When I climb the ladder into the navigation tower, the four lackeys are the first thing that greet me. Chuck and Varma seem curious, Lemon looks distant, and Swift’s trying to burn holes in the floor with her stare. The captain stands at the navigation instruments with Yatori, muttering to the helmsman in low tones. When she spots me, she gives me that shark smile I’ve come to know so well. It repels me, but I step forward anyway.

“Cassandra, glad to see you out. Got a bit of a surprise for you today,” Santa Elena says, clapping her hands once for emphasis. She’s decked out in her best leathers, looking fit to swashbuckle her way back to civilization. If she’s mad about me stagnating Bao’s training, she doesn’t show it.

My meager breakfast churns in my stomach.

“We’re rolling into the Flotilla in full regalia today, Reckoner and all.”

Panic floods me. Bao’s unpredictable, and putting him in a busy environment is the last thing we need right now. Reckoners are introduced to the complexities of ports in stages. Even in the Reckoner-free harbors of a floating city, Bao’s curious enough that there’s no end to the trouble he could get himself into.

“We’ll set his beacon to get him patrolling and see where it takes us,” the captain continues. “If he starts to cause a ruckus, we’ll rein him in. But in the meantime, I want the world to see what we’ve got. He’s ready. It’s time for a show of strength. Nothing fancy, mind you. But the fact that we have a beast bonded to our vessel’s going to be enough to get everyone talking, and that’s exactly what we’re going for.”

I can’t contradict her. Any urge I have to speak out against her gets pushed back down my throat by the thought of Code’s blood billowing in the water. Of the crack Bao’s beak makes when it slams shut. Of the captain slamming me into the wall of this room. All I can do is nod again, short and curt, and wait for her to dismiss me.

But Santa Elena’s grin widens, and I want to wipe it off her face even more. “You’ve been doing well aboard this ship, Cassandra. It’s time you got some time off it. You’ll get shore leave while we’re docked. I feel like you could benefit from a day away.”

She can’t have said what I think she said. Santa Elena’s letting me loose? In an entire city? I don’t even know the Flotilla’s layout—I could get lost in there so easily.

I could get lost and never return.