Warmth.
And Wrune’s scent.
Icy like the north.
I heard a gasp as my hand moved, searching for him, as if I was waking from a dream in the middle of the night and needed to feel him near.
The dream was thick, however. It wanted to keep me pulled under but I didn’t want to sleep anymore. I wantedhim.
All I felt was the softness of furs—empty and Wrune-less—and then came a voice, soft and drawn out. A familiar voice.
“Mina! Mina, can you hear me?”
Tess.
“Is she waking?” came another voice.
When my eyes dragged open, my vision was blurry but I spied two familiar figures, standing next to the bed I lay on.Mybed.Ourbed.
The Dead Mountain.
The power.
Thesarkias.
Wrune.
It all came rushing back, in a merciless stream. I remembered the blue lightning, like streaks in the sky, a storm I’d created. And the fog, it had been chasing us, just at our heels! Thefear, the fear for Wrune.
“It’s all right,” Tess said as Hukri took my hand, squeezing. “You’re safe. It’s over.”
I followed those words as reality began to sink back in, infusing in my chest and awakening my limbs. I moved my fingers. My toes. My lips parted but no sound came out.
When I tried again, I rasped, “Tess?”
Her smile was wobbly. There were faint bruises on her face but she looked healthier than I’d seen her under the Dead Mountain. In the throne room.
Oh gods, how long had I been sleeping?
“Where’s my husband?” I asked, my eyes going to Hukri, my voice alarmed. “Is he all right? Did everyone make it through the fog?”
The questions came pouring out from me in a rush. Hukri said, “Lysi, Missiki. YourVorakkaris unharmed, though he has not been himself with you gone from us. They all made it through the fog. Your barrier held until the very last moment.”
Pure relief made me want to float from the bed. I sagged as tears rushed into my eyes.
Hukri pulled away from me for a brief moment. I watched as she ducked her head underneath thevolikientrance. Though muffled, I heard her voice, strong and certain, as she called out, “Find theVorakkar! Tell him ourMorakkarihas awakened!”
“You saved us all, Mina,” Tess murmured to me when my eyes returned to her. I had very rarely seen her cry in our lifetime but the tears tracked down her cheeks now. “I’m so happy you’ve come back to us!”
My nostrils stung. How often had I envisioned this moment? To see herhere. To see herwell. Or at least, as well as she could possibly be.
When Tess pressed her face into my neck, hugging me tightly, I embraced her back.
“And I’m so sorry,” came her ragged whisper. I stilled. “I’m so sorry, Mina.”
I knew why she was apologizing. It brought a lump to my throat.
“Let’s not speak of it now, Tess,” I told her softly. Everything was still so jumbled. Like the pieces of a puzzle that weren’t yet fitting together. Not until I saw Wrune. I didn’t think I’d be right until I saw him with my own eyes, until I processed everything that had happened under the Dead Mountain…and afterwards. “But you know I love you. My sister. You always have been.”
