“I’m fine, Chu, I just need a minute,” she muttered.

“Take it, but do it looking at me,” he ordered.

Overprotective and overbearing.

She did not make note of that.

She did as asked and took her minute looking at him.

Brix was at her other side, where he queried, “I thought she drew down a bunch to top herself up?”

“She just transported four bodies halfway across Airen, you fool,” Gal bit out, his words aimed at Brix, his worried gaze on Serena.

For once, Brix ignored Gal, and he did so in order to state to Chu, “That’s it. She’s out. So are you. You’ll take care of her and Gal and I’ll take care of that situation.”

And with that, he jerked a thumb toward Dunlyn.

“I’m not out,” Serena said.

“You can’t even stand, missy,” Brix retorted.

She turned her head to him and said slowly. “I. Am. Not. Out.”

“You are,” he retorted, and when she opened her mouth, he lifted a hand her way and shook his head. “For now. Hunker down here. Chant to your goddess to fill the well, or whatever it is you witches do. You’ll do the mission no good going in not at your best. We’ll head in, make contact with the others, get the lay of the land, come back and report.”

“I just need a minute,” she repeated.

“You need to take care,” Brix said low. “Because I’m not going in there worried about you. Are you hearing me?”

Serena straightened her shoulders.

Then she nodded.

Brix looked to Chu. “We’ll go in, see if we can procure some supplies. Rendezvous with Fern’s women. Get some blankets at least. Food. We’ll be back and then we’ll get stuck in.”

Chu nodded.

Brix jerked up his chin to Gal, gave Serena a stern look which stated she was to look after herself, then turned and stomped away.

Gal put his hand on Serena’s shoulder.

She looked to him.

“He’s a horse’s arse, but he’s right,” he said. He turned his attention to Chu. “Take care. We’ll return. If you recover and decide to go in, we all know the checkpoint.”

Chu didn’t nod again.

He went from crouching in front of Serena to twisting to sit his arse beside her.

Gal watched this before he took off after Brix.

“This is not making me happy,” Chu said to her.

“It’s just that I’ve never cast that spell before. I was unprepared for how much energy it took to hold the three of you with me.”

“We need your magic for our disguises, my princess,” he reminded her.

She did need her magic.

They had decided. She would magic him to appear Airenzian—a shift of the eyes, a different cast to his skin—and somewhat the same for her—dark, straight hair, olive skin.