She nodded and twisted to go. “I’m sending you a tea.”
“Can’t wait.”
Omar watched her go, smiling. “Good girl, that one. We’re lucky to have her.”
“Aye.”
The quartermaster focused fully on Augustus. “And you look like a chariot of horses dragged you across the hot coals of Hadate, if you don’t mind me saying.”
“Feels a bit like that, but I’ll live.” Augustus turned his attention to the child at Omar’s side. “Morning, Scout.”
“Hello, Captain,” the boy said.
Omar had a slew of grandchildren aboard, all from well into their teenyears to as young as six. Scout—his real name was Max—was the new gunner’s youngest.
Omar patted the boy’s back. “Go on now. Find Tiny and make sure she’s not opening the belly of those jellyfish again. Fish’ll openherbelly if he has to clean up any more entrails.”
“Fish” was a deckhand named Ramon, one of the three teens who were ordered to “make trouble” during the attack. Augustus and Ramon recently spent an entire afternoon repairing nets together, and he finally got the entire story. It was one of the only days Augustus had found himself genuinely laughing.
Alone with Omar, Augustus said, “Blaze suggested I talk to Lili. Something going on that I don’t know about?”
For the first time since meeting him, Omar frowned. “She asked to tell you herself, so I have to respect that. I’m sorry if?—”
“It’s that serious?”
“Aye.”
Augustus had been absent for two days. No stops. No bad weather—he hadn’t beenthatfar into his cups not to have noticed. Repairs were done—you’d never know they’d been through a battle. Surely the mood would be different had someone died. What could have possibly happened?
“A raven came while you were down,” Omar said. “We’ve been seeking information on Thorne’s whereabouts, and…”
“And?”
Omar clapped him on the shoulder. “Talk to your friend. I’ll be here to advise you further once you’ve heard.”
Omar left him, then, to search for Lili on his own.
Augustus located her at the wheel with Victoria Psomiadis. The tan-skinned woman was one of Cassia’s few remaining helmsmen. Vic was a couple of years older than him and Lili, and probably would have joined them on theSoris, but Cassia was a hard woman to walk away from.
Lili looked as if the last two days had wrung her inside out. The wind whipped her hair across her face—sheneverwore it loose—and her dark skin looked even darker beneath her eyes. Even her linen shirt was wrinkled.
He hated seeing her like this—unraveled and sleepless and still standing tall. He should’ve been beside her. Should’ve seen the weight bearing downlong before she bent beneath it. Instead, he’d buried himself in ale and left her to carry the ship alone.
She straightened at his approach. “Back from the dead, I see.”
“Something like that.”
Victoria gave him a respectful nod. “I was just updating Lili on our schedule.”
Augustus straightened. “Anything we should be worried about?”
“No. We’re making good time. With fair weather, we should reach Warian Bay a day earlier than?—”
“Warian Bay?” The question tumbled out of Augustus’s mouth like gritty stones. “You mean, Vrinis.”
Lili winced.
Victoria’s dark brows pinched together, then she shot a look at Lili. “Did I misunderstand?—”
