Moonflower Ship Novels & Stories

Miren leaned back in her chair and cocked her head to the side as she took in the breathtaking vistas all around her. Suddenly, a large number of stunning fireflies appeared on each of the four sides, bringing glimmering light closer to the vicinity of the tomb, and forming a stunningly lovely picture. Miren extended her hand to capture the fireflies and then gently rubbed each one of them in her palm as she held them. She gave a gentle smile. The discomfort of being with Drake gradually disappeared.

Christos led the trio around the corner at the end of the corridor into an underground aqueduct. It was used as a way to bring goods in and out without being seen. Christos went to the row of boats and began untying all of them. He pushed all but one of them out into the flowing water and motioned for Amaris and Lyle to get into the last one. It was a gondola. There were not many of these to be found here since the island was so small and there were no canals for them to be used in. Christos moved to the back of the narrow boat and grabbed the forcola and began to propel the tiny boat in the direction of the mouth of the tunnel. The opening was opaque and it was impossible to see where they

Flora held her daughter and tapped her arm tenderly until she returned to sleep. “People have been telling me to get one, but I don’t know how. Don’t you need the internet to access it?” asked Flora, lowering her voice a bit so as not to disturb Nadi. “You’re probably the last person in Cardena not to have an account.” Eva sneered. “Well, there was a video that was trending lately, and it showed a small fishing boat being rammed into by a bigger boat.” “Did the bigger boat ram them intentionally? Poor fishermen…” Flora murmured as she shook her head.

Contained in the pool of light was a simple rustic table with a long golden box placed upon it, stood on top of the box was a small vase containing a single white flower, its petals closed giving the impression it was sleeping. Brother Andrew saw Annie staring at the flower. “Ipomoea alba.” he said quietly. Annie frowned at him questioningly. “Or more commonly known as the Moonflower, it only blooms at night, its petals open when the moon rises.” he explained. “It is said that Menai wore them in her hair.”

He approached their table and placed it in front of Mabel, who raised an eyebrow. "Go on," Marco said evenly. "Open it." Mabel’s hands trembled as she unlatched the case. Her eyes widened as stacks of crisp bills came into view. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. She quickly shut the briefcase, her expression shifting to one of triumph. Marco remained stoic. "Now the details." Mabel took a deep breath, as if savoring her victory. "The ship’s name is Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller. It had Maersk Line’s white seven-pointed star logo on a blue background. It departed from the port nearest to this place."

Then three more. “Run!” Liam shouted. They sprinted, Ava’s legs burning with each step, the baby a weight and a purpose all at once. The air filled with static and the drone voices in eerie unison. Heart signature locked. Retrieve. Retrieve. Liam fired his last flare gun into the air. The bright streak of light tore through the clouds and exploded into a red signal. Moments later, a distant rumble answered. A small, camouflaged, and unmarked ship descended from above the ridgeline. It wasn’t military. It was something older. Something from his past.

He said, giving me a probing look. I nodded at a loss for words. Is that what I did to the man on the dock? I thought. ‘Yes.’ I heard the answer in my head and looked up to find Conmael smiling at me. Up on deck, Conmael opened his arms wide and the wind picked up, blowing his hair back from his head and for the first time I noticed that his ears were pointed. Flowers of all different shapes and sizes floated up from the depth of the ocean and arranged themselves like garlands over our heads. Twinkling, floating lights appeared and swirled above our heads as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, making the scene look surreal.

His gills fluttered. "Many. Some far. Some close. A group to the east. Maybe ten of them. On a ship." "A ship?" Kai leaned forward. "What kind of ship?" Miro opened his eyes. "A big one. Broken. They're hiding inside it." --- We changed course. Miro guided us from the water, swimming ahead of the boat. He was fast — faster than the engine. His tail cut through the glassy sea like a knife. Jaden stood at the bow, watching him. "Mom, he's amazing."

Owen nodded, and we began to get into the harnesses. The captain strapped us into what looked like a big swing for two. I began to get nervous as he explained what we should do in an emergency, but nodded my head and acted unafraid. There was no way I was going to back out of this now. This was a vacation adventure, and I was going to treat it that way. Before the boat started moving, Owen reached over and plucked the flower from my hair, raising it to his nose and taking a breath. "Ah, plumeria. These usually grow in Hawaii, but I see no reason why they wouldn't thrive here," he said softly.

It was not a command, but a suggestion, a whisper of rebellion that was more potent than any order. Later that night, as the city slept, Flora felt Kaelen's presence grow closer, a low, steady hum that was a promise of imminent action. She was on a rooftop overlooking the square, a solitary figure cloaked in darkness. She watched as *The Silent Trader*, its sails furled and its lights doused, drifted silently down the river, a phantom ship in the moonless night.