Sitting high on the hill overlooking the cabin village, the sleeping cherry orchard, and the winking city below, Caledonia tracked the telltale puffs of dust as Mino’s rover chewed up the mountain path. There wasn’t much to see, but she was learning how to read the air in much the same way she’d learned to read the waves. Subtle changes in either spoke volumes.

Mino’s trail swung around the cherry orchard, hitting the straightaway that would bring her right into the cabin village where Caledonia’s crew had gathered in the main mess for dinner. Even high on this hill, the air carried the promise of a hearty stew with fresh meat and vegetables.

After the conversations of the morning, Caledonia had come to a decision. The crew was adept with the deepships, their flagship was repaired, Hesperus had prepared stores of ammunition for their disposal. They were an army in want of a fight, and it was her job to find the right moment.

Mino’s trail disappeared inside the band of trees that wrapped around the eastern edge of the cabins. She’d arrive in a few more minutes. Caledonia abandoned the hill and made her way toward camp. As soon as she was in the open, all attention turned to her. On the western edge, a group paused their sparring, straightening to nod their heads even as they puffed for breath; those waiting in line for mess nudged the person next to them, offering hasty nods of their own. Any who passed near enough said simply, “Captain.” She nodded, feeling the pressure of their respect both lift her up and push her away.

Most unsettling was the fact that Hesperus’s people—men and women who were all older than her—treated her exactly as her own crew did, with deference and admiration. She had changed in the eyes of everyone around her, and she felt like she should be able to put her finger on the part of her that was different. Every time she tried, however, she found herself panicking that she’d tricked everyone, including herself, into believing she could stand up to Aric Athair.

To Caledonia, it seemed the change had occurred overnight. But Pisces knew better. She said it had everything to do with how Caledonia had confronted Hesperus in their first meeting; that she and Sledge and Amina and especially Pine had told the story of how small, young Caledonia Styx stood up to the Sly King, that everyone had noticed how resolutely he’d deferred to her.

“That’s not how it happened,” Caledonia had protested, perched on her bed. “We negotiated. That’s all.”

Pisces’s laugh was bright and joyful and reminded Caledonia that she rarely had a clear vision of herself.