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“Don’t make me run from you, Mama,” Corayne begged, going to the canvas wall. She grabbed the Spindleblade, drawing the first inch from its sheath. “If I don’t do this, all of us will die. Every single one. You. And me.”

Meliz’s chest rose and fell with desperate, shallow breaths. Her eyes danced over Corayne, as if she could find some loophole, some shortcut. Something snapped in Corayne’s chest.Is this what a broken heart feels like?she wondered.

“Then I’ll come with you,” Meliz offered, taking Corayne in her arms again. “I can help.”

Corayne stepped out of her grasp, keeping her mother at arm’s length. She couldn’t afford any more time lost, or any more temptation.

“The best help you can give is on the Long Sea. Not on the road ahead of us.”

The coast, the mountains, the road to Trec and a prince’s army—and the temple waiting. A terrifying path,Corayne knew.No place for a pirate.

Meliz tried to take her hands again, and again Corayne stepped away, continuing their twisted dance.

“Give me something I can do, Corayne.” Her fingers curled over themselves, her cut and bruised knuckles impossible to ignore.

Corayne knew her mother was not a person to sit idly by andwatch the world crumble.She needs something she can hold on to. Something that isn’t me. She needs to feel useful.

It was an easy answer to reach for. The truth always was.

“Erida tried to fill the Long Sea with monsters.” Her chest tightened at the memory, and she remembered the scars on theTempestborn. “Let’s give her a taste of what that really looks like.”

“What do you mean?” Meliz said, wary.

“I saw a dozen pirate ships in the Adira port,” she said, trying to sound as commanding as her mother. “There are hundreds more across the realm. Smugglers and pirates and anyone else who dares to run the Straits outside crown laws. You can rally them, Mother. They’ll listen to Hell Mel.”

Corayne told herself not to hope, but hope burned within her anyway.

Meliz set her jaw. “And if they don’t?”

“It’ssomething, Mother,” Corayne forced out, frustrated. Hundreds of pirates were nothing to sneer at, even for the Queen of Galland.

This time it was Meliz who took the long, endless seconds. She drew in a breath and stared over Corayne, her eyes moving so slowly they were almost still.

She’s memorizing me.

Corayne stared back and did the same.

“It’s something,” Meliz whispered, stepping aside. Her hand went to the cabin door and wrenched it open, spilling bright sunlight across the floor.

Corayne winced, shading her eyes. And hiding the last rush of stinging tears. Meliz did too, sniffing loudly.

What a sight we are.

Corayne’s feet moved too quickly, carrying her to the door too soon. She paused, half in the doorway, close enough to reach out to Meliz.

“Try the Tyri princes too,” she said quickly, another idea taking shape. “They’ll have run afoul of sea monsters by now. Between the Spindle creatures and the Gallish invasion of Madrence, they won’t look kindly on Erida or Taristan.”

Smirking, Meliz tossed her hair back. “The Tyri princes will put my head on the prow of a ship before they let me even open my mouth,” she said with obvious pride.

Corayne laughed darkly. “The end of the world makes allies of us all,” she sighed, stepping out onto the deck.

Meliz followed her out into the sun. TheTempestborncrew lazed about the deck like sleepy cats. Sleepy cats with a ludicrous amount of weaponry. The Ibalet crew and the Companions remained on guard, all but for Charlie, who had returned to his papers. Corayne supposed he had less cause to fear pirates than anyone else aboard. After all, they were criminals too.

Then he bustled into the fray, a stack of parchment in hand, and seals too. They rattled against each other, the cylinders rolling.

“Here,” he said, holding out both hands.

Meliz only blinked, startled. “Corayne...?”