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Heva climbed to her feet and tipped forward. Kai caught her, hands settling on her waist. She clung to his sleeves, almost ripping his collar over his shoulder as she lifted her bloodshot eyes to him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He tried pushing her back toward the bed, and she slapped him. Kai reeled to the side, eyes wide. His fingers came against his cheek as he whirled back.

“Isn’t it obvious, Priest? I’m going to fix everything.” She teetered, her lashes fluttering as she reeled backward toward the bed. She gasped as she fell upon it, hand pressing on her injury at her midsection.

Kai turned for the medicines, twisting the bottles to read their labels. “You’re not going anywhere. How will I face Ryn if I let you walk out of here and bleed to death after I brought you back?” He rubbed his cheek again to make a show of it, but frankly, she hadn’t hit him that hard.

“What happened to the palace? What mystical creatures are you talking about? And what do you mean Ryn went to B’rei Mira? She couldn’t have done that. I was just with her.” Heva’s whispers came out dry, her parched lips turning so pale, Kai couldn’t believe she was still sitting up.

“Drink this.” He handed her a bottle of medicine. “Then drink this.” He took his own cup of water from beside his blanket on the floor and extended that, too.

Heva wobbled as she stared at the items. She grabbed the water first, and Kai sighed as she chugged. Then he grabbed her arm. “Don’t drink it so fast!” he scolded. She ignored him as she emptied the contents of his waterglass. She wiped a bead of water from her lip afterward, then took the medicine and chugged it down as well. Kai released a heavy breath and folded his arms as he waited for her to finish.

“Tell me about the palace first.” Heva tossed the empty medicine jar at the cupboard, but she missed and it went clattering to the floor, rolling to Kai’s feet.

Kai nudged the bottle with his toe. “They’re called Vafat. They’re a creature from old—”

“I know what they are. They’ve taken the palace?”

Kai nodded. “The heralds claim the Chancellor has made a deal with them—”

“Damon?”

“Let me finish, Heva,” he said, and Heva closed her mouth. “Yes, the Vafat made a deal with Chancellor Damon. Even if the King returns, the people can’t be saved now. The few people who have seen through this fake alliance and tried to rebel have been killed or silenced immediately. So Ryn being in B’rei Mira has been a good excuse for Damon to act against her. The Folke even just raided this temple. Hopefully the priestesses return…” He glanced toward the hall. “I know Ryn hasn’t turned on Per-Siana like the heralds are claiming. She wouldn’t do that. There are a lot of reasons she should hate Per-Siana for everything this kingdom has put her through, but she would never turn on the Adriel people.”

Heva blinked several times. She nodded slowly, brushing her dark hair off her shoulder. Then she stood, gripping the side of the cabinet for balance as she looked around the room.

“What are you doing now?” Kai pinched the bridge of his nose as Heva kicked aside some clothes in the corner and unearthed her navy war leathers. She reached past them with a wince and unsheathed her sword. Then she turned for the door, and Kai dropped his hand. “Where are you going?!”

“I’m going to B’rei Mira to get Ryn.” She coughed, and her hand slapped her side. Her next words came out a strained whisper, “I will fix everything.”

She swung forward off the cabinet, grabbing the doorframe.

Kai shook his head, watching. “You have got to be the stupidest soldier in all of—”

“Stupidest?” Heva panted at the doorframe, gripping it for dear life as she turned to face him. “That’s the best word you can come up with? Do you know how hard it is for me not to make a similar comment about your intelligence, Priest?”

“My… intelligence?!” Kai bit his tongue so he wouldn’t point out how many years he’d studied, how many languages he knew, how many topics he was versed in, and how many of the most difficult books in Per-Siana he’d read. “My intelligence could dance circles around yours,” he said through his teeth.

“Get me a horse,” Heva demanded.

Kai huffed in disbelief. “You’re loopy from all the medicine I gave you today, Heva. Go back to bed and sleep this off.” He marched over and took her shoulders, but she smacked him off again.

“I know I’m highly medicated. And maybe I’m not thinking rationally, but I do know that a horse will get me where I need to go.” She limped backwards into the hall, her sword slipping an inch down her fingers and dragging along the floor as she turned for the sanctuary. “In fact… I’m feeling much better.” She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes.

“That’s the pain-suppressing medicine I just gave you kicking in.” Kai followed her out, grabbing his dagger off the floor on his way.

A whole hour later, Heva was only halfway through the wheat field, clutching her sword to her chest, and dragging one foot in front of the other. Her bare feet were caked with mud.

“Heva,” Kai tried again. He’d tried ten times already. “Let’s go back.” He followed in slow strides, the breeze cooling his skin. The storm roared behind them, but here in the field, a small break of sun split through, and Kai let it warm his face. He hadn’t left the temple in months. He forgot the sun’s kind warmth on his skin, the feeling of wheat on his fingers, the distant patter of rain in the city so crisp and clear. Every few steps, he glanced around for witnesses, but he was sure no one could identify him this far away anyway.

“I can’t… I’m… Ryn’s guardswoman…” Heva’s utterings were getting less and less decipherable. She stopped walking and Kai leapt forward when she nearly fell over. Her sword tumbled into the field, her swinging hand colliding with Kai’s. He held on tight as she stabilized, their fingers morphing together. Heva turned, blinking like she forgot where she was. She glanced off toward the storm where a sharp spear of lightning tore up the Mother City sky. In slurred words, she said, “Did you say… Geovani was arrested?”

Kai sighed. He looked up at the heavens again as the gateway to the sun closed in on itself, spreading over with a layer of black cloud. Heva’s hand shook in his. Kai glanced down to find her hazel eyes rounded, her lashes fanned out, lip quivering as she stared at the city.

“Priest…” she whispered. “I’m dreaming right now, right…?”

“It’s just a storm,” Kai said, but even as it left his lips, he turned to see what she stared at. His gaze fell on rolls of smoke lifting into the air, not damp like the clouds above, but dry and ashy, a billowing mix of white and gray, coming out of the First Temple. A glass window burst, and yellow flames licked out of the arch.