Eden's Everdark by Karen Strong

Author:Karen Strong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2022-09-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Night Fishing

Eden walked on an established dirt path that was pillow soft. Branches hovered over them, and she parted Spanish moss like thick curtains. Lorenzo and Isaac stayed silent during the journey.

The path led to a desolate stone harbor full of crumbling rocks. Eden touched the side of a collapsed wall. Uncle Willie had mentioned that a smaller sister island had once been home to a navy fort. Maybe this had been its location, and the broken wall was all that remained of it. A wooden boat was anchored on the rocky shore. The ocean was dark in the starlight, and there were no other landmasses in the distance. Eden was at the edge of the spirit world.

“This the east side of Pirate Island,” Isaac stated. “Mother Mary never come this way.”

Eden carefully navigated the rocks to the water’s edge, using Lorenzo’s lantern as a guide. The water lapped against Eden’s toes, and she retreated from the cold. Her swim was still fresh in her memory.

Lorenzo and Isaac put their supplies in the boat. Isaac turned to her with a proud grin that revealed a missing front tooth. “Made this with our own hands.”

Eden returned the little boy’s smile. “Looks sturdy.”

“Learned straight from our daddy’s knee,” Lorenzo said. “Hall family known for crafting boats.”

Eden swallowed. These were Uncle Willie’s people. He had come from a long line of seafarers and boat-makers.

“I’ve met some of your family.”

Lorenzo nodded. “Sound about right if you come from Willow Hammock. Although you don’t sound saltwater to me.”

“I wasn’t born on Safina Island,” Eden said. “I was visiting from the mainland. One of your relatives, William Hall, married my great-aunt, Susanna Gardener.”

Isaac stopped loading the boat. “We knew them Gardeners. Loved the land like we loved the ocean.”

After the boys prepped the boat, Eden settled onto one of the small benches and Isaac sat across from her. Lorenzo pushed the boat into the water, jumping in and rowing them away from the rocky shore.

The ocean’s surface reflected the starry sky, and the boys threw their nets into the water with heavy plops. Isaac leaned over the edge and watched them disappear.

“Never used to fish at night before,” Lorenzo said. “But the peace be the same.”

Pirate Island was now farther away, but Eden felt calm. The ocean was still and quiet. In the middle of the dark expanse, she was safe. The older boy stared out at the horizon, his face serene and deep in thought.

A low hum and whoosh of air broke the surface. A large, dark tail hovered in the air, followed by a smaller one. A geyser of water spouted with a low trumpet sound.

“Whales,” Eden whispered in awe.

They came closer, twisting on their backs and revealing their white bellies. Eden marveled at their size. The mother whale swam under the boat, and Eden leaned over to look in anticipation. The baby whale followed, its smaller body churning in the water. They broke the surface again farther away, and Eden’s heart swelled with joy watching the creatures.

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