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Ryker was also in the room, holding Tempest’s hand as he sat by her bedside. Though Leap still couldn’t stand the bastard, he had to give him credit—Ryker hadn’t left Tempest’s side even once since she’d returned to the castle. He pressed his lips together as he took in Adara and Einar, clearly conflicted about having dragons so close to his sister… but also knowing they were the only ones who could help.
“Is she still sedated?” Adara asked the healer.
“Of course she is,” Ryker snapped. “Did you expect us to keep her awake and force her to suffer?”
“She didn’t ask you, boy,” Lord Oren barked. He was on edge, Leap realized, his hopes for Tempest on tenterhooks now that Adara had arrived. “If you can’t speak respectfully to Adara, then you can leave the room.”
Ryker stiffened. “I’m not about to leave Tempest alone in a room with dragons.”
“Then shut your mouth and let the adults talk,” Leap suggested. “Or I’ll toss you out the window myself.”
Ryker glowered at Leap, but since he was outnumbered, he elected to follow his younger cousin’s advice. Adara turned to the healer expectantly, who had been watching the exchange with a look of apprehension on her face.
“She is still sedated,” the healer said. “The shadow taint has been painful for her to endure, and she still has fits and tantrums, so it’s easier on everyone to keep her in this state.”
“All right.” Adara approached the bed and took Tempest’s free hand in hers. “You may want to let go,” she warned Ryker, who was still holding Tempest’s other hand. “I’m about to pump your sister full of icefire, and if you’re holding onto her, you’re going to feel it too.”
“Will it harm her?” Ryker demanded, not budging.
“No,” Adara said. “But it’s still fire, and it’s going to be painful.”
For a heartbeat, Leap actually thought Ryker would refuse out of sheer spite. But it seemed his cousin didn’t believe in needless suffering—at least not on his part—so he reluctantly released Tempest’s hand. Leap grabbed a chair from the corner and slid it behind Adara, who sank gratefully into it, her wings shifting a little to drape across the chair’s back.
“Let’s begin,” she said softly.
The others gathered around the opposite side of the bed, where Ryker still sat, to watch the process. Leap felt a ball of nerves gather in his throat as Adara lifted Tempest’s hand and clasped it in both of hers. Their joined hands began to glow, faintly at first, then brighter and brighter, until Leap had to glance away before the fiery blue light seared his eyes.
He watched as the fire spread from Tempest’s hand, down her arm and torso until it rippled across her whole body. Ryker cried out as black smoke began to rise from her body, in thin streams at first, then thicker ribbons. At first, Leap worried it would fill the room and suffocate them. But then he noticed the ribbons of smoke evaporating—they only curled up a few inches into the air before dissipating. The icefire wasn’t just driving the shadow magic from Tempest’s body, but purifying it as well.
Tempest bucked and thrashed as the icefire did its work, and Einar and Leap held her down to make sure she didn’t fall off the bed and hurt herself. Leap flinched as the icefire licked at his hands as he grasped Tempest’s ankles—the sensation was uncomfortable, like laying his hands on a hot stone on a summer’s day. But it wasn’t actually burning him, so Leap gritted his teeth and held on.
Eventually, his cousin’s body stopped shaking, and the last of the smoke curled away, dissipating into the morning sunlight. Everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief when Adara released Tempest’s hand.
Slowly, Tempest’s eyes fluttered open.
“She’s awake!” Lord Oren crowed, his voice filled with utter delight. Without a care, he shoved Ryker aside and grasped his daughter’s hand. “My daughter, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?”
Tempest blinked up at him, her silver eyes adjusting. “Papa?” she rasped, her voice rough with disuse. “I… where am I? What am I doing here?” She pushed herself up onto her elbows, her eyes going wide as she scanned the room and its inhabitants. “Am… am I back in Angtun?”
“Yes,” Ryker said. For once, there was no hint of cruelty or derision in his expression, only relief and affection as he looked at his older sister. “You’re finally back, Pest.”
Tempest laughed even as the others in the room raised their eyebrows at the nickname. “Good to see some things never change,” she said fondly. Her eyes narrowed a little as she beheld Adara. “I don’t remember much over the last few weeks, but I do remember you. You’re the girl from the prophecy. I… did you save me?”
“I am.” Adara nodded. “But I was just returning a favor.” She took Einar’s hand in hers again and squeezed it tight. “If not for you, Avani, and Cascada, my friends and I would have never made it out of Kaipei alive. I owed you a great debt… and now, I hope, that debt is paid.”
The door opened, and Quye burst into the room, Mavlyn at her heels. “You’re back!” she squealed, hurtling to Tempest’s side so she could fling her arms around her cousin.
“All right, all right,” the healer said, a little crossly now. “That’s a little too much excitement, I think. Everyone except family, out. Tempest needs time to recover.”
While Leap was definitely considered family, he chose to shuffle out of the room along with Mavlyn, Adara, and Einar, giving Tempest and the others their privacy. They retreated to Leap’s tower, where they happily munched on tea and sandwiches while they sat by the crackling fire.
“So,” Leap said around a mouthful of bread. “What’s the plan now that we’re done fighting Shadows and we no longer have to convince these morons to stop killing each other?”
Mavlyn snorted at that. “Well, Quye and I are traveling back to Wynth tomorrow,” she said. “She’s already spoken to Lord Oren and gotten his blessing for me to live there with her… and she’s also negotiated that she’s allowed to start taking trips around the country, though she has to do so with an armed escort.” Mavlyn raised her eyebrows at Leap. “She was hoping you and your squad would be willing to serve as her personal guard.”
Leap started. “I’d have to ask Uncle Oren… but I would love to.” The chance to make Wynth his home again, this time legitimately, and with family and friends by his side, was far too good of an opportunity to pass up. “What about the succession?” he asked Adara. “Are you taking the throne? You’ve already taken the castle.”
“No,” Adara said. “The castle is a temporary haven until we’re able to clear out Hearthfyre and rebuild enough homes for the rest of the dragons to live in. Then we’ll all be moving out. As for the succession…” she smiled, tilting her head a little. “If you want to know more, you’ll have to come to the summit next week.”
