Then I saw her.
Marigold walked toward us fast, not running but purposeful. She moved with a new kind of certainty, like she’d stepped into something larger and made it hers.
Perched against her neck, Scout chittered low, his posture echoing the shift in hers like he was wired into her nerves.
Elio reached her first, pulling her into a hug that looked real for once. No performance. Just relief that we’d all survived.
Missed you, darling.
You too. Her voice came out steady, certain. Both of you.
I hung back half a step, close enough to be included but far enough to assess. My eyes tracked her movements automatically, making sure she was whole, undamaged.
Real.
When she turned toward me after releasing Elio, her eyes caught mine. Something in her expression made my chest tighten, like we were both making sure the other was still standing.
Hey, she said quietly.
Hey. My hand lifted before I could stop it, some instinct to touch, to confirm. I caught the movement halfway and forced it back to my side. I wasn’t sure I had the right. You good?
Mostly. Lucas is healing. Aurora’s safe with family. No new attacks. So… mostly.
Alive. The word came out rougher than intended. I felt the muscle jump in my jaw and forced it still. That counts for something.
Keane appeared at her side without fanfare. His hand found her back—low, casual, grounding. Like he’d done it a thousand times. Like he belonged there.
My magic stirred, heat prickling under my skin. I noted the contact and filed it away. I knew exactly what it cost. I just didn’t let it steer me.
Wisp appeared at Keane’s feet, greeting Echo and Ember with soft chuffs. Scout scrambled between shoulders, checking on chameleon and phoenix, skeletal mouse reuniting with familiar warmth.
The familiars tangled together briefly, their reunion simpler than ours. They just seemed glad to be near each other again. No complicated dynamics. No recalibration required.
A pulse of heat radiated from Ember’s chest, brief and steady, responding to pressure I wasn’t ready to acknowledge.
Campus stable? Elio asked as we walked together back toward the dorm.
Stable enough, Marigold said. Her tone carried weight I hadn’t heard before. Authority. Students are scared but functional. Defensive wards are holding. No new corruption signatures in the wellspring since you left.
Good. Elio’s approval was genuine. You’ve been busy.
Had to be.
My shoulders tensed at that. Had to be. Like leadership had been necessary. Like she’d stepped into a vacuum and filled it.
Like she’d done what I usually did.
Keane’s thumb traced small circles on her shoulder blade.
I tracked it without looking directly.
The royal common room felt safer than anywhere else on campus with wards layered thick and familiar magic soaked into stone. We settled into positions without discussion—me in the armchair across from the couch where Marigold sat between Keane and Elio.
Ember perched on my shoulder, radiating controlled heat. Scout claimed the armrest nearest Marigold while Wisp curled by the fireplace. Echo found the back of Elio’s settee. The familiars knew their places.
We were still figuring out ours. But at least now I knew where I wanted to be.
Tell us, Marigold said without preamble, no gentle lead-in. She was direct, decisive, like she’d earned the right to demand answers.
