The Dragon Realm (Dark World The Dragon Twins #2) - Michelle Madow Page 0,45
met us in Ushuaia, and the cruise company provided us with a tour around the area until the ship was ready to board. We took photos with the mountain landscape behind us, had a delicious Patagonian lunch, and played with Siberian huskies at a local dog sanctuary.
Finally, the bus brought us to the port, where our ship—The Golden Explorer—was waiting.
While we waited in line to check in, waiters wearing white gloves presented us with champagne on silver platters—and juice for those of us underage. The ship went with the American law of having to be twenty-one to drink, but Bella also opted for juice, since we needed to keep our guard up at all times.
Just because this felt like a vacation, it didn’t mean it was a vacation.
A mother and daughter stood behind us, and the mother smiled at us as she took a glass of champagne. “This is my daughter, Vera,” she said before taking a long sip of her drink. “It looks like she might be the same age as the three of you…?”
“We’re seventeen,” Mira said quickly.
“Vera’s twenty,” the woman said, and Vera gave us a small smile. “Are you triplets?”
“We’re twins,” Mira said. “Ethan’s my boyfriend.”
My heart clenched, but I maintained what I hoped was a friendly smile.
“Are you gonna do the polar plunge?” Vera asked.
“You bet I am,” Mira said, at the same time as Ethan and I said no.
“Cool.” Vera focused on Mira. “Want to jump together?”
“Yes.” Mira smiled, and the two of them chatted until it was our turn to check in. Bella kept glaring at her to stop, but Mira ignored her.
Finally, Bella stepped up to the check-in desk. “Bella Devereux,” she said, and then she told the woman our names.
“We have you in the owner’s suite.” She gave us a friendly smile and handed us each a plastic key card. “Suite 734. Welcome aboard the Golden Explorer. Your butler is waiting in your suite to tell you about what the ship has to offer, and to get you acquainted with the amenities on board.”
Butler? I thought as we took the elevator to the seventh deck. I knew this was a luxury cruise line… but each room had a personal butler?
Sure enough, a butler was waiting in the hall next to our door when we arrived. He introduced himself as Kent, and he gave us a tour of our suite, letting us know to call him whenever we needed anything.
Everything about the suite was pure luxury, down to the marble bathrooms, silk sheets, and large balcony overlooking the water. There was even a bucket with two bottles of fancy champagne waiting on the table.
“What are those for?” I motioned to the chains that bolted the table and chairs to the floor.
“They keep the furniture in place while crossing the Drake Passage,” he said. “The forecast is looking rough for our crossing, so you’ll be glad they’re there. If you brought the patch with you, now’s a good time to put it on.”
Alarm bubbled up inside me. “What patch?”
“The seasickness patch,” he explained. “Goes on your neck behind your ear. Most passengers wear them while crossing the Drake. If you didn’t bring any, you can stop by the medical center and pick some up from the doctor.”
“Did we bring the patch?” I asked Bella.
“Too many possible side effects,” she said. “We’re going to tough out the Drake naturally.”
Kent raised an eyebrow, apparently wary of this decision. “As you wish,” he said. “The medical center’s hours are listed in the directory, in case you change your mind.”
From his tone, it sounded like he was positive we were going to change our minds.
“There’s a briefing each evening at 6:00,” Kent continued. “Have you been on a Goldensea expedition cruise before?”
“Nope.” I hadn’t been on any cruise before. Why travel by sea when there were plenty of perfectly good hotels on solid ground?
“Since it’s an expedition cruise, we have no set destinations,” he explained. “The expedition crew analyzes the conditions each evening and figures out where we can safely anchor down for our daily shore excursions. Ideally, we’ll have two landings per day—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. However, this is dependent on the ocean’s conditions, since it needs to be safe to land.” He looked at each of us, like he was making sure we were following, then continued, “If you need anything or have any questions, press the butler button on the phone, and I’ll be of your assistance. Would you