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“Did you see me flying through the air? Superman can kiss my furry butt!” Sprig sat on Croygen’s shoulder. “I don’t even need a cape! I am truly a God King!” He held up his arms. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane… noooo, it’s Super Sprig! The incredible and divine Monkey God King Sprite!”

“Does his title keep getting longer?”

“Shush, peon! You only speak when Sprig, theextraordinaryMonkey God King SuperSprite, tells you so!”

“There’s definitely no living with him now.” Croygen snorted.

“Ahhhhhhh!” He zoomed around Croygen’s shoulder in fast circles. “I am a gooooooooddddddd!”

“No. Don’t you dare pass out now,” Croygen warned. “Not here.”

“Ahhhh—” The monkey face planted in the water, Croygen instantly scooping him up, the sprite limp in his hands, snoring.

“And he did it anyway.” Croygen rolled his eyes, treading closer to me, his eyes going up to the fire billowing from the mast. It wasn’t destroyed completely, but the blast had certainly crippledRevengefor a few weeks. “We have to go.”

My head dipped in agreement, seeing people rushing back on to put out the fire, my throat balling into a knot.

“I don’t want to leave it,” I whispered. It was my ship, my dream, my world at one time. And now it was in my enemies’ hands, being captained by one of my ex-crew.

I felt betrayed. Assaulted. It tore me in half, like I lost everything I had worked for.

My home.

My friends.

Recalling Zuri and Gage’s expression, their disgust and hatred, the pain sunk deeper. Knowing Moses died still believing I would come back for them. I was too late. For all of it.

“Kat,” Croygen spoke firmly, but I felt his sympathy through the link. The understanding. He too had lost his ship to a friend who betrayed him.

Maybe I was having to pay for my father’s crime.

A whistle speared by my head, splashing the water, jerking my head up to see a few of Batara’s men lining up at the railing, shooting at us.

“Shit! Come on!” Croygen started swimming with one arm, keeping Sprig above water with the other. Both of us moved quickly to get out of firing range. Guards were probably already on foot, coming around the bay for us.

“Captain,” a deep, familiar man’s voice called, jerking my head. Cane and Ty were soaking wet and bleeding as they climbed up on a pier, motioning us over. We swam toward them, gunfire raining down on us as they pulled us out.

“We have to get out of here.” Ty moved me in front, rushing us forward. “Find a hideout for a bit.”

That was the problem. Zuri and Gage would know all our hideouts and safe places.

Croygen placed Sprig’s sleeping body in his coat pocket, brushing back his wet locks. “It’s been a while,but I know of a safe house in Chinatown.” He motioned us to follow.

I glanced back at my ship a final time, grief flooding my chest.I will come back for you.

Without another word, the four of us darted into the alleys of Singapore, running for our lives.

The best way to get lost was to hide among the densest, most poverty-stricken parts of a city, which was most of it now. People didn’t have time to care or take notice. They were just trying to survive. So, in the heart of bustling Chinatown in a cramped alley above a basic market, we disappeared.

“How do you know about this place?” I peered around the bare-bones one-bedroom apartment, which had four cots but only two mattresses. Along with a minuscule bathroom I wasn’t sure any of the three huge guys would even fit in, and a living room/kitchenette, which contained a small table and chairs. The positive was it looked clean enough and had an escape ladder out the back window.

“Ummm.” Croygen busied himself, checking out the sightline from the living room. “Long story.”

“Ah.” I dipped my head, hating that I felt a pang of jealousy. “A place to meet up with yourparamours.” I tried to sound flippant.

“In this dump?” He swung back to me, feigning being aghast. “Who do you take me for?” A cocky smile crept up his face, strolling toward me, his dark eyes sizzling over my skin. “No,Katze,” he muttered, his body looming over me. “It was a safehouse for those who needed to hide out for a bit.”

“From what?” My fingers curled into his damp shirt, unable to stop touching him.