The inside of the fortress was always darker than Caledonia expected. The hallways were long and narrow, and here, near the outer edge, natural light filtered through intermittent windows built into thick walls. The air was cool and damp and always suffused with smoke from the night before.

Hesperus had given Caledonia a small office on the second level and as she headed there, she heard the whisper of a fourth set of footsteps behind them. She moved faster, her heartbeat speeding up to match.

She pushed straight through her office door leaving it wide open in her wake. As her guards took their position just outside, she turned. And there, trailing her down the dim corridor, was Oran.

He locked his eyes on hers and walked determinedly forward, passing her guards without a glance. He stepped inside the office and shut the door firmly behind him.

Caledonia’s heart skipped into her throat. She could feel her pulse thrumming in her neck, her fingertips, zinging hot down to her belly and between her legs. She took one shallow breath and then his arms were around her waist, pulling her against him.

Their mouths were fast and hungry, their hands just as eager. When their kisses became tugging at hair and clothes, and gasps became little groans, Caledonia pulled away.

“Not here,” she said, passing a thumb over Oran’s crushed red lips. “Not yet.”

Oran’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You want my real report.”

“I want your real report,” Caledonia admitted, though her body certainly didn’t agree. She wanted his hands on her skin, his mouth on her mouth, she wanted nothing between them but darkness.

With a sigh, Oran stepped away. Cold air rushed between them and Caledonia instantly regretted her request.

Oran nodded, and in an instant he transformed from the young man who saved smiles just for her to the Fiveson who smiled for no one.

“It’s done.” His voice dipped low, grim and hard, and Caledonia’s heart dipped with it.

She hated asking him to work in secret like this, but she could see no other way. They’d come too far, lost so much to win so little. Everyone was looking to her to change the world. They had hope, confidence, so much faith that Caledonia Styx would be the one to free the Bullet Seas from the deadly hooks of Aric’s legacy. She’d thought she had a partial solution in Amina’s silencers, but without the ability to create more, she needed another option.

One no one knew about except for her and Oran.

“I was able to build four. Any more right now and I think Kae will notice supplies going missing. I can get these to the Luminous Wake as soon as she’s docked in the canals. As long as you’re still sure?”

Caledonia nodded as she blew out an uncomfortable breath. “I’m sure.”

“The Hands of the River?”