Destined by Morgan Rice Page B

place a long, black, gondola.
    “Jump in!” Polly said.
    Caitlin hesitated, unsure. It was such a long and narrow boat, so low to the water, and it rocked wildly in the rough waters, which were filled with enormous ships moving quickly in every direction.
    She could easily envision one of them running over a gondola.
    “Oh it’s fine,” Polly said, reading her mind, “I’m in it all the time. Best mode of transportation, you know.”
    Polly held out a hand, and Caitlin took it as she balanced, stepping tentatively into the boat; it rocked wildly as she did.
    Caitlin slid up, sitting hesitantly on the wooden plank, a bit wet from all the water spray.
    Polly laughed. “You can tackle an alleyway full of men, but you’re scared of a little boat?” Then she added, “Come on Rose! Your turn!”
    Rose, still unsure, stood on the edge of the dock, staring at Caitlin for reassurance.
    Caitlin nodded, and Rose ran and jumped into the boat, rocking it again.
    She got her coat wet, and she shook it wildly, spraying both Caitlin and Polly.
    They both laughed.
    Polly finished untying the boat, got in herself, and stood in the back of it. She grabbed the long, wooden oar, and pushed off.

    They were soon gliding through the water, and Caitlin was surprised at the boat’s seaworthiness.
    They were so low in the water, it seemed as if the ocean might come in at any moment, and yet the boat must have been designed well, because they cut through it with a lot of speed, as Polly rowed.
    Caitlin settled in, and even with the rough waters rocking them, tried to relax.
    A huge ship sailed past them, just a few feet away, and left a big wake. The gondola rocked even more wildly, and Caitlin sat up again.
    Polly laughed. “You get used to it,” she said.
    Caitlin started to wonder exactly how far they were going.
    “Where are we going, exactly?” Caitlin asked
    “I live on Isola di San Michele,” Polly said, “also known as Isle of the Dead. It’s one of the outer islands of Venice, in the lagoon. Not too far. No one bothers us there, and we don’t bother anyone.
    Plus, we have loads of livestock to feed on.”
    Isle of the Dead , Caitlin thought. It was interesting to see that Polly’s coven still lived on an island, even these hundreds of years back. She wondered if it was anything like Pollepel. If it was, she’d be thrilled to be there.
    “So why were you in Venice today?” Caitlin asked.
    Polly sighed. “My fault. I should have brought backup. Aiden warned us not to travel alone. But I had to get something for tonight’s party and no one was around. I just had to get the right dress. I have absolutely nothing to wear. I mean, I do, but nothing spectacular enough, at least not for tonight. I mean this ball only comes around once a year.”
    “Ball?” Caitlin asked.
    “How can you not know!?” Polly asked, flabbergasted. “It’s only the Grand Ball. I’ve been looking forward to it all year. I just wanted to sneak into town to see if I could find something better. I’m weaker in the day. I’m still training. If those guys got me at night, they would have paid.
    But like I said, they caught me off guard. Anyway, where did you learn to fight like that?”
    “Oh,” Caitlin said, smiling, “I learned a trick or two on an island once.”
    She was hoping that somehow Polly would catch the reference, would remember. But she didn’t.
    “An island? Do I know it? Near Venice?
    Caitlin smiled.
    “Not exactly,” she said.
    They rode the rest of the way in silence, Rose resting her head in Caitlin’s lap.
    Caitlin tried to collect her swirling thoughts as she anxiously looked out at the horizon, waiting for the first sign of land. She was excited to see where Polly lived, excited to see if there was anyone else there that she remembered. She hoped, prayed, that one of them had heard something, anything, about Caleb.
    *
    It was afternoon by the time they reached the small island, and it was lit up in a soft, orange