Well into the night, the lantern guttered, leaving Charlisse in a darkness so thick she could feel it. The ship moved gracefully beneath her, sending a rush of water against the hull. If not for the hard wood under her feet, she could easily imagine herself floating endlessly through an empty voida plane of existence halfway between death and eternity.

But God was with her. She felt his presence in the cell. And in her heart. After what had happened with the two pirates, she ...