She nodded, then sighed. “He’s free now, and that’s all that matters.”
Augustus fought yet another urge to sail back to the island and storm that village. The reaction had less to do with Aspasia’s chaining of her dronsian—she tried to kill Selene. All to prevent him from locating the village? An absurd overreaction.
But, since the island wasn’t going anywhere—and neither were its inhabitants—he’d deal with herafterthey found his father.
TheEntia’s crew began to appear through the throng, loading crates onto the ship that was anchored at the end of a very long dock. It looked as if the managing was falling on the shoulders of a man named Hector Escobar—Iron Will to the others—who had a long history of being a quartermaster himself.
Omar and his wife, Eliza, spoke inside a huddled group near the activity. The usual faces were there: Oskar, Lili, Blaze and his Rangers, and the three heads of the Bladesworn Triumvirate.
Selene stiffened slightly, and a pang of guilt twisted in his gut. This would be her first time facing Blaze since learning about the kiss.
“I’m sorry,” he said for the hundredth time.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He nodded, then stopped in the space that opened for him between Oskar and Rosyln. Oskar caressed the back of Selene’s head, and his eyes crinkled with the smile he gave her. She released Augustus to sidle under Oskar’s arm, and they stood there like a father with his cherished daughter.
As innocent as the move was, the tension radiating off Selene toward Augustus was like a noose pulled tight. The pointed way she avoided Blaze was as good as a knife.
Blaze caught Augustus’s eye, brows lifted in question.
He’d never regret telling Selene everything, though maybe he should have considered what this would be like for Blaze. The Ranger had said it himself: he respected and liked Selene. After this, she wasn’t likely to consider him a friend—not a trusted one, at least.
The quicker they ended this war, the sooner Blaze would be on his way, and he and Selene could return to their lives.
Augustus scanned the group. “Catch me up. Where do we stand?”
“We’ll be ready in two days,” Darian, the white-haired leader of the Bladesworn said. “Our ships are being supplied as we speak.”
“How many men do you have?” he asked.
“Twelve hundred.”
That was damn near as large as the Rutiliana-Triarius Fleet had once been and more than enough to pit against Thorne. Especially if they could locate and add their numbers to the surviving fleet ships.
“Many of my people have chosen to stay behind,” Omar said, frowning. “More than I anticipated.” His wife squeezed his hand. “I left them all with the choice—I had to. This?—”
Augustus stopped him with a raised hand. “You don’t have to explain. I’d understand ifall of youstayed behind.” He couldn’t stomach the idea of any of them entering this battle ahead. “Omar, I offer you the same choice. I appreciate that you got us this far, but whatever debt you feel you owe my mother should be considered paid.”
“I’m going. No man should have to fight for his family alone.”
Selene reached out to take Augustus’s hand and met his eyes. “He’ll never be alone.”
Augustus kissed her knuckles, then turned his attention to Lili. “Do we have enough people to sail theEntia?”
“It’s a shortage we can sail with. Entering a battle might be a little different.”
A man’s voice came from Augustus’s back. “Will fifty additional men do?”
Selene stiffened.
The owner of the voice was a tan-skinned, broad-shouldered individual. His dark hair was short and tousled, and his beard shadow coated his strong jaw. He didn’t have fifty men with him, but there were four others who looked just as strong, and all fivemen were armed.
Gus’s low growl vibrated into Augustus’s shoulder.
The man’s blue and brown gaze locked on Selene. “Hello, Eva.”
Selene stepped into the open space between both groups. “What do you want, Roman?”
