I picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and helped her drink from it. “You need to have better dreams. Try stabbing him next time.”

Kiva laughed, then winced, and I resolved not to make any more jokes.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Weak,” she replied. Her eyes dropped to her bandaged shoulder, and my stomach roiled.

“You can…move it, can’t you?” It was her sword arm.

Her jaw clenched, her voice coming in a whisper. “Barely.” She leaned her head back, staring up at the roof and blinking rapidly. “What if I can’t? I won’t be able to protect you. To help you. Even if I do recover, I’ll be useless the next few weeks. A liability. You and Caylus should just—”

I flicked her in the forehead. She blinked, startled, and I smirked.

“I don’t care if I have to carry you, Kiva. I’m not leaving you behind. I need you.”

She held my gaze a moment, then swallowed hard. “You definitely can’t carry me.”

“Caylus can.”

She laughed weakly, but the threat of tears in her eyes receded, and she relaxed.

I leaned forward. “I have someone for you to meet.”

Her eyes widened. I grinned and leaned aside. Res cocked his head, emitting a low caw.

Kiva’s head dropped back onto the pillow as she let out a laugh. “Thank the Saints. He’s beautiful, Thia.”

I sat back in my chair. “It’s barely two days’ sail to Seahalla, you know. You’d better heal quick.”

“What’s our plan once we’re there?”

A good question. With everything that had happened the last several hours, I hadn’t had the time or foresight to think about it. I doubted Razel’s plans had changed—she would still want me to marry Ericen and to place us on Rhodaire’s throne.

“We’ll have to find somewhere safe to lie low for a few days while you recover,” I said. “Razel can’t hatch those eggs without me, which means she’ll have people looking for us.”

“She might attack Rhodaire to draw you out.”

An image of the army sitting on Rhodaire’s doorstep rose. “Which is why we need to get a letter to Caliza. She needs to be prepared. Once you’re healthy enough, we need to get Res to the meeting in Trendell. Otherwise, they won’t believe we’ve hatched him.” Then we had to recover the remaining eggs.

“Maybe Razel won’t attack,” Kiva said. “She’d lose the chance for a peaceful takeover, and she’d have to pull troops out of Jindae and the Ambriels to manage it.”

“I hope you’re right.” If Razel did attack, how long could Rhodaire hold out?

“Well, at least you don’t have to marry Ericen,” Kiva said.