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“Hey, you’re okay,” a different voice whispered. “We’re right here.”

She looked to her right and found Serene kneeling beside her bed. Winnie sat in a chair next to her, both of them clutching her hand with relief glowing in their eyes.

“Hey, Khalani girl.” Winnie squeezed her hand.

“Winnie… Serene.” She looked between them, frowning. “W-what happened? How are you guys here? Where is everyone?”

She tried sitting up, but Ari gently nudged her back down onto the bed. “Relax. The stitches in the back of your head are still fresh, so no sudden movements.”

Khalani looked around, realizing they were in the same bedroom she’d been staying in. Her gaze flickered to the door, and Serene correctly assumed where her thoughts ventured.

“Derek, Adan, Brock, and Takeshi are just outside the door. Ari insisted the room be limited to only a few people. After the fight, the Chief ordered everyone to stay in their homes, in case any Sinners were still lurking about,” Serene explained, her gaze hardening as if she were reliving the long, bloody night.

“What happened to you guys?” Khalani asked, her heart racing. “How did you escape?”

“When we heard the alarm, Brock took us into the kitchen and locked the doors. He went back out to help the Chief and her warriors fight off the Sinners,” Serene replied, a begrudging note of respect in her tone.

Khalani’s lips parted, and she glanced at Winnie, who looked forlorn. Tired. Most of her color had returned, but Khalani rapidly scanned her for fresh injuries.

“Winnie’s okay, dear,” Winnie reassured her. “Ari was checking Winnie’s bandages when everything happened. She locked us in the bathroom, and we waited hours for the fighting to stop.”

Khalani’s attention shifted to Ari, whose crestfallen eyes made her hesitate. They held the deepest notes of loss, fear, and rage.

“Thank you for looking after her,” Khalani said, meaning it with everything inside her.

Ari nodded, her head hanging low. “I have to go check on my other patients. When you’re feeling better, meet the Chief in the log cabin. She’s waiting for all of you.”

Serene turned to Ari with a frown, that piece of information apparently news to her as well.

Not long after Ari left, Khalani stood, noticing her bloody clothes were gone and she now wore a fresh set of beige garments.

She wondered if it was Takeshi that changed her.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Just through the night and into the morning,” Serene said. “It’s probably midday now. Are you sure you’re okay to walk? You can rest more.”

“No. I don’t want to rest.” She refused to lie down and be useless, not when there were innocent people hurt.

Khalani moved gingerly, feeling the tightness in her fresh stitches.

When she opened the door, four men immediately stood. She gasped as Derek and Adan wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“You scared us to death, Khalani. I don’t think I could handle losing you. Who else would endure my terrible jokes?” Adan admitted, holding her close.

“He’s right.” Derek squeezed her arms, as if he needed to reassure himself that she wouldn’t disappear. “Lord knows I can’t listen to him twenty-four seven. You’re our leader, and without you, everything falls apart.”

Leader?

She had no time to process the word before they released her, and Brock clapped her on the shoulder.

“You alright?”

Patches of dried blood were visible on his cloak. Brock’s demeanor was calm, but his expression was haggard, like the long night of fighting had taken a heavy toll on him.

“I’m okay,” she acknowledged in a low voice. And then, Khalani turned to Takeshi.

He stood by the wall in his black gear, with dark circlesunder his eyes, and his hair messy, as if he’d scrubbed his hands through it all night. The pinched expression on his face intensified as his gaze roved over her body.