“Is that what you think?” Kahina gave a throaty laugh and clapped her hands against her knees. The jade ring glinted on her thumb. “Do you know who I am, Water Brawler?”

Stix nodded. “Leader of the Red Sails.”

“No, no.” Kahina pushed to her feet. Without her spectacles on, Stix had to squint to follow Kahina as she strutted for the deck’s edge. “Everyone knows I am the admiral. I mean do you know who I am?” A glance backward. “Or for that matter, do you know who you are?”

Again, the hair on Stix’s arms shot high. A Firewitch with a flame hawk. A Firewitch who took cruel delight in the violence unfolding below. Food for my flame hawk. Food for my pet.

“Ah,” Kahina murmured. “I see that perhaps you do.” She thrust the pipe back into her teeth. With no match nor uttered command, the pipe flared. Fresh smoke plumed, and Stix wanted very much to be gone from this deck. She wanted Ryber’s steady silver eyes or that orange tabby’s relentlessly happy purr. She wanted the safety of her cot and the pillow, and she wanted Kahina far, far away.

“You do not remember everything yet, do you?” Kahina asked.

Stix did not respond.

“You will soon enough.” Kahina shrugged. “That is the way of it when we find one of our old places.” She motioned toward the arena while wind sprayed her pipe smoke. “And once you do remember, then all of this will be so much easier.”

“All of what?”

“There is something that we must find. Or somethings, I should say.” Kahina leaned against the balustrade, seemingly unconcerned by the wood’s dangerous groan or the sheer drop-off below. “But we will make no progress if you do not have all your memories.” This thought made her frown, and she pushed off the railing to approach Stix.

Though every muscle in Stix begged to lean away, she held her ground while Kahina dropped to a crouch before her and gripped her chin. Smoke drifted into Stix’s eyes. The jade ring shimmered.

“We have work to do, Water Brawler.” This close, there was no missing the tiredness on Kahina’s face or the lines carved deep around her eyes. “A great deal of it, in fact. So be ready and try not to die in the meantime. It’s so tedious waiting for the new lives to be reborn.” She released Stix, swirling gracefully toward her long chair.

Food for my flame hawk. Food for my pet.

Stix offered no greeting once outside Kahina’s deck. She merely gripped Ryber’s biceps and in hushed tones said, “We need to talk. Alone.”