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settled before you start barraging them with your concerns?” Ada asked. Her voice sounded like it belonged to a fairy. It fit her small size.
    “ All right, we can continue this conversation later,” Bry relented.
    With another perfectly timed entrance, Captain Everling joined us. “Would you like a tour?”
    “ Yes, thank you.” Samantha smiled politely.
    That was all the encouragement the captain needed. “Believe it or not, the Ulta Storm is a historic misa .”
    I was tempted to tell him the Ulta Storm looked prehistoric, but I kept my mouth shut. The captain must have taken our silence as an invitation to keep talking, as he continued to drone on about the history of his boat. I tuned him out once he started discussing famous passengers because I had never heard of those people. I watched distractedly as he pointed out a small kitchen and gestured to two large bedrooms that we would be using. I hoped we weren’t expecting more passengers because no matter how large the bedrooms were, it would still be a tight fit.
    It didn’t take me long to realize that, with no engine or motor, the sail would be our only means of power. We had a long trip ahead of us, and I hoped someone knew something about sailing; I wasn’t sure how much I trusted the captain. Although a lot of my friends were into sailing, I had always been so busy with basketball that I never had time to learn.
    It turned out that Samantha and I were the only ones onboard that lacked sailing experience. Bry took charge immediately, and Naomi, Ada, and Henry all seemed eager to help.

    ***
    There was tension in the air as we squeezed into the tiny kitchen to discuss our plans while eating dinner. After a few hours on the deck, it was apparent that I wasn’t the only one worried. Everyone felt nervous about how things would go when we reached our destination, the city of Alak, and faced the committee. I tried to play it cool, but I was getting anxious. So far, no one had told me anything about how we were going to convince the committee to side with us.
    “ So pretty much everyone hates Energo because Blake has been breaking all the rules, right?” Naomi gave me an icy stare.
    “ Blake has been doing more than breaking the rules. He has been murdering innocents, and destroying cities,” Ada said in her singsong voice. The contrast between her words and voice threw me off for a minute.
    I paused from inhaling the fish on my plate long enough to ask, “I get that. So why won’t everyone want to join us and fight against him?” We hadn’t eaten all day, and I was starving.
    “ It is not that simple, Kevin. You are a Winthrop. You represent the royalty of Energo, and it will be hard to convince the other leaders that you can be trusted. For years now, your mother’s Guardians have been working with Blake, and they may believe you are no exception.” Samantha explained.
    “ So why pick me for this job? Why did Theodore want me to go?” I struggled to keep the anger out of my voice.
    “ You were picked because you are our only chance. Being a Winthrop means some will not trust you, but it also guarantees you respect. Besides, you are brother to the Essence. As angry as everyone is with Blake and Energo, they still owe allegiance to the Essence. They need her.” Naomi seemed tired.
    I was afraid to press too hard, but I needed more answers. “So what happens now? What do I do?”
    “ You let your instincts take over.” Ada’s voice might have sounded like a fairy, but her brother’s certainly didn’t. With his deep baritone voice, Bry would have a successful career in narrating movie trailers back home.
    “ My instincts?”
    “ It is in your blood to lead. You need to listen to yourself to know what to do.” I seriously had no idea what Bry was talking about and turned to give Samantha a quizzical look. She acted as though she didn’t see it.
    Frustrated that I had no inkling of how to persuade the Pact to join us, I struggled to fall