Maris patted her shoulder, then let Helena show her how to collect clams from beneath the wet sand. They both seemed to understand Serina needed a moment before heading back.

Val stayed close to Serina. He watched the boat too. She wondered if he was thinking about his mother and the reason he’d brought it here to begin with.

At last, when the sailboat was almost out of sight and her tears had slackened, Serina turned to go.

Anika appeared at the edge of the trail, her bronze skin glistening with sweat.

“You let them take the boat, didn’t you?” she yelled. “Without a word, without a vote.”

Serina wiped at her face and tried to pull herself together. “I had to. I—”

“You should have told me,” Anika snapped, and it wasn’t anger that lined the words but desperation. “I could have gone too. My family, Serina. They need me.”

“I’m sorry, Anika,” Serina said, her heart aching anew. “I couldn’t risk saying anything. The Heir took the boat.… There are some soldiers who might still be loyal to him. He needed to return. We need him to return… if there’s any chance of breaking Viridia free from the new Superior’s rule.”

“Nomi is with him,” Anika said. “I could have gone too.”

“He needed Nomi’s help to sail the boat. But it’s small… too small for everyone who wanted to go back. I couldn’t tell you.… I couldn’t tell anyone. We made a promise, Anika,” Serina said, almost pleading now. “That we’d honor the vote.”

Anika stared at the horizon, her shoulders sagging. “I know.”

“I’m sorry,” Serina said again, at a loss. “I still have hope that we can help your family. The people of Azura can help us. We fought for our freedom. We’ll find a way to fight for our families too. Maybe, once Malachi regains the throne, he’ll—”

Anika made a noise in her throat. “That ship has sailed. He owes us nothing now.” She turned back toward the path. “The women want to train more with the firearms. We’re nowhere near ready for the prison boat to arrive.” She didn’t wait for Serina to respond, turning on her heel and heading back down the path.

Serina hugged herself, a numb emptiness filling her. Anika was right. If Malachi was successful in regaining his throne, he’d be doing it with his own soldiers. All the promises—concessions—he’d made to the women of Mount Ruin would mean nothing.

Val lined up four girls at a time, with the half wall of a destroyed building as their target. Serina took her turn with the rest, but she hated the kick of the weapon in her hands, and the noise of it. She was happy to relinquish the firearm until it was her turn again.