Seven down. One hopefully still immobilized and no more than three to go.

Han launched himself at Iliana, helping her extract herself from the piles of goo, both of them trying to reassure the other. Gabriel spun, sword ready to take on the rest—and found himself facing a grinning Jadren and an equally pleased Alise. “The other hunters?” he asked.

“All melted, Lord Phel.” Jadren gave him a faux salute. “Except the one you froze. We saved it, since it seems harmless, in case you wanted it for something.”

Did he? Perhaps so. “Thanks for the save,” he told them both.

“I had air elementals carry one of Iliana’s spent arrows,” Alise informed him with a crow of delight. “Clever, huh?”

“Very clever,” Gabriel acknowledged with a bow. “And timely. What was the metal flying thing?”

“I gave a dagger wings,” Jadren said, going over to pluck it out of the hunter goo. Holding it gingerly, he shook clumps of dripping flesh and a chunk of bone off it, grimacing in disgust, before holding it up for Gabriel to see. “Clumsy and not as aerodynamic as I’d like, but it worked.”

“Also clever,” Gabriel said with a smile for Jadren’s pride. The El-Adrel wizard looked happier than Gabriel had ever seen him.

“You inspired us,” Alise confided, Jadren nodding in agreement. “Innovation on the fly!”

“Literally,” Jadren added, and they both snickered.

Both of them giddy from their first real battle, Gabriel realized.

“I’m taking Iliana to Asa.” Han stepped up beside Gabriel, Iliana in his arms. He’d improvised a bandage around her throat, but the blood bloomed on the cloth in bright red blossoms. She smiled bravely, but her complexion had the unhealthy green tinge of someone about to faint.

“Of course,” Gabriel replied, chagrined that they’d been making light of a bad situation that had nearly gone sideways in a terrible way. “Do you need help?”

“I can take care of her,” Han snapped, then winced, as if regretting his tone. “Thank you, all, for risking your lives for us.”

Gabriel bowed deeply to them. “House Phel stands together.”

An odd look crossed Han’s face, something deeply emotional, but he composed himself and nodded gravely to Gabriel. “Yes, we do, Lord Phel. Yes, we do.”

Han carried Iliana down the lane between the spring blossoming trees, and Gabriel, Jadren, and Alise watched them go. “They’re so sweet,” Jadren commented.

“And hapless,” Alise said in a rueful tone of agreement.

“Like the ill-fated lovers in a novel who are forever placing themselves in jeopardy for each other,” Jadren added, nodding.

Alise gave him an askance look. “You read those novels?”

He glared. “There’s not a lot to do at House El-Adrel, and the winters are long. We’re not in the social whirl like the pretty princesses at House Elal.”

“Why didn’t you attend Convocation Academy, then?” she retorted, clearly stung.

Jadren stiffened. “I have work to do. Call me when it’s time to go on our suicidal quest,” he said to Gabriel, and stomped off, taking his winged dagger with him.