I looked back toward the hallway, thinking of the dark corner of the hall where Damar had tucked himself in. He had sucked the poison out of a male he despised, spent his own energy to force the medicine into Thalor’s veins, and then simply... walked away.

I could already tell he wasn’t doing well, and the last thing I wanted right now was to leave him to his thoughts.

​"I’ll be back," I whispered to Fenric, squeezing Thalor’s limp hand one last time before standing up.

​I walked back down to the main hall. It was already empty. Solin and Talia did a good job and led everyone out.

I was glad.

But it wasn’t exactly empty. There were still the dead bodies waiting to be destroyed and Damar.

He was still there, leaning his forehead against the cold stone pillar. He looked like a man who had given everything he had and was waiting for the world to stop tilting.

​I didn’t say a word. I just walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my face into the center of his back.

He was still vibrating—that low, exhausted tremor of a serpent who had pushed his limits.

The last time I saw him this tired was when he had to create a whirlpool in the sea.

​"How is it?" he asked.

He didn’t look like it but maybe he was secretly worried about Thalor as well. And of course, he will tell me that it’s because he doesn’t want me to be sad, and Thalor’s death will make me sad.

I’d like to believe it’s all about me, but I’d also like to believe it’s because he doesn’t want Thalor to die.

​"He’s safe in the Side wing," I murmured. "And you’re coming upstairs too. Not to the side wing. To the Sovereign Wing. You need to rest, Damar. Truly rest."

​He turned in my arms, his emerald eyes dull but softening as he looked at me. He reached out a shaky hand, his thumb tracing the dried blood on my cheek—the blood of the red-scale I had beheaded.

​"You are a fierce female, Ari," he whispered. "But your hands... they should not have to be this color."

​"Today, they had to be," I said, pulling his hand to my lips and kissing his palm. "Now come. Let’s go."

​I led the Damar up the stairs toward the sovereign wing and then laid him on the bed. As soon as his body dropped on it, he let out a startled gasp which alarmed me.

"What? What is it? Are you hurt?" I asked, worriedly but it was only a false alarm a he said,

"Ari, this fur is so soft," I paused, blinked and then laughed.

Ah, that’s right. Damar wasn’t here when we were making the beds.

We used a lot of wool from the sheep and feathers from bird type animals we could hunt down to make the pillows. The other had this reaction, even wilder, when they finally laid on the bed.

"Yes, it’s made to be comfortable, so we can sleep with ease," I said and sat on the bed. "It’s called a bed."

"A bed," he repeated with an astonished gaze. "Truly incredible, Ari," he muttered, looking at me with those loving eyes and for a second, I forgot the disgust he had used to look at Thalor just a moment ago.

"Not as amazing as you." I said and leaned down, my hair flowing like curtains over our heads as my face hovered over his. "Thank you Damar," I leaned in to kiss him but he stopped me, turning his head away as he said.

"The poison, Ari. It’s in my mouth. It won’t go away now so I can’t kiss you yet. Sorry," he looked sad about it but I smiled to reassure him.

"It’s fine," I kissed his forehead.

Damar’s eyes drifted shut as my lips touched his forehead, his body finally uncoiling into the mattress.

The ’bed’—something he was still trying to wrap his head around—seemed to claim him instantly. He didn’t even have the energy to argue before he was out, his breathing deep and steady.

"Rest," I whispered. I tucked the heavy furs around him, making sure he was warm. "I’ll be back."

I slipped out of the Sovereign Wing and into the hallway. It was quiet, lit only by the soft, steady glow of the crystals we had gotten from the sea. The translucent glow in the dark crystals.

My body felt heavy, like it was made of lead, and every muscle ached, but I couldn’t just go to sleep. Not yet.

When I pushed open the door to the Side Wing, I found that Noah had been busy.

The room was no longer just cold limestone and wood. He’d carried in the soft furs from the tent and lined the floor with them. In the corner, the three baby cots were lined up. I checked on them first—Raiden, Phina, and Lyra were all sound asleep, completely unbothered by the chaos that had unfolded.

Fenric was still there, sitting by the window like a silent anchor, while Noah was stoking a small fire in the hearth.

"How is he?" I asked, walking over to the bed.

"Still out," Noah muttered, wiping his hands on his tunic. "But his skin isn’t grey anymore. Damar really did a number on that poison."

I sat on the edge of the bed and pressed my hand to Thalor’s forehead. He was burning up. The medicine was working, but it was turning his body into a furnace.

"The fever is the final hurdle," Fenric said, his red eyes watchful. "If he survives the heat, he’ll wake up. If not..."

"He’s going to wake up," I said, cutting him off. I didn’t want to hear the alternative.

I grabbed a bowl of water and a cloth, starting the slow process of dabbing his neck and brow. I felt like I was running on nothing but sheer willpower at this point.

Noah came over and put a heavy hand on my shoulder. "You’re exhausted. You’ve been playing general and healer all day. You’re going to collapse."

"I’m fine," I mumbled, though my eyes were stinging.

"You’re not," Fenric said, standing up. He walked to the other side of the bed and pulled back the furs. "The bed is big enough for all of us. Sleep, Arinya. We aren’t going anywhere."

I looked at the bed, then at Thalor’s pained face. My plan for a ’romantic’ first night in the palace had gone out the window the moment the red-scales attacked, but this felt more real anyway.

I finally gave in and crawled into the middle, wedged between the heat of the feverish merman and the solid, protective presence of Noah and Fenric. I kept my hand over Thalor’s heart, feeling the steady thrum of his pulse, scared that his heart would suddenly stop beating.

"One crisis at a time," I whispered into the furs.

The purple crest on my wrist gave one last, soft glow, vibrating in time with Thalor’s heart.

"Fenric, Noah," I called out and they lifted their heads. "We can’t all be here. Someone... someone has to be with Damar."