Vivia reached the railing. A pistol fired behind her, cracking loud. Impossible to avoid. Yet somehow, she had the time to turn her head back and look. Somehow, she had the time to think, I am too far from the Origin Well to survive this time. And somehow, she had the time to watch as the round bullet from the captain’s Firewitched pistol cut through steam and careered her way.

Except it was barely moving. As the bullet reached her, as it came close enough for her to grab from the air, the iron spliced into countless smaller shots that sprayed sideways. Then Vaness coalesced in the fog, her nose bloody and gown shredded. Behind her, more shots fired and orange light seared Vivia’s way.

Vaness reached Vivia first, arms flinging wide as she tackled Vivia overboard. They fell toward the sea. Fire ripped out above them, singeing the edges of Vaness’s hair and gown and blasting Vivia with heat. But it was too slow, and now Vivia and Vaness were beneath the fog. Beneath the Lioness’s decks.

They hit the waves. Vivia’s breath burst from her as the sea enveloped them. Vaness still held on, though, and when Vivia opened her eyes, she found blood trailing behind them, a stringing silhouette upon a sea gone mad.

She yanked water to her, though she didn’t carry them to the surface. Instead, Vivia let them sink, let the water cradle her and feed her power.

It foamed and roiled as the Lioness sank, displacing the water—angering the water. Use us, it told Vivia. Use us and attack.

How? Vivia wanted to ask it. How can I use you to protect my crew? To protect Noden’s Gift? She could try to sink more ships, but those hulls would simply become more skeletons upon the seafloor while the sailors would live on. They would swim ashore, Kadossi at the lead, and they would destroy the Gift anew. How can I use you? Tell me what to do.

As Vivia and Vaness sank, the Empress’s fingers clutched at Vivia’s biceps and bubbles roared from her mouth. The Lioness bore down, a massive shadow from above. They were deep enough now that the waves had calmed. No more currents to spin and dunk. They would hit coral soon or one of the many skeletal ships filling the sea.

Here, Vivia sensed a deep bass thrum within the water. One she’d never sensed before. An undertow that quavered in her belly and trickled up from beyond the farthest shelf. Perhaps all the way from Noden’s court. Become us, it urged. Become us and attack.

The Empress clawed at Vivia, a vague, distant sensation compared to the water’s command. Become us, the water said. Join us and attack. There was no malice in the undertow. Only welcome. Only an element accustomed to being ignored until someone entered its realm.