I was hoping that passing the reins to Corvus meant he would have some grand solution that I didn’t see, not that he was going to repeat all the bad news I’ve already thought of. Lyre and Drom are both glancing back and forth between us, so I try not to look as dismayed as I feel. Corvus frowns down at the floor, arms folded over his chest.

“So we need a plan,” I say, trying to prompt Corvus into speaking again when the silence gets too nerve-racking.

“Right.” He clears his throat. “We have one advantage here, and one advantage only,” he says, looking up at us. “Like I said, they’re organized. Disciplined. They’re used to having orders and sticking to them. And we… are not.”

There’s a brief pause. I try not to wince. Corvus really isn’t much help with motivation.

“Yeah, we’re historically terrible with plans. Which is an advantage because…” I gesture at him to continue.

“It’s not, usually. But it is if we make it one. It is if we fuck up their plans and their organization.” One corner of his lips curls. “Our plan is simple. We bring the chaos.” He looks around at us. “Drom and I will be the main fighting force,” he says, while she nods at him. “We’ll work together, harass their forces, try not to get ourselves in deeper than we can handle. Scorpia—”

“I have an idea,” I interrupt. “I want to talk to Orion.”

“Orion?” Corvus asks, his nose wrinkling in distaste. “Why?”

“Well… he might be able to help us out,” I say with a shrug. “I’m guessing he might not know the full truth about what they have on the ship.”

“Don’t you and Orion hate each other?” Drom asks, her brow furrowed.

“Yeah, about that…” I grin uncomfortably, and bend down to tie my boots, struggling to find an explanation that glazes over the fact I’ve been lying to my whole family for years. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“I knew it,” Lyre says matter-of-factly.

“Wait, you two are fucking?” Drom asks, while Corvus’s displeased expression grows even more so. “I mean, I knew it happened once, but jeez—”

“Hold on,” I say. “That’s not the important—”

“—a Gaian and a pirate? You really have the worst—”

“Enough,” Corvus snaps, loud enough to speak over both of us. We fall silent and stare at him like guilty children. “We don’t have time for this,” he says. “If you think that’s the best move, Scorpia, then do it. I trust you.”

The words give me pause. Damn, when’s the last time I heard that? I shake it off and nod.

“I won’t let you down,” I say. “So, uh, I guess Lyre will come with me?”