They’d made this trip three times already and each time they brought a few more supplies. Solar plates, bolts of canvas, and tools for building had come first, followed by a full crate of seedbrick, soiltech, and a few seedling plants that would someday produce juicy tomatoes and peppers. For now, it was enough to sustain a person for several moons. The rest would come later with Oran.

When they’d unloaded the remaining supplies, they walked down the narrow strip of beach between the ocean and the forest. Waves rolled in and out, sighing against the shore and turning the sand into a glassy plane. The island supported fruit trees and small animals, both of which would supplement the food Caledonia had brought with her. Beyond that, it was quiet and empty.

“Are you sure?” Pisces asked.

A warm breeze pushed at their backs, throwing Caledonia’s curls against her cheeks. She’d chosen the Gem because it had been an open wound for so long. Returning to it seemed like the only way to make peace.

“I’m sure,” Caledonia said.

The city was in good hands, Pisces’s hands, and there were too many stories about Caledonia and her exquisite vengeance to make her an effective leader. It was too hard to believe she was anything more than someone who’d done terrible things in pursuit of something better. She needed room to find her way back to the person she wanted to be, not the person she’d needed to become. And she couldn’t do that under the eyes of people who only knew the story of Caledonia Styx. The Gem had been a part of her story from the beginning, so it had felt like a natural choice. Already her chest felt lighter.

“I need some time to—” Caledonia paused. Pine had called them demons and that had felt familiar to her. All the terrible decisions she’d made were still with her. They snarled in her dreams, made messy nests in her heart, and slipped into her thoughts when she least expected it. They were always there, and she was beginning to think maybe they always would be. She shook her head. “I need time to heal. And I need to give everyone else time, too. They can’t heal if I’m always there to keep the fight alive. I’m surrounded by ghosts and I’m beginning to think maybe I am one, too.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Cala, and I want you to take your time.” As always, Pisces was gentle and firm, guiding Caledonia toward smoother emotional waters. “There are ghosts everywhere these days.”

“I just want them to go away.” It was petulant and Caledonia knew it, but it was how she felt. Pisces laughed and Caledonia sighed hard. “Only you would find that funny.”