The knock on the cabin door was loud and firm, a sound that sliced through the thunder outside and the quiet tension within. Gray looked up from where he sat, Eva still resting at his feet, her head on his lap.
The door creaked open, and one of the Aztec sailors stood there, his face tense and only barely respectful.
"It's time," the man said simply.
Gray nodded, brushing Eva's hair one last time before standing. "I'll be out in a bit."
The sailor bowed slightly not out of respect but habit before stepping back into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
Gray turned to Eva, who watched him with her dark, piercing eyes. "Stay with Cherry," he told her. "She needs someone to watch over her."
Eva didn't answer, only giving him a slight nod as she adjusted herself to sit cross-legged near Cherry's bed. Satisfied, Gray exited the cabin, the storm's distant roar accompanying his footsteps down the narrow hallway.
---
