It was leaving her, and she didn’t know if it would come back. She did not want to condemn him to that.
He fell to his knees beside her, putting his hands into the soil. She saw the moment he felt what was happening, as the magic was pulled from him. The stream doubled, roaring past them more quickly.
‘Xander, don’t,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘You can still save yourself. Go!’
He gave her an incredulous look, his eyes wild. ‘I’m not leaving you!’
‘This is my home,’ she said, tears streaming down her cheeks, ‘but you don’t have to do this—you can still go!’
‘Don’t you understand?’ he cried. ‘Youare my home.’
A surge of magic entered the soil. She felt it immediately; he was giving all he had to it, and it might just be enough.
The river rushed forth.
She heard the hiss of the flames being put out as her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw were the fires dying out before the world disappeared into darkness.
34
Before Bisma woke, she knew: her magic was gone.
Or it was somewhere she could not access, as if she had been bled dry, every bit of it given to the Enchanted Forest with none left for her to keep. She could feel a faint echo of it, the way she felt the magic of the Forest, but it was far away.
She was completely drained, tired down to her bones. In that half-consciousness her heart broke, and so she fell back asleep, not wanting to wake just yet.
Hours later, her body tried to wake again. She wanted to refuse it—she was still so tired—but then she felt somebody warm beside her, she inhaled the scent of cloves, and she decided she’d actually really rather be awake.
Bisma opened her eyes. She was in her bed in the treehouse. Sunlight poured in from the window, and the air had a chill to it as it did on late-autumn mornings. It was almost winter now, and the weather was making sure they knew it.
She took in a deep breath, the crisp air refreshing in her throat. Bisma turned, and lying beside her was Xander. His hair was a mess, and his arms were around her, their legs entwined as though they were one person, not two.
She moved her hand from his neck down to his heart and felt it thump against her hand. She remembered that final moment, the magic pouring out of her, the two of them fighting a forest fire, together.
He had saved her home. He had saved her—in more ways than she could count.
‘Xander,’ she whispered. She rubbed her thumb over his heart, trying to wake him.
He took in a deep breath, groaning. ‘Mmm?’ he asked. He still didn’t open his eyes.
‘Are you awake?’
He grazed his nose against hers. ‘I sure hope so,’ he whispered back.
Before she could properly wake him up, there was a sound at the door to her room. Bisma turned to see Mei standing there with a blanket in her hands. Her face was shocked, her dark eyes wide.
‘Mei—’ Bisma began, but it was too late.
Mei turned to the stairs and bellowed, ‘SHE’S AWAKE!’
Footsteps pounded up the stairs as five girls all ran into Bisma’s room, crowding around her bed. When Xander finally opened his eyes, it was to the sight of half a dozen girls staring at him.
‘Oh.’ He blinked. ‘Hello.’
‘You’re FINALLY awake,’ Luna said, on her knees to be eye level with him and Bisma.
‘Here, hold Deeba,’ Azalea said, propping the toddler atop Bisma and Xander.
