Stormbreak (Seafire #3) - Natalie C. Parker Page 0,101

regretted doing it.” His frown deepened and his shoulders shifted uncomfortably. “When the bombs fell and everything I’d worked so hard to create was destroyed in the space of a few moments. I blamed you.” He pushed out a puff of air. “I almost sent you packing. But I knew that you’d lost as much as any of us, and if you could still find it in you to fight, then I could, too. I’ll never regret that choice. I don’t think any of us will.”

Tears warmed in Caledonia’s eyes and she blinked furiously to hold them at bay. Sledge did the same, but with less success. Two large tears slid down his tan cheeks.

“It has been an honor, Captain,” he said, raising his hands, palms out.

Caledonia raised her hands to his, letting the pads of her fingers press into his skin. “May the seas be your ally,” she said.

“And yours,” Sledge answered.

His fingertips were warm against hers, and heat pooled between the palms of their hands as they stood. There were no guarantees in this fight. The only thing either of them knew for sure was it had the potential to change everything. And there was no telling who would live and who would die.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Caledonia said, not sure if she’d ever said it. She smiled even as her lungs swelled with something like sorrow. It was so easy to let the terrible moments in her past dictate who she was now, but there were just as many good moments. It wasn’t only Lir or Donnally who had made her who she was, it was Sledge and Pisces and Nettle. It was Redtooth and Lace and Triple and Hesperus. Oran. “Thank you for fighting with me.”

With one final smile, Sledge answered, “Thank you for showing me there was more than one way to win a war.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Sledge’s fleet sailed away from the Holster, each flying flags bearing Caledonia’s sigil, which glittered against the dawn sky. For a long while, those still waiting to shove off could track them. They watched as the lights traveled steadily away until the sea and the sky swallowed the ships whole.

In her mind, Caledonia tracked them still. She let the sea unfurl in her mind, and on it she placed Sledge and those who had sailed with him—Harwell, Ares, Pine, and so many others she cared for and trusted. They would reach the Bone Mouth by dawn tomorrow and with any luck, they’d lure Lir’s fleet out.

As soon as Sledge’s fleet was out of sight, it was time to ready her own ships. She found Pisces waiting for her at the northern end of the docks, and together they approached the Luminous Wake.

Her crew ringed the deck, each one of them steel-hearted and ready to go. Caledonia stopped to take it all in, letting her eyes trace every line and every face. Among them she spotted Cepheus, her skin still blanched and her cheeks burning pink. Caledonia paused to give her sister an expectant look.

“She wanted to come.” Pisces answered the unspoken question. “I think she deserves to be here.”

“You’re sure she’s ready?” Caledonia asked.

“I’m sure.” Pisces took Caledonia’s hand in her own, squeezing lightly. “Your crew is ready, Captain.”

“One last time,” Caledonia said softly, squeezing back.

The instant she left the gangway, Tin’s voice shouted, “Captain on deck!” and as one the crew stomped their feet, creating a thunderous clap.

The force of it rumbled through Caledonia’s body. She paused, Pisces at her side and Oran close behind, and looked over each of their faces. They’d all changed in the past ten-moon. The midmorning sun washed them in glorious shades of gold and pink, making them stand out against the vibrant blue sky. They watched Caledonia intently and with a kind of confidence that surprised her.

“We have never fought a fight like this one,” Caledonia said, letting her steps carry her to the middle of the main deck. “But there has never been a crew like ours.”

As she spoke, she felt the bone-deep truth of her words. This crew might have come together because they feared the same things, but they’d stayed together because they trusted one another. And that was something Lir could not destroy.

“The Mors Navis was once our home,” she called. “She protected us and served us well, and if we have the opportunity to win her back, we’ll take it.”

Watching the Mors Navis sail from this very harbor only days before had been salt in an