Oran held perfectly still. His eyes rested on Hesperus as though he were of little concern. “Captain,” he said, as though requesting another cup of water.

Caledonia’s chest tightened. “Stay steely,” she said with every bit of control she possessed.

It had the desired effect. Hesperus’s grip shifted on his blade. “You brought a Fiveson into my city.” Hesperus kept his eyes on Oran while he spoke, every word pitched to cut. “And not just any Fiveson. This one’s as bad as Lir.”

Uncertainty pricked at Caledonia’s mind, reminding her she didn’t know all that Oran had done in service to the Father. Telling her that one day she would discover what those things were and she would never see him the same way again.

“Oran fights for me now.”

The two guards had moved closer and removed guns from holsters, but neither had taken aim. Behind her, she was certain Pine and Hime mirrored their actions. Caledonia felt a thread of tension coil around her spine.

“You are always bringing danger to my steps, Caledonia Styx.” The man finally stepped back, passing the sword over his pant leg before returning it to its sheath. “A Bullet ship and a Fiveson? You are too bold.”

She took a step forward. “I think you’re more bold than you let on.”

He raised a single eyebrow in response and waited for her to explain.

“A few weeks ago, we came across a strange ship. It sailed entirely beneath the surface and attacked from below.” She watched his expression carefully as she spoke.

“Deepship tech doesn’t exist anymore,” he said swiftly.

“Except that it does. I saw it. I fought it.” Here she paused, making sure that he met her eyes when she said, “I sank it.”

There it was. The flash of a response, the nearly imperceptible rise of his eyebrows. Irritation.

“Aric has been after deepship tech for years,” he said, evading her implied accusation. “It must have been his.”

“I thought so, too. At first. But this ship attacked us because they thought we were Aric’s. I feel certain that if we’d been able to communicate, we might have avoided the fight.” She lowered her voice. “I am deeply sorry for that.”

His jaw clenched, and he blinked hard. He cared about the loss of the ship, but there was genuine sorrow written into the lines of his face. The concern he’d shown for his family during their very first meeting extended to the rest of his people. He mourned their lives in a way she recognized, as someone who felt responsible for sending them into danger.

“If you’re building deepships, then you’re more willing to resist than you want me—or anyone—to believe.” She took one final step forward and felt her team brace themselves around her. “I need your help, Hesperus, and in exchange, I’ll keep your secret.”