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I kept my eye on Maerhal and swam toward the cliff edge. Her arm lifted into the air as she tumbled off the ridge and I was engulfed in a flash of light.

I beat my wings with as much power as I could. My new muscles protested until I dove down into the thrashing water searching for that yellow flower. She was feet from the jagged rocky end. I tightened my wings until I could feel the heat radiating from her burnt skin.

I extended my wings and clasped Maerhal’s middle with my long talons. A gasp of relief escaped me, echoing through the night as an eagle’s screech.

I flew us toward the Dead Wood where I knew the moonlit portal would make for a quick path home. I dropped Maerhal to the ground as gently as I could along the outskirts of the wood, about a thirty-minute ride from the city. If the soldiers did come for us, we could slip through the portal well before they reached us. I hoped Killian had awoken and found his own escape.

The hair Syrra had worked so hard to braid for her sister was charred and smelled of smoke. One half of her face was burnt so badly her skin bubbled and hissed. I ripped open her shirt and was relieved to see that Damien’s Blade had not carved into her skin the way he had done with Collin’s.

I grabbed her hand and let that warm healing gift flow through me and into her. My chest broke with a sob as the magic took. I had been too late to save Lash, but at least I could save Maerhal. My head ached as Maerhal took what she needed from me, but I didn’t let go. Her burns popped and then stitched together. Soon her eyes fluttered open and her lips moved but nothing came out.

She coughed as the magic reached her throat and looked up at me once more. “Miiran,” she whispered, “I was so scared.”

My heart split down the middle as I realized she thought I was her son. “I’m here, Mava,” I whispered back to her in Elvish. If pretending to be Nikolai gave her comfort then I would say whatever she needed.

Her lips twitched into a smile as her eyes closed once more. “Kiiza dii’thir, Miiran.”

I love you, my heart.

I stroked her cheek and let the last of my magic heal her. Only when her chest rose and fell in steady breaths and every inch of her skin had closed did I finally let go of her hand.

A horse grunted in the distance. I turned and saw Killian hunched over his saddle, riding toward us. I ran for him. I left Maerhal behind the boundary of the glamour, resting and safe behind the concealment. The tears that had dried were wetting my cheeks once more as I let him wrap me in his arms.

“Damien killed Collin,” I wept. “He took Riven and Maerhal and left them to burn.”

Killian stilled. His hands gripped my arms so hard I knew they would leave indents in my skin. “Where is Maerhal?” His words were full of fear.

I shook my head and Killian’s head fell. “I got to her in time.” I took a deep breath. “I healed her. She’s asleep just beyond the glamour, safe.” I pointed to the edge of the wood. We were too far back to shatter the glamour so all we could see was burnt trees. “But Riven.” My chest heaved.

Killian’s hands cupped my face so all I could see was the earnest care in his jade eyes. “Riven is safe.”

“You don’t know that!” I thrashed against his hold but Killian didn’t relent.

He only repeated the same words until I heard them. “Riven is safe.” My eyes fell to his bag. The hard edge of his notebook wasvisible through the leather. My shoulders fell and I slumped against Killian, made of nothing but relief.

“Riven is safe.” I chanted until my heartbeat settled.

“Did you see Damien in Silstra or—”

“A dream.” Killian’s entire body was tense as I spoke. “He’s been waiting for Collin to leave theFaelinth. His Blade is in Silstra. He’s the one who ambushed us. Though I suspect he will head to Elvera next, to try to beat us to the final seal. Damien didn’t want us asking Collin questions. He knew I had discovered the truth and decided Collin was better off dead.” My voice broke as I remembered what Collin had written into his arm. “They tortured him first, Kil. They carvedHalfling Scuminto his chest before they killed him. And Collin knew why. He had painted the wordsorryon his arm before he died.”

Killian’s face paled and for a moment I thought he was going to be sick.

I squeezed his hand, but Killian did not squeeze it back. “I’m sorry I left you alone in that alley.”

His jade eyes flared and he shook his head. “Don’t ever be sorry for that. You did what needed to be done. You got Maerhal out alive.”

“How did you know we would be here?” I asked, seeing that the horse Killian had rode here was not the one we had stolen that afternoon.

He shrugged. “I didn’t. I woke up to find that cloak and Maerhal’s spectacles.” He patted the front of his saddle and I saw them both sitting there. Riven’s cloak draped over the horse’s neck and Maerhal’s spectacles looped over the horn. “The fires had already started and the streets were teeming with soldiers. I took the first horse I found and fled. I was going to go back to Myrelinth to get people to help search for you, but you were here.” Killian’s brow crumpled and his rocky tension cracked. Tears welled in his eyes but he turned away before they could fall.

I took the reins of his horse and stroked a hand down Killian’s back. “You needn’t worry now. We made it out. We’re safe.”

Killian cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry, Keera.”

I shook my head as we started back toward the edge of the wood. “You do not need to apologize for the games your brother plays. You did nothing wrong.”

Killian was silent for a long time, standing still next to his horse. He finally opened his mouth to argue but his words were drowned out by my scream as I crossed the boundary and the glamour shattered once more. I dropped the reins in my hands and ran to where I had left Maerhal laying on the grass.