against my skin.

West was right behind me, his hair stuck to his face. “Anchor?”

“Yeah,” Willa answered gravely. “Lost it in that last gust.”

He cursed as he went to the rail, peering into the water.

“Hamish?” I said, pulling the small purse from West’s belt. “I need the gem lamp.”