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~ VOSKI ~

By the fifth day, I panicked. Grace had barely eaten the first three days, and hadn’t eaten at all in the last two. She had slept every moment she wasn’t intentionally woken. Then, that morning, wouldn’t wake at all.

Her breathing was easy. There was no bleeding. And her cheeks, though pale, still had high points of color.

She looked healthy. She was warm without being hot. Yet she couldn’t even open her eyes.

The spell shouldn’t have caused this. I was sure of it. But what else could it be?

I only allowed us two hours’ rest that night. We still had hours of flying ahead before we reached Vosgaarde, and poor Jade was so weary, I’d broken every rule and tied her down for every takeoff and landing because I couldn’t hold Grace to my chest and keep her on Kham’s back at the same time.

Yet, I still feared we wouldn’t make it.

‘Breathe,’ Kham sent, his tone gentle. But he had stopped telling me Grace would be well. I was deeply afraid that he and Koa knew what was wrong, and how bad it was, but didn’t want to tell me.

I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t ask, because I feared hearing it.

But when I couldn’t wake her at all that morning, there was no more room for uncertainty. ‘I need Koa to monitor her every moment,’ I sent to Kham. ‘Every damn moment. You reach Kgosi, or Runar the second we’re close enough. Tell them what’s happened. Tell them—’

‘We’ll help her, Voski. Breathe.’

I nodded. I knew he’d do everything he could. And the Furyknights would help her. They had to. She was Flameborne. She hadn’t been stricken from the records, or removed from duty. She returned to every resource available to a trainee and dragon rider. Whether they wanted me back, or not.

When the landscape below us grew familiar, my tension ratcheted up. With Grace unconscious, my original plan of stopping at the city and putting her to bed in an inn so I could control who learned we were back was out the window.

The only thing I cared about was getting her to the castle, to Terra and her team, no matter what it took.

I hunched on Kham’s back, exhausted, but strangely humming with energy. And waited until—

‘Kgosi is out of range, but Runar flies Gil to the castle. He’ll find Terra, and they’ve called a healing Pair. I attempted to describe her injuries. They are unclear, but there is a young pair who’ve shown great promise… they will attend her.’

Thank God. Thank God. Thank God… Hold on, Grace!

It was evening, fading light, when we passed over the city—the lights from windows just beginning to twinkle. Then it was only short minutes before the Keep and castle eased into view.

“We have to land at the castle, to get Grace straight to the healers,” I called to Jade over my shoulder. “I’ll make sure they know you’ve been helping us, and you’ll be shown to safety. Just be patient.”

“I’ll help the lady Grace, if I can. I could attend—”

“Leave that to the healers to decide,” I said shortly. “But if there’s a need for an attendant, I’ll tell them to trust you.”

She’d been extremely useful on this trip—attentive, but not demanding. Not complaining, even when the dragons’ landings or takeoffs frightened her. She’d taken instruction and thrown her tired body into any task I instructed her to—which was a relief when Grace stopped responding, and I didn’t want to leave her side.

But I’d be glad to pass responsibility for the maid to someone else. I had no room left to hold thoughts for anyone but Grace.

Looking down at my mate, curled in my arms, tendrils of her hair fluttering around her face in the wind of our passage, my chest squeezed and I struggled to breathe.

She was utterly limp. Unaware of anything—even me. I couldn’t reach her in the link. She remained, nestled in my chest, warm in the bond. But it was as if she slept. There was no response. And she didn’t move.

I watched her chest every moment my attention wasn’t needed elsewhere, terrified she’d simply stop breathing. But so far, she hadn’t.

Then Kham pitched right, and we descended. Clutching Grace to me, I looked down, over Kham’s shoulder, to see the high walls of the castle and its gardens.

There was a large lawn on the northeastern side of the castle. Kham would have to slow himself almost to a stop, but both he and Koa could land there without their wings tangling with the walls.

Instinctively, I leaned into his wheeling descent, urging him forward. Faster. We need help.

Please.