Oran joined a step behind Tin, his skin slicked with sweat even as circles deepened beneath his eyes. If she wanted Hesperus and the rest of Cloudbreak to trust Oran, she had to be seen trusting him. Acting as Caledonia’s proxy in her absence meant acting as her second in her presence. His days were filled with as many administrative tasks as hers, and his nights with all the work no one knew about except her. The long hours were beginning to take their toll.

Caledonia could hear Pisces, still on deck, shouting at the crew. “Folly, Shale, you were faster than last time, but still too slow. Far, I don’t care if you’re already on board, the minute we hit the deck, I want you reporting to Tin. We need to know who’s accounted for and who isn’t. Remember, this is a battle scenario! I know it’s a two-mile run between here and town, and that’s why I want you running the trails every morning and twice more right now, let’s go!”

She was going hard on them, but the truth was, they’d done well. They were the only crew with so far to travel. Keeping the Luminous Wake in the interior docks ensured it was protected, and put them in position to flank any attacking ships by exiting the canals far south of the harbor. It also meant speed was essential. But every time they did this, they got a little bit faster.

“Tin, we’ll check in on the barracks later,” Caledonia said, choosing the cramped stairwell over the lift.

“Captain?” Tin asked, jogging at her heels.

“If the crew is running the trails, so are we.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Caledonia paused, turning to Oran and stepping closer so that her words were only for him. “You should head back to town. You could use the rest.”

He responded with a one-sided smile. “If you’re running, I’m running.”

“Oran,” she breathed, guilt gnawing at her lungs. “Don’t make me order you.”

“Don’t make me refuse an order,” he responded, still smiling as he moved around her and jogged ahead.

They were already panting by the time they reached the top of the stairwell. The rest of the crew followed just behind, racing up to the top of the stairs, where they gathered in a group, stretching out muscles in preparation for the run. Pulling up the rear were Pisces and Far, Far’s array of black curls pulled away from her face in a wide ponytail. The woman rarely joined them for this kind of exertion. Judging by the look of resignation on her face, Caledonia suspected Pisces hadn’t given her a choice.

“Mary sisters, take the lead!” Pisces called.