Elwin left the room in such a hurry that all thoughts of leaving Prin a note had fled from his brain. All he could think was 613, 613, 613. The reoccurring thought that bubbled to the surface, what if you’re too late? A young man, little more then a boy maybe even younger than Prin and himself, would be dead. Red bones. For no reasons other than having the bad taste to like Elwin and pass him his room number. Red bones. Why would you give that information out to a stranger? Red bones.

  Elwin tried to force the thoughts out of his head. Think only of Prin. Nothing else matters. You already know this.

  He slammed their cabin door behind himself and was immediately face to face with Dru, who was leaving her own room so quietly it looked like she was sneaking.

  She gave Elwin a sheepish sickle moon-eyed grin. “Shhh.” She said, holding her finger to her lips. She tiptoed into the hall and pulled the door until it clicked behind her, testing the knob to make sure it was locked.

  “Sorry.” Elwin said, an automatic response he was barely conscious of making.

  “Aster Rose got a little . . . freaked out earlier and made me promise to stay in the room with the door barricaded blah-blah-blah.” Dru waved her hands. “Don’t worry though, he fell asleep shortly after that. I think Aster was like re-eeeally high.” She laughed. “Hey, did you ever catch up with Prin?”

  “No, I never, I have to go—” Elwin started away from her, whatever she was saying didn’t matter.

  “Oh, well, I figured you had. He brought Aster back to the room earlier. And he was acting – No, I guess he was fine come to think of it.” Dru said. She shrugged. “Who doesn’t have an off day once in a while. Did you to have a fight or something?”

  “You saw him? When?” Elwin turned back to Dru, looking her up and down.

  Nothing seemed amiss really, aside from a little pensiveness. Her trousers and button up shirt were hastily assembled but she didn’t seem drunk any longer, or suffering the ill effects of hangover. Her short hair was neatly combed, face scrubbed clean. Maybe she was hiding something.

  “O-ooh, hours ago, I guess.” Dru said. “Before lunchtime? Something like that.”

  “And he left again?” Elwin asked.

  “Yep, yep, didn’t really stick around. Acted like he had some place to be now that you mention it.” Dru said. Once again her eyes were prying, a little bit knowing, a lot asking for more.

  Elwin didn’t have time or inclination. “And Aster is alright?”

  “Sure, just sleeping it off.” Dru said. “She was awfully scared acting though, there for a while. Wouldn’t exactly say why. Not to me anyway. I bet she would tell you though, when she wakes up.”

  *

  Getting into room 613 had been almost comically easy. When the door proved locked, he gave it one sharp bang under the doorknob and something popped loose. Broken, shattered, but not really noticeable from the outside. Only now it swung open without resistance.

  Prin looked around the small cabin. It was a room for one. The single bed, lonely in its spot off center as though leaving room for its invisible twin.

  Prin went inside, closing the door soundlessly behind himself. No one had seemed to notice the sharp bang but he would be quiet from now on, he was used to being quiet, he was good at it.

  The bed covers were disheveled, with a pair of rumpled midnight blue pajamas and striped robe thrown into the mix. The floor was strewn with shoes, slippers, yesterday’s clothes.

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  Clearly the maid service had not yet been in, or maybe he was signed up to not be disturbed, Prin hoped it was this one. And it did seem to be more than one day’s mess. Prin touched the pajama pants, pinching the fine silk between his fingers. It felt like skin felt, or like it should feel anyway.

  There was a wooden box on the nightstand. Prin flung back the lid, the hinges swinging gratefully open to reveal the gem imbedded treasures inside.

  The boy had extravagant, but odd, taste. The pins inside were diamond flies and beetles, stag heads holding rubies in their antlers like perfect drops of blood, fruit that glistened with undying perfection fearing no rot or creature’s bite, a few more mundane yet feminine subject matters, flowers with perfectly carved golden petals and diamonds like a teardrop of dew, ribbons with elaborate curlicues punctuated by gems and diamonds.

  How wealthy was his family? And how indulgent?

  Prin had a brief thought that this one would be too well missed. Not like the others. Even the detective who he hadn’t set out to kill, though the satisfaction had been immense, probably would not have the search party of a little prince.

  Then again, anything could happen at sea. It was foreseeable that an accident may take one or two children . . . every now and again. The world was cruel.

  And though, well cushioned by his family funds . . . Were his quirks appreciated? Or would they secretly be relieved to be rid of him.

  This cabin still had the same small, closet like bathroom as the double rooms, and he decided it was the only logical place to hide and wait.

  Even though it was a trapping place, a stuck place. He went inside and closed the door most of the way so that there was just enough of a gap for him to peek out but no one else to easily see in.

  Prin could make all the excuses he wanted but he was hungry and nothing else really mattered. If not this boy, then another, or a girl, or an old woman. It would be someone. And it would be soon.

  *

  Aster woke up screaming in the dark. Although after his eyes had taken a few seconds to adjust and pick up on the tiny scraps of light coming through the darkened porthole (stars? moons? The burning of witches at stakes in the town square?), he wasn’t sure if he had been screaming at all in reality or if it had just been a part of some hideous nightmare that was already running away as fast as it’s four blackened bone legs could take it.

  Good riddance. Aster didn’t really want to hold onto those reigns any longer anyway.

  What had happened yesterday? Or was it today still? He didn’t want to know. All he could think of anyway was that he was hungry, had a godsawful headache, and a mouth like the desert.

  His arm was bulky with the over sized bandaging the onboard doctor had done, causing him to almost knock over the lamp he was trying to light on the nightstand table. Aster eventually managed it, and the full picture of the room came back into view.

  Ahhhh, ship. Cruise ship. With . . . . Aster’s lip curled in disdain before he even thought the name . . . Dru. But she wasn’t here now, so at least Aster had something to be grateful for.

  There was glass of water on the nightstand, that Aster had also somehow managed to not knock over. Aster dug through his luggage until he unearthed a little pain medicine that had been squirreled away, snuck from Elwin’s doctor kit for emergencies. This would take care of the headache anyway, and the dull throbbing that had started back up in the injured arm.

  Aster took the medicine and drank down the entire glass of water all at once. When he had caught his breath he noticed that the room was a little odd.

  As though that scoundrel Dru had rearranged the furniture while he was out cold. There was a chair and a dresser beside the door at an odd angle.

  He wondered if there was any way to get room service in here. There was a late feeling in the air. Was it even possible to get a meal at all? Would anything be open? How long had Aster slept anyway? It was hard to tell since he could barely even remember going to sleep in the first place and had apparently fallen asleep after that visit to the doctor. He hoped the man hadn’t booger up his arm even worse than it was.

  Just as the medication was setting in, and his head was clearing up enough to try and think what to do, the door opened and Dru tiptoed into the room.

  “Oh!” Dru gave Aster a wild eyed look, surprised to see him up and about. “Eh . . . How are ya?” Her cheeks were bright red and she looked sheepish and disheveled.

  “What? Didn’t expect to see me here?” Aster asked. Something was niggling at the edge of his brain. He smirked. “Were you trying to bring someone over? I guess I could go next door for a while . . .” Had it been in a dream or in reality that he had asked Dru to barricade the door? And would that explain the placement of the furniture? Next door to Prin and Elwin’s room. There was some reason why that was a bad idea.

  “No-oo nothing like that, silly.” Dru scratched her head. “Uh, I do need your help with something though.”

  “Huh? Sure you do.” Aster rolled his eyes.

  Dru came closer, but suspiciously still out of reach, like she was about to say something that could cause her to get hit. “No, I’m serious. And it’s in your best interest too. Unless you’re getting ready to turn into a werewolf or something, is that how it works?”

  Aster laughed. What in the name of all the pizza in all the world was this woman on about? Aster was so hungry. He wasn’t sure he had eaten at all in the last 24 hours or so. And also, what else did he have better to do? “Alright fine, I’ll at least listen to what you need help with. If you take me somewhere I can find some food.”