Han embraced the two former Raggers, tears unexpectedly stinging his eyes. “You’re supposed to be dead,” he said, clearing his throat. “Cat said the demons killed you.”

“They should be dead,” Cat said. “But they got away, and decided it was best to disappear for a while. They took ship with a pirate and crossed the Indio and back.”

“Those pirates cut your tongues out?” Han said, raising an eyebrow. “Good you got Cat to speak for you.”

“Pirating didn’t agree with me,” Flinn said, shifting from one foot to the other. “Money was good, and I got to see Carthis, but turns out I get seasick something awful.”

He looked good—though still small, he was taller than before, bronzed from the sun and muscular from hauling sails around.

So much better than dead.

Sarie Dobbs had acquired an impressive tattoo of a dragon during her overseas adventure. It stretched from her wrist to her shoulder, curling around her arm. “I wanted to bring a real dragon back, but my captain wouldn’t go for it,” she explained, extending her arm. “She was afraid it’d set the ship on fire.”

Han had heard there were dragons in Carthis, but he wasn’t sure if Sarie was joking or not. Though they shouldn’t have been there, he was just so glad to see them it was hard to speak his mind. A weight of guilt slid off his shoulders, a small piece of the load that he’d been carrying around.

“Cat says you’re a jinxflinger,” Sarie said, appraising him with narrowed eyes. “I always knew there was something flash about you and those cuffs.” She touched her wrists.

“Are you back in the game, then?” Han asked Sarie and Flinn. “You two going to form your own crew, or go with somebody else?”

Sarie and Flinn both looked at Cat, then back at Han, shifting uncomfortably.

“I told them they could join with us,” Cat said.

Han scowled at Cat. “That wasn’t your call to make,” he said.

Cat’s face clouded up, promising the storm to follow. “You were the one said I should recruit some help.”

“Not Sarie and Flinn. I don’t want them put at risk again on my account. Plus, you shouldn’t have brought them here. Nobody can know where I’m staying. It’s not safe.” He turned to Sarie and Flinn. “I have a crew, but they keep their distance and work through Cat. Cat and Dancer are already in it. You’re not.”

Now Sarie scowled back. “You think we’re not, after they done Sweets and Jonas and Jed? Sweets was just a lytling. I know you lost your family, but we got scores to settle too.”

“It’s not just scores for me,” Han said. “I’m in this for other reasons. Reasons that got nothing to do with you.”

Sarie and Flinn looked at each other, then back at Han.