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Back Steel Tide
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for SEAFIRE
  3. Dedication
  4. Before
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Chapter Six
  11. Chapter Seven
  12. Chapter Eight
  13. Chapter Nine
  14. Chapter Ten
  15. Chapter Eleven
  16. Chapter Twelve
  17. Chapter Thirteen
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Chapter Fifteen
  20. Chapter Sixteen
  21. Chapter Seventeen
  22. Chapter Eighteen
  23. Chapter Nineteen
  24. Chapter Twenty
  25. Chapter Twenty-one
  26. Chapter Twenty-two
  27. Chapter Twenty-three
  28. Chapter Twenty-four
  29. Chapter Twenty-five
  30. Chapter Twenty-six
  31. Chapter Twenty-seven
  32. Chapter Twenty-eight
  33. Chapter Twenty-nine
  34. Chapter Thirty
  35. Chapter Thirty-one
  36. Chapter Thirty-two
  37. Chapter Thirty-three
  38. Chapter Thirty-four
  39. Chapter Thirty-five
  40. Chapter Thirty-six
  41. Chapter Thirty-seven
  42. Chapter Thirty-eight
  43. Chapter Thirty-nine
  44. Chapter Forty
  45. Chapter Forty-one
  46. Chapter Forty-two
  47. Chapter Forty-three
  48. Chapter Forty-four
  49. Chapter Forty-five
  50. Chapter Forty-six
  51. Chapter Forty-seven
  52. Chapter Forty-eight
  53. Chapter Forty-nine
  54. Chapter Fifty
  55. Chapter Fifty-one
  56. Chapter Fifty-two
  57. Chapter Fifty-three
  58. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  59. Excerpt from STORMBREAK
  60. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  61. What’s next onyour reading list?

Finally, Caledonia felt her mind settle into focus. She saw Lir seated far away, a receiver clamped in one hand, all arrogance and that strange charm that clung to his smile, the shattered crown of his hair. She saw just how desperate he was to find her, to defeat her. And she stood taller as she lifted the receiver once more.

“I will disappoint you one day, Lir. That is my promise to you.”

Before he could respond again, she snapped the receiver back in its holster and flipped the switch on the radio, cutting the connection between them.

Chapter Thirty-six

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

She knew it was true. One day, their paths would cross again. But she’d learned something else in the course of this deep night conversation. When the day came, she intended to be ready. She wanted to be able to strike back without running the instant the battle was won. She wanted more power than she’d ever thought to possess. She wanted to fight.

She would never sleep now, not with Lir’s voice so fresh in her head, but she needed to leave the bridge. When her fingers had stopped trembling, she turned toward the door and jumped at the sight of a figure.

He was too tall for the doorway, yet he’d stopped there, head bowed over his broad shoulders. Though he was both tall and broad, he was also slender, his skin a warm, sunny brown that denied the cool light of the moon. She knew him. Or, more accurately, she’d known him. Once.

“Ares,” she said, voice tipping with surprise.

“I didn’t mean to.” He paused, eyes passing guiltily from her to the radio. “Well, I didn’t mean to overhear.”

A selfish irritation rose in her throat. She’d been caught. She hadn’t meant to get pulled into Lir’s orbit, but once again, she had, and this time, there was a witness. Shame warmed her cheeks.

“I heard his voice,” Ares continued when she didn’t speak. “It’s not one I’m likely to forget. I thought I was dreaming. I’ve, ah, had some trouble knowing the difference between dreams and waking.”

“Of course,” she said quickly. And now there was guilt worming its way through her already flush bouquet of emotions. He’d been on her ship since Slipmark. She’d grown up with him, and not once had she gone to check on him. Or even to express her relief at seeing him again. She told herself it was because she’d been busy, which was true. But there was more to it than that.