Clambering into Sea Sprite to reclaim her crossbow, Hannah chuckled.

Julian looked sly. “Used to harass ’em some, now and then. The Empire patrols.”

“What for?”

“For fun. They take themselves so fucking seriously.”

“Like the Empires in general, you mean?” Had about a half-inch of smile left but I gave it to him. “We got the last of the Macys. Can you run them in?”

Hannah was already making the transfer. No second wasted.

Once Julian was off, I sat in Melville’s stern pit just to be still for a while. The work in center Lagoon was soothing to watch—wood and rope and hammers and saws. Simple and real, and I needed that, to stop my head spinning. Everything happening too fast and the pace increasing. Like the whole day rolling downhill toward a crisis I couldn’t see the shape of. Running on autopilot left me lost in space, with horror images looping through my brain. A flaming missile of human limbs, a young girl’s head tumbling through the air, a pimply Adder face sinking into the water. I pressed my palms to my eyes. It didn’t help.

To the denfolk in the Lagoon, we were heroes. We should be celebrating. Feel relieved, at least. And part of me did. A world without BlackAdder would be a better place, no doubt about it. But it was hard to square with the violent life-taking it required. Most denfolk would say the Adders couldn’t be fixed, only exterminated. Well, maybe. I wished I’d been there to hear Rousseau’s response. Might’ve helped me see it more clearly. The shrink had warned that another trauma might tip me into shutdown again, but I wasn’t letting that happen, no matter how bad things got.

“You look about done,” Hannah said. I’d forgotten she was there. “Head home and get some sleep.”

Home? Sleep? And let the nightmares flood in?

“Yeah, I need to . . .” Couldn’t say what. Instead, I gestured across the bustling lagoon. “Find out what’s up.”

She was barely curious. “Busy as little bees. You need a hand with your kayak?”

Hannah being helpful and kind? Nah. She was nosing me off the boat. That put my back up, and I was set to wave my keys in her face. But I caught a glimpse of blond braids and big shoulders in the crowd at the front entry: Gracie, for sure. Next, I saw Breakers, above in a window opening, keeping watch on the Lagoon. Rubio’s group must be back.

I dropped my kayak in the water. Needed to get home after all.

I lost track of Grace in the milling download of building materials from the den, so I hailed the first familiar face as I stroked by.

“What’s up?”

My tier-mate Kari was wielding her hammer like she meant to teach that wood a lesson. “You heard about the Adders? Ain’t it the best!”