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I was utterly exhausted I wanted to sleep for at least two days when I finally got back.

Maybe three.

It had to be almost midnight by the time I collapsed at the base of a tree in the forest leading back towards the seaside cabin. I curled up into myself to keep warm. The summer night was especially brisk against my skin, but I was thankful my clothes were at least dry this night.

I fell asleep to the soft sounds of the birds chirping in the trees, safe and peaceful beneath the blanket of stars for the first time in a long, long time.

When I woke the next morning, there was a chill across my skin. My body had curled in on itself against the chill of the morning air. My hair was wet, plastered to the side of my face from the morning dew. I squinted my eyes against the rising sun and startled when a figure came into focus before me.

She stood tall, her arms crossed over her chest, her raven black hair falling down her back. She crooked a brow at me as I pushed my back against the tree I had fallen asleep beneath the night before.

“Seriously?” Kenna asked, reaching down to offer me her hand.

I gratefully took it, standing to brush the pine bristles off my clothing.

My entire body ached. From running from Nikolai, from pulling on my magic, from breaking my own heart. Istretched, the muscles complaining as I raised my arms towards the sky with a groan.

“I couldn’t make it any further last night,” I explained, stifling a yawn. “I was utterly exhausted. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to see a friendly face.”

Kenna nodded, a smile lifting the corner of her lips.

“And you thought nobody would find you here?” she asked, glancing around.

All that surrounded us was the forest floor, the clearing visible ahead that would lead to the first river crossing towards the cabin.

I nodded. “Not many other options, I’m afraid.”

Kenna’s smile fell, her expression turning grim. “I take it things didn’t… go well? When you escaped?”

I shook my head, my gaze falling to my worn boots. That was an understatement. I bit my lip, holding back the swell of emotion that threatened to spill forward. I wasn’t ready to unleash all of that yet. I needed to get back to the cabin first.

Back to Tess.

“You can tell me all about it on the way back. The others are waiting.” She nodded her head towards the clearing before taking off, not glancing back to ensure I followed.

Kenna had always had a brusque nature, but I enjoyed that about her. She was all business, no fluff. I inhaled deeply to steel myself before I trailed after her.

“Were you on patrol?” I asked, raising my hand to shield my eyes from the sun as we entered the clearing. The sun beat down mercilessly overhead, but I welcomed the warmth asit pooled against my skin. Last night on the forest floor had been so cold.

“I was on the night patrol, almost packed it in and headed back before I spotted you,” Kenna explained. “We’ve all been taking turns—we haven’t stopped searching for you since the moment you were captured. The resistance has been out in full force, too. Though I’ll happily report to Zion, they can return to hiding.”

“We all?” I asked, a morsel of hope growing in my chest that Tess and Puck were back at the cabin, too. That it would only be a few more hours before I would see them.

Kenna nodded. “Tess and Puck returned about two and a half weeks ago. They explained that the Noctani had taken you. I have to be honest… we weren’t sure we were going to find you, Diana.”

A humorless laugh escaped my lips. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to escape.”

“And all in one piece?” she asked, slowing her pace to walk by my side. She raised her brow at me in question.

“Yes, all in one piece. My unruly and unpredictable magic remains intact, thankfully.”

Kenna’s lip turned up in a half smile. “Good.”

“When did you and Saanvi return from The Shadow?” I asked, lowering my hand once we had walked under the cover of trees in the forest beyond the clearing.

“When you didn’t return with the Dragon’s breath, we went searching for you,” she replied, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

My gaze remained fixed on my boots, watching the path before me.