I press a kiss to her forehead, feeling her unconsciously lean into my touch. "You're safe now," I murmur, not caring who hears. "I've got you, Nessa. I've got you."

40

I wake to sunlight filtering through familiar windows. My windows.

The sun means the Crucible must be over. The storm has passed. But how?

The room is cool and quiet, the scent of healing herbs lingering in the air. My body feels distant, as if I'm floating slightly above it—the aftermath of drawing too much essence, of pushing my unbound nature beyond what it could safely contain.

Memories flood back in disjointed fragments. The Crucible. The storm. Killing the windborne. Collapsing as Typhon roared his defiance. Raith...

"Raith," I whisper, my throat raw. I reach for our tether, finding it present but strangely muted, like a voice heard through thick glass.

"Nessa!" Mireen's face appears above me, her copper-red hair falling loose around her shoulders. Relief floods her features. "Thank the elements. You've been out for days. Good thing we already had practice with the whole routine of keeping an eye on you while unconscious.”

I try to sit up, wincing as my muscles protest. "Days?"

"Easy," she says, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "The healers said you nearly burned yourself out. Whatever you did in the forest... it was too much. But on the bright side, I had a lot of fun practicing a eulogy for you. And no, I won’t tell you what was in it. I’m still saving it incase you decide to croak in the near future.”

Typhon materializes beside the bed, his flying fish form diminished to nearly half its usual size. "The angry human lives," he says in my mind, but there's no hiding his relief. "I told them you would survive, but they insisted on fussing anyway."

"Where are the others?" I ask, scanning the room.

"Beck and Ambrose are fine," Mireen says. "Brunhild too. They've been taking shifts watching over you. Again,” she adds with a grin. "You're quite the celebrity now, you know. Everyone saw Typhon in his true form. They're calling you the Dragon Tamer."

I groan, letting my head fall back against the pillow. "Wonderful."

"It's not all bad," she continues, pouring water from a crystal pitcher. "I think people are going to think twice before crossing you now. Malakai's alliance has completely fractured—most of them are distancing themselves from him and Serena as fast as they can."

I take the offered water, drinking deeply. "What about Raith? Where is he?"

Mireen’s expression falls, and my heart drops along with it. "He..." she hesitates. "He got you back safely, but he was pretty badly injured. Collapsed right after getting you to the healers."

Ice floods my veins as I bolt upright, ignoring the pain. "What? Where is he now?"