Stormbreak (Seafire #3) - Natalie C. Parker Page 0,82

them farther into the harbor. The Holster was inked into the sprawling hillside, its rooftops beginning to shimmer with the afternoon sun, its glittering eyes like a spider’s. Deep in the city, fires burned, painting the sky with coils of black smoke.

Their losses had been heavy. Only thirty-eight ships remained in Caledonia’s fleet—twenty-two belonging to Tassos. The rest were too damaged to sail or destroyed altogether. Repairs would be their top priority after securing the town. In the meantime, Caledonia sent two ships under Ennick’s command to track Lir’s retreat. He’d fled north, toward Slipmark, where he would doubtless replenish all his resources. She had to assume he’d be back, but maybe not immediately. Still, she positioned ten ships within the harbor and five beyond the breakers to keep watch.

Sledge and Heron took the remaining crews ashore to secure the town, coordinating teams to put the fires out and then sweep the city for survivors. Caledonia and Tassos would follow shortly. Together.

Settling into the chamber beneath the bridge, Caledonia and Pisces took stock of their new situation while Hime saw to the worst of their wounds. Now that the rush of battle was fading, Caledonia felt every single cut, bruise, and burn. Her back ached whenever she moved, though she did her best not to show it.

Hime’s fingers were stained red and black, and the lower half of her long, black braid was missing. Caledonia reached for it automatically, feeling the rough ends where something hot had seared straight through.

Could have been my head, Hime signed swiftly, offering a tired smile. I prefer this option.

“So do I.” Caledonia winced as the girl applied a cold nanogel to her burns. The glossy substance warmed immediately and soon her skin was blissfully numb.

Not a cure. Hime gave her a knowing look. Don’t get rough with it.

“I’ll do my best,” she promised.

“Tassos is docking,” Oran said, swinging around the hatchway.

“Hell.” Pisces was on her feet in an instant. “I’ll ready the landing party.”

Hime hurried to apply a final bandage as Caledonia stood to follow Oran. Pisces’s orders could be heard throughout the ship and almost before they’d arrived on the main deck, the crew had the aft starboard bow boat ready to go.

“Ready to drop!” Pisces shouted the instant Caledonia hoisted herself over the rail and into the small vessel.

Oran landed beside her. Caledonia spared a moment to give him a disapproving look. “Has Hime seen your hand?”

“She will,” he promised. “After.”

Caledonia frowned, but the boat was already descending, rushing toward the water below, where it landed with a jarring slap. Oran winced as he reflexively braced a hand against the lip of the boat, and Caledonia’s frown turned into a glare. The engine roared and they rushed ahead, aiming for a dock where a similar bow boat paused to let Tassos and Cepheus disembark.

Apart from Lir firing directly on the Holster, the town had been largely untouched by the battle. The harbor was lined with buildings that looked remarkably similar, each one built of concrete walls with tall doors that rolled up like mouths. Three main thoroughfares led up the hill to town, each dug deep into the ground with high, narrow sidewalks on either side. Here, the streets were empty. Every available Bullet had joined the battle, and the rest of the Holster’s residents were farther inland.

Tassos chewed up the road with his steps. His shoulders were hunched, and his dark red braid swung behind him. Cepheus had to jog to keep pace with the man, her whip bouncing at her thigh. By the time Caledonia, Pisces, and Oran had boots on the ground, Tassos and Cepheus had followed three Bullets to the southernmost road and were two blocks ahead.

“Tassos!” Caledonia called when they had closed half the distance between them.

Tassos paid no attention, but continued to climb with angry, hurried steps.

“I could shoot him,” Pisces offered, pausing as Caledonia came to a stop. “That would stop him.”

“Redtooth would be proud of that suggestion,” Caledonia answered.

“But she would have been serious about it,” Oran added.

“Who says I’m not?” Pisces raised an eyebrow.

“Tassos, if you don’t stop right now, I’ll blow your ship out of the water!” Caledonia shouted.

At this, Tassos stopped, then spun around on his heel and moved just as quickly toward Caledonia. His eyes were narrowed and dark, and at his sides his fists swung like anvils.

The soft pop of Pisces pulling her gun from its holster sounded just behind Caledonia. On her other side, metal whispered against metal