We’d unlocked something that should have stayed dormant.
Meri was already moving before I could call for help.
She darted across the Ascension Grounds, skirts hitched just enough to keep from tripping, a small satchel bouncing against her hip. Her usually neat braid had come half undone, red strands whipping across her flushed cheeks—but her expression was focused. Fierce.
I hadn’t even realized the healers were allowed to tend to Thrall Squad again. But no one stopped her.
Or maybe they knew better than to try.
She dropped to her knees beside Tae, pressing two fingers to his throat, then his temple. Her other hand hovered just over his chest.
“Hold him still,” she said sharply.
I did it gently, while Naia steadied his legs. He was still twitching, his magic crackling beneath his skin like static. His eyes were unfocused.
Then Meri’s palm touched his forehead. A soft, blue-white glow flared beneath her fingers. Cool, not warm. Soothing, not burning.
Tae inhaled deeply, like he’d been drowning and finally breached the surface.
His entire body slackened in an instant, limbs relaxing as the tremors stilled. His breathing evened out, and color began to return to his face. Slowly, his eyes blinked open and locked on hers.
“Has anyone ever told you,” he croaked, “that you’re an angel?”
Meri flushed, her healing hand still on his skin. “Only every time you nearly kill yourself.”
His lips twitched into a lopsided grin. “That’s… statistically accurate.”
I sat back on my heels, heart pounding. Naia exhaled beside me, her shoulder brushing mine as we both took a breath we hadn’t realized we were holding.
Meri’s glow faded, and she gently brushed Tae’s damp hair from his forehead.
“Rest, smartass,” she said. “Or I’ll sedate you for real this time.”
He grinned wider, even through his fatigue. “Promise?”
Naia rolled her eyes. I laughed, barely.
We were lucky to have her.
And even luckier Tae was still breathing.
ChapterTwenty-Four
The dining hall buzzed with the hum of conversation, clinking utensils, and the occasional burst of laughter, but our table was quieter than usual, mostly because every other table seemed to be watching ours.
More specifically, watching Tae.
He didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care. He leaned back in his chair, one boot propped on the rung of the bench as he lazily tore a chunk of bread and popped it into his mouth.
Naia passed him the stew pot. “Eat more. Meri said you need to keep your energy up.”
“I like her,” he muttered with a smirk. “She’s bossy. It’s comforting.”
I stirred my bowl, eyes drifting across the room. Riders from Warborn, Crownwatch, even a few from Iron Fang, kept sneaking glances at us, whispering behind hands or downturned faces. I could feel it, that subtle shift in how they looked at Tae.
No one had any idea how powerful he was.
Until now.
