But Pisces shook her head. “Listen to me, Cala: you won. The Holster is ours. This was a good fight.”

“We won,” Caledonia said.

Pisces nodded, repeated, “We won.”

Caledonia raised her head to find her crew gathered near, their eyes trained on their captain and her second-in-command. Dozens of Lir’s ships were dead in the water, their crews destroyed or fleeing in whatever vessels they had left. The Holster, though injured, was theirs. And beyond the breakers, Lir’s fleet was running.

Lir was running from her.

Caledonia let a ferocious smile split across her face as she cried, “For Cloudbreak!”

And her crew answered viciously, “For Cloudbreak!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Victory rushed through Caledonia’s veins.

A warm wind seeded with the scents of burning metal and salt drove them farther into the harbor. The Holster was inked into the sprawling hillside, its rooftops beginning to shimmer with the afternoon sun, its glittering eyes like a spider’s. Deep in the city, fires burned, painting the sky with coils of black smoke.

Their losses had been heavy. Only thirty-eight ships remained in Caledonia’s fleet—twenty-two belonging to Tassos. The rest were too damaged to sail or destroyed altogether. Repairs would be their top priority after securing the town. In the meantime, Caledonia sent two ships under Ennick’s command to track Lir’s retreat. He’d fled north, toward Slipmark, where he would doubtless replenish all his resources. She had to assume he’d be back, but maybe not immediately. Still, she positioned ten ships within the harbor and five beyond the breakers to keep watch.

Sledge and Heron took the remaining crews ashore to secure the town, coordinating teams to put the fires out and then sweep the city for survivors. Caledonia and Tassos would follow shortly. Together.

Settling into the chamber beneath the bridge, Caledonia and Pisces took stock of their new situation while Hime saw to the worst of their wounds. Now that the rush of battle was fading, Caledonia felt every single cut, bruise, and burn. Her back ached whenever she moved, though she did her best not to show it.

Hime’s fingers were stained red and black, and the lower half of her long, black braid was missing. Caledonia reached for it automatically, feeling the rough ends where something hot had seared straight through.

Could have been my head, Hime signed swiftly, offering a tired smile. I prefer this option.

“So do I.” Caledonia winced as the girl applied a cold nanogel to her burns. The glossy substance warmed immediately and soon her skin was blissfully numb.

Not a cure. Hime gave her a knowing look. Don’t get rough with it.

“I’ll do my best,” she promised.

“Tassos is docking,” Oran said, swinging around the hatchway.

“Hell.” Pisces was on her feet in an instant. “I’ll ready the landing party.”