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Adry grinned at him. “Not joining the tea tasting?”

“Nah. I’ve always preferred soda.” He held up the bottle with a grin of his own.

For a moment they lapsed into a comfortable silence. It was the first time the two of them had had a moment alone in a long time. As the two eldest, they’d always been close, even if they’d also fought just as often as they got along.

Now, they were both warriors. They’d both fought the war at Dacha’s side. They’d shared their magic in a way they never had before in order to end the war. She couldn’t fully define the way their sibling relationship had changed and grown, but it had. There was a new respect now, a new level of understanding of two adults rather than that of the children they used to be.

She held up her teacup, meeting Fieran’s gaze. He gave her a nod before he clinked his soda bottle with her teacup. Then the two of them each tipped back their drinks.

Nothing truly needed to be said. She had her brother, he had her, and both of them had Merrik. Someday, their children would grow up as cousins who were as close as siblings, much as she, Fieran, and Merrik had grown up years ago.

Merrik’s laugh rang out amid the other voices and laughter filling the hangar as he clapped Stickyfingers on the back. Sticky was staring dubiously into his tin cup, likely watching the tea inside steep.

Adry released a long breath as she cradled her now empty teacup and debated fetching a soda for herself.

This. Her family. New friends and old. Merrik. This was what it meant to be at peace.

“And you did what?”

Merrik suppressed his grin at the way Fieran coughed and spluttered over those words after inhaling his sip of soda.

Pip reached over and grabbed the soda bottle from his hand before he spilled, though she leaned away from Fieran to avoid being in the coughing zone. “It does seem a little uncharacteristically reckless of you.”

“Well, Adry’s life was on the line.” Stickyfingers gave Merrik a punch on the arm and a waggle of his eyebrows. “We all know how reckless Merrik gets when Adry is involved.”

“No. No, we don’t.” Fieran sucked in a breath without coughing, glancing around their circle. “Just what happened while I was gone?”

“That’s what I was saying, before you interrupted.” Adry rolled her eyes, her own soda half-gone. “And it wasn’t that reckless. I added my magic to the shield around his aeroplane.”

“He still took off straight into the enemy guns.” Fieran gestured at Merrik, shaking his head.

Merrik grinned as he set aside his empty plate, only the crumbs of his donut remaining. “Says the person who crashed an airship, busted out of a secret facility, crossed a kingdom wearing an enemy uniform, stole an enemy aeroplane, and crash-landed that on a city street. I do not think my little bouts of recklessness come close.”

Fieran made a few more indistinct mutters, though he didn’t manage to fully hide his grin.

One of the ground crew approached their circle and gave a little cough to gain attention. His gaze focused on Merrik. “Sir, your aeroplane is ready.”

“Aeroplane?” Fieran raised his eyebrows. “I don’t remember authorizing any more flights today. The Fighting Second is the squadron on standby.”

Farther along the series of nested hangars, the other two squadrons were having similar parties celebrating the end of the war, the raucous laughter and voices echoing through the concrete and metal spaces.

Although, the other parties likely involved less tea. By the way some of the human half of the squadron were hanging on his sister’s every word, many of them were going to become tea connoisseurs as their next hobby.

“The paperwork is on your desk.” Merrik gave a wave, shooting Fieran a look and a grin. Before the war, he might not have presumed. But as Sticky had pointed out, he got a little reckless when it came to Adry. “I am sure you will not mind signing it.”

Fieran gave a wry grin in return with a resigned shake of his head.

Merrik stood and held out a hand to Adry. “Ready to fly?”

“Yes!” Adry grabbed his hand and hopped to her feet without any help from him. “The last time, I was losing too much blood to truly appreciate the experience.”

Despite how they’d been joking about it, the reminder still gave Merrik a shudder.

He shoved away the memories of her blood soaking through his flight clothes as the two of them hurried through the hangar.

Adry’s pace was quick, and his gait turned into more of a hop-skip as he tried to keep up. She slowed, giving him a wince. “I’m sorry.”

“I am fine.” He shrugged, settling into the more comfortable pace. “Still figuring out how to run.”