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Pyetar placed himself right in front of Iryana and her sister, swords ready to knock the metal-bats away. As they grew closer, he began swinging both his swords. They blurred like storm clouds against the sky.

“I got this,” Misha promised Pyetar, tucking in closer to Iryana.

The world tilted as the dragon banked, and then Iryana could see Noshtiz’s shield. Her eyes widened. The great windstorm was gone, like the other gods had given up, though she could see their monsters warring on the ground, piling up around the base of the shield. The barrier was like their raw magic shields but bruised dark purple. She could just see through it to a massive hole in the ground at its center, far larger than any she’d seen before. Larger than the entire Myura River Fortress. The ground shook, the edges collapsing into the pit.

Panic surged as she sucked in gulps of air. They were almost out of time and she wasn’t ready and she couldn’t do it and—

“Don’t look, don’t worry about that right now.” Misha spoke softly, like a battle wasn’t raging around them. “Do you remember what you told me? When I fell off the ledge? That what we went through sucks and it’s not my fault that everyone leaves me. That sometimes things just suck.”

“Yes…”

“No one else in our clan could have talked me back up that cliff,” Misha admitted. “Not even grandmother.”

Iryana’s heart panged. “But…”

“Do you even see yourself?” Misha squinted. “Who infiltrated the 18th to get metal-forged? Who won over Karvek? Who helped lead a coup against him? Who forged herself in a second well knowing it would probably kill you? Who took down Karvek? Who created an alliance between groups that have been warring for over a decade? Who refused to back down…”

“Okay!” Iryana cut her off, unable to listen anymore. Yes, she’d done those things, but they didn’t feel like enough. “I was just faking it and… I don’t know. I’ve messed up so much.”

“We don’t need you to be perfect, Iri. We just need you.” Misha leaned against her side. “If there’s anything I’ve learned growing up in a clan, it’s that we have to support each other. None of us can do it alone.”

“I’m supposed to be First now.” The words caught in her throat. “And I’m not ready. Grandmother didn’t teach me how to do everything, didn’t train me, and I’m just going to fail everyone…”

“You don’t need to be ready now. Or be the same First that grandmother was. Just be Iryana. And we’ll all help you.”

Iryana swallowed. “But does everyone else even think I—”

“It was never about us believing that you could do this. You have to decide you’re enough.” Misha rasped in a deep breath. “What would you tell me? Is it okay to need help? Is it okay to learn as you go? Is it okay to make mistakes? Is it okay to struggle when life asks for too much from you?”

She knew it was… Iryana swallowed, years of pain dragging down her throat.

“More bats coming!” Pyetar roared over the wind.

Misha didn’t so much as flick her eyes away, just held Iryana’s gaze like a promise. Iryana shuddered.

“You said you’d never abandon me,” Misha reminded her, voice heavy.

Iryana jerked her head up. “I won’t! Ever!”

“Would you abandon the people we’ve sworn to protect?”

“No.”

“What about our clan? Would you leave us? Or stand aside while we were destroyed?”

“Never.”

“That is enough. That is more than enough.”

Iryana cried anew but she didn’t know why. It felt like grief, like regret. Like maybe she’d been unable to see everything she’d done. Like maybe her magics weren’t tearing her apart as fiercely.

“I’m proud to be your sister. And I’m proud to have you as First.”

Iryana grabbed Misha, pressing their foreheads together.

The dragon suddenly dove, forcing them all to drop, clinging to the saddle to stay on. Iryana couldn’t keep herself from looking, finding the great shape of the nemak right behind them, chasing the dragon’s tail. They couldn’t ignore the fight any longer.

The dragon dove toward the bottom of the shield, but the nemak cut in front of them, tail whips lashing out as it roared. The dragon jerked away, narrowly avoiding those sharp red and orange feathers.