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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?

From across the spread of tables, Hesperus raised a cup in Caledonia’s direction. His smile was barely there, and his eyes pushed his question forward again. Would she take what he’d offered? Would she command his fleet and fight Aric head-on?

She would. She already knew that she would accept and that she would ask her crew to join her. Most of them would. She was as sure of that now as she was of anything. But commanding a fleet of her own would change the fight. More of her people would die, and she would be the one sending them to their deaths. Trading the lives of some for the lives of many.

She had everything that she wanted: a willing crew, powerful ships, and her sister’s hand in hers. And she hadn’t expected it to feel so heavy.

Chapter Forty-two

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

The drowning dreams were back.

Every night, Caledonia dreamed of clear blue water. For a moment, all was calm. She was cradled in the arms of the ocean, rocked gently back and forth in the current. She was warm and calm and when she tipped her head back, she could see the sun winking against the tips of little waves. Her mind was still, her heart quiet. It was like taking a deep breath and feeling it fill you all the way down to your toes.

Hoist your eyes, my brave girl.

She opened her eyes to find the water cast in shadow and so much colder than before. It surrounded her, gripped her ankles and wrists with watery hands and held her five feet below a burning surface. Flames danced over her head, swirling their vicious orange skirts across the water again and again, trapping her there. She opened her mouth and screamed, letting air rush out in furious bubbles, letting panic overwhelm her reason. Her lungs constricted, empty and desperate.

Then all at once, the watery hands released her. She was free to rush for the surface. Her future was up to her and the choice was dismal: to drown or burn.

She woke eager to tear something apart. Usually, she could satisfy that kind of desire by sparring with Pisces or Amina or joining Sledge’s training sessions. But this morning, she was too irritable for any of that.

Over the past few days, the crew had settled into a new routine, which looked a lot like their old routine minus the ship and the broad ocean. No one seemed quite as bothered by the change as Caledonia felt. In fact, they were thriving.