Chapter 3, Kanika:
The Phoenix fled Freeport as soon as Kanika returned to the ship. A foul stench of magic hung over the port and the hidden city under the rock, and Kanika wanted nothing to do with the people who remained behind.
Her fears concerning Captain Talen became abundantly clear. The first chance he had to raise himself at the cost of others, he took the leap. Kanika was certain he would have moved to kill her and any who remained that stood against his plans.
Word spread fast: the fleet was to move to the first shard north of Freeport. Funny thing, Kanika didn’t know the area well enough to make that call, but the captains and officers who walked out with her spread the word.
She was now the de facto leader of a growing fleet. The only problem, she was uncertain of the size
