“Maybe he was trying to make a point,” Pine suggested. “And who else could have that kind of tech? It’s not the sort of thing you just stumble upon.”

It was a good question and a good point; a mystery they would need to unravel at some future time. Right now, the only relevant concern was whether or not a deepship was in these waters. Every instinct Caledonia had told her there wasn’t, but there was something she couldn’t see.

“The deepships aren’t Aric’s.”

Nettle had slipped up behind them, quiet as a cloud. She smiled with a brilliant mixture of contrition and gratification.

“Explain,” Caledonia commanded.

“Hesperus,” the girl piped. “The Sly King is the only one who has them.”

“Of Cloudbreak?” Pisces asked, frowning. “He doesn’t have any ships. He’s not allowed.”

Nettle nearly rolled her eyes. “Well, he’s also technically not allowed to aid anyone Aric has an interest in, but . . .”

“How certain are you?” Caledonia asked.

Nettle lifted her chin, the paler skin of her scrollwork scars like the curling path of a wave in the ocean. “I’m certain.”

That was enough for Caledonia. But that didn’t explain why Venn was being so coy. His ships still hadn’t moved. It was starting to put her on edge.

“What’s wrong?” Pisces asked, stepping in close.

“Something feels . . .”

“Captain,” Oran called, a warning in the tenor of is voice. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Venn doesn’t sail four ships—”

“He sails five,” Sledge finished in alarm.

“Captain!” Amina called from her position on the roof of the bridge.

The girls spun. Behind them, a crusher ship was in pursuit and much too close for comfort.

Caledonia ignored the way her heart squeezed as she raced toward the bridge. “Engines to full!”

The ship roared, moving sluggishly for a few seconds before it gathered enough power for real speed. Once more, Caledonia’s body anticipated a faster transition than this ship could provide, leaving her out of sync for a disorienting second.

She was furious with herself. Venn had kept her focused on him while he sent a smaller ship to flank her. Its low profile made it nearly invisible to her Knots until it was too late. Now they were on the run, and he was in control.

“Incoming!” Amina shouted from above.

They were too slow, too heavy, too far behind the momentum of the crusher. Pine had his gunners positioned to open fire on the incoming vessels, but this wasn’t going to be a fire fight.

“Strap in!” Caledonia shouted. “Brace for impact!”

The crusher was on them in a second. It held its course and speed, and as their own engines struggled to push them faster, the incoming ship rammed them, bruising their starboard hull with its punishing metal wedge.

Caledonia slammed into the side of the bridge, her knee cracking against the wall with a spike of pain.