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“No,” I choke. “Don’t.”

He cups my cheek in his hand.

“I don’t regret any of it,” he says softly. “Not a single moment.”

“Z’leni, stop?—”

“All those moments, all those mistakes,” he says, cutting me off. “I had to make them so that I could be here, now, with you.”

“Gods damn it all to every hell any human ever dreamed up,” I snap, tears filling my eyes. “No. This isn’t over. You don’t get to quit. Not now.”

He smiles.

“Fighter. You have iron in your soul, Elara.”

Footsteps approach so I look over my shoulder. Three new Zmaj walk alongside Ryatuv. I don’t know them, but two are clearly Cavern and one is a surface. You can always tell by their claws.

“Leave him alone,” I snap. “He’s hurt.”

“I accept my fate, Elara,” Z’leni says, climbing to his feet. “But I will do so as a warrior.”

“Shut up, fool,” Ryatuv says.

“Ryatuv you can’t let this happen!” I shout, whirling on him.

The three new Zmaj look from me to Ryatuv who also looks confused. The look at each other then back to me. Z’leni raises his fists, ready to fight, but I step into the middle blocking any combat happening unless they want to risk hitting me.

“Elara—” Ryatuv begins but I cut him off.

“No!” I shout. “After all we’ve been through you can’t let them hurt him. I won’t stand for it. He’s a good man. You are too, but not if you do this. I swear I will never forgive you if you let this happen.” Ryatuv frowns, shaking his head. The surface Zmaj laughs. “You think this is funny? Wait till I tell Rosalind what you do here. She’ll tell that Zmaj she’s mated to. The one that’s like a leader or something. You think they will stand for this?”

The laughing Zmaj shrugs covering his mouth with his hand. He looks over at Ryatuv waiting for him to say something while I glare at the entire group of them. Ryatuv motions with one hand. The two Cavern Zmaj step around me and I move in front of one, shouting again for them to stop. He pauses, looking down at me then back to Ryatuv.

“Elara, they’re going to help,” he says.

“I thought there was some—” I continue but then his words sink in and I stumble to a stop. “What?”

“He’s injured. They’re going to help.”

I look from him to them then to Z’leni who seems every bit as confused as I am.

“Oh,” I say.

I don’t know if it’s relief or what that hits next but my knees go weak and I suddenly remember the damage to my ribs and every bruise flares. Tears fill my eyes as I watch the two Zmaj pick Z’leni up between them. He grunts, shakes his head, then relaxes.

“We’re going home,” Ryatuv says, coming to my side.

He puts his arm around my shoulders and now I know for sure that it’s relief I’m feeling. I slip my arm around his waist and fall in behind the others. At long last I’m going home. I had no idea where this journey would take me and I never could have predicted, in my wildest dreams, it ending like this. But here I am.

The Paluga and the Shaman are still a problem, but I can push those off for the moment at least. Right now, we’re going to be okay.

As if to contrast the thought the ground rumbles and dust falls from the ceiling. My stomach twists, churning, and I lean a little harder into Ryatuv.

Home.

The word evokes a storm of emotions. I left what feels like a lifetime ago and I was a different person then. The future is uncertain but for now, home first. We’ll figure out what’s next after that.

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