They flew north, back toward the mountains. Mina felt Pixit faltering beneath her. He’d never flown so far or carried so much weight for so long. Pixit, are you all right?

«We did something that matters. Like you always said we would, back when I was in the egg. Like in the tales you read me.»

You did amazing. Absolutely beyond amazing.

«So did you.»

From Chauda’s net, Neela called, “Look, the storm is dispersing! Your festival has seen an abrupt end.”

Wow, Mina thought as she stared at the peaks of the mountains. Neela was correct—​the gray clouds were breaking up and drifting apart. She didn’t see the flat streaks of silver or the flashes of lightning.

They crossed the mountains into gentle rain.

Ahead, the outpost was at least partially standing. Several buildings had collapsed, and many roofs were ripped to shreds. But Neela’s house was there, as were a few others, with broken windows but still-upright walls. They’d been spared the worst of it—​Mina could see the path of destruction where the tornadoes had ripped through the trees, only a quarter mile away. A terrifyingly near miss.

After landing, the students helped the evacuees out of the nets. Mina hugged as many as she could, and they hugged her, Pixit, and the other students and beasts. And then Mina and her friends climbed back on their beasts.

With only their guardians to carry now, the storm beasts flew slowly, tiredly, back to Mytris.

Everyone assumed they had disobeyed the “sealing” in order to go watch the festival. Several students had tried that and been caught as they snuck through the school. Mina, Jyx, and her friends told no one the truth. Not yet. Not while they were still exhausted and filthy and hungry. «And I need to pee,» Pixit told Mina.

They trudged to their rooms after Professor Werrin finished yelling at them for irresponsibility and selfishness, and banished them to the dorm. Mina was so tired she’d barely heard any of the words. From the glassy looks in her friends’ eyes, she doubted they had either. Pixit visited the bathroom and then collapsed in his bed. He was snoring instantly.

She and Jyx stripped off their muddy, wet clothes, washed themselves, dressed in their nightclothes, and fell asleep. They slept straight through dinner and through the night, only waking again for breakfast. So did the others.

Standing on a platform, Professor Werrin lectured them once more for leaving the school while it was forbidden, and she doled out punishments: no free time between training lessons for three months, a ten-page essay from each of them on the importance of obedience, plus they had to help clean the mess of mud that they and their beasts had tracked through the hallways. “You’re lucky Alorria needs you, or I’d see you all expelled!”