"Mazin."

I pressed back into the hay in the loft above the stables.

"Mazin!" called my uncle. "Mazin, where are you?"

With a sigh, I crawled to the edge. "Yeah?"

"There you are, boy. Did you finish your chores?"

I nodded.

"Good, come meet me in the kitchen. I have some things you need to help me with."

"Okay."

He took a deep breath and went back outside. I crawled across the loft to the small door and cracked it open. My uncle was standing with Morgan talking before they both went back to the house. I closed the door and flicked the latch into place. Flopping into the hay, I let out a sigh. I already had a good idea what he wanted and it was going to end in another argument.

Rolling to the ladder, I climbed down and dusted myself off. The horses moved around in their stalls and some whinnied at me.

"Knock it off. I already fed you." Walking outside, I ran my hand through my hair to get the pieces of hay out. I went to the back door and my mother was waiting for me.

"Mazin." She shook her head and started brushing off the hay. "You were in the loft again, right?"

Bowing my head, I shrugged. "I was feeding the horses. Some of it got on me."

She eyed me. "Mazin." My mother grabbed my hands and took a deep breath. "Your uncle isn't going to you continue like this. You're twenty. You're an adult and he's ready for you to start helping him outside the home."

I nodded. "I'm fine with making deliveries."

She sighed. "You know what he wants." Smiling, my mother clasped my cheek. "And I know you're capable of being a captain one day. I pray to Lord Merrik to bless you every day."

I glanced out the window. She knew how I felt about being out on the sea.

"Mazin," said my uncle from his office. "Mazin, are you in there?"

My mother did one last check of my appearance and then stepped out of the way. I walked down the hall and entered the room. My uncle was seated behind his desk.

"Close the door."

I did so and went to the seat in front of him.

With a forced smile, he clasped his hands in front of him on the desk. "One of my ships just docked and the captain has agreed to take you on as an apprentice."

Staring at the corner, I kept my lips pressed together.

"Mazin?" Shaking his head, he shifted in his chair. "You can't continue as a stable and delivery boy. Your father was one of the best seamen I know."

"And he's dead," I replied.

My uncle sat up straight. "The gods fighting caused the sea to become treacherous. It was an accident that no one could have seen coming." He pointed at me. "This will be a good opportunity for you."

"No thank you." I stood.

My uncle rose to his feet. "I'm no longer asking, Mazin. Morgan is two years younger and he's already well on his way to becoming a captain."

"Good for him." I shrugged. "He's the one that going to be taking over the company."

He clenched his jaw. "I'm not going to continue to let you live in my house and do nothing."

"I do things," I stated.

"Things Jaxson could do and he's eleven. You're a grown man. You will contribute to this family or I will kick you out."

Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths and forced the anger down. "I'm not getting on one of your boats."

"Enough of this!" snapped my uncle. "This irrational fear needs to end. You're not five, anymore."

A rumbled sounded outside.

"What was that?" My uncle went to the window.

Using the distraction, I hurried from the room. My mother was waiting in the kitchen. She opened her mouth but didn't say anything when I continued on outside. Dark clouds were forming in the sky. I ran through the stable and out into the pasture. I kept going through the fields to the rolling hills that separate my uncle's property from the farmland.

I trudged up the incline and sat on top of the hill. The cloud had started to dissipate. He wanted to put me out on a boat just so I would sink it the moment my temper started to rise. Bowing my head, I started to count to twenty. It was a trick my mother had me do as a kid to help me calm down.

"Twenty," I breathed.

I looked at the sky to see the sun shining. Off in the distance was the large mass of blue that stretched on to the distant lands across the sea. I had been on a boat once. A small sailboat my uncle had taken the family out on. We no longer had it. I had gotten mad at my cousin, Morgan, and the storm that hit had sunk it. Luckily we had been close enough to shore that no one had been killed but I never wanted to go out there again. My uncle ships didn't stay along the shore. They crossed the sea to Lord Mahkah and Aedus's lands.

The grass crunched behind me. I turned around as my mother walked to where I was sitting. She sat down beside me and leaned against my arm.

"Llyr was upset that you left."

"You heard the thunder."

She nodded. "You know your uncle doesn't believe you have anything to do with it."

"I know. He would have blamed me for more things if he did. I've heard the older generation talk about the years of endless rain. I nearly washed away the entire city as a baby." I glanced at my mother. "Llyr isn't going to want to tarnish the family name by housing the cause."

My mother squeezed my hand. "Merrik blessed you for some reason. One day we'll come to understand why."

"Or I was simply cursed."

"Mazin," she breathed. "You were given a gift. It's just not one I can help you with or anyone else in Rose Bay."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Rising to my feet, I wiped off my pants. I held out my hand to my mother and helped her up. "You know why I can't go out there, right?" I nodded toward the sea.

She clasped my cheek. "We will find something that works for you and Llyr. I could never send you out onto the sea when there is a chance you may never return."

"I might have to move out. I don't know how much Llyr's patience is going to last."

"We'll figure it out, together." She gave me a smile. "How about tomorrow we go and pray to Lord Merrik?"

Letting my head fall back, I groaned. "Can I just walk you to the temple?"

My mother pursed her lips. "Lord Merrik protects us and blesses our sailors. He is the one god that can offer guidance to us and especially you. He controls the seas and well, you have a way of making the weather unpleasant."

I frowned. "I don't do it on purpose."

Standing up on her toes, she kissed my cheek. "I'm teasing." She looped arms with me and led me down the hillside. "Tomorrow, I will wake you up in the morning. You can hurry and do your chores and then you can help me take an offering to the temple."

"Mom, I'd rather clean the stables," I whined. "You spend hours there."

"And you have some time to make up." She patted my arm. "It's been a while since you've shown your appreciation. I'm only one person. I can only pray some much before the gods stop listening."

Shaking my head, I knew there was no point in trying to get out of it. "Fine, I'll go with you."

She hugged my arm. "We can go to the bakery after."

I tried not to smile. "Really?"

"Who do you think runs your uncle's books? He's not the only one keeping this company in order. So if I want to treat myself"—she gave me a grin—"I will."