The bde of Reika's sword caught mih the guard. Before I could react my sword was sent flying from my hands. A sed ter, the tip of Reika's bde was at my throat.

  "Yettier," Reika smiled, l her oe being made from wood, I was gd she hasn't struck me with it. I'd already sustained more than enough bruises since our training began. "Take a rest. I'll see you tomorrow m."

  Breathlessly, I nodded and colpsed onto a nearby bench. Accepting a towel from Bir, I wiped my sweat and looked around for Lydia, but she was o be seen. Bir had walked in on us while she was g, before I could respond to her feelings. I couldn't help but wonder if it was the embarrassment of being seen, or the fear of my respohat kept her away.

  "All this after she said she didn't want us to be separated again," I grumbled internally.

  "She is probably never far," Rochelle mused, a soft warmth in her voibsp;"Unfortunately, I believe she is more stealthy than you are perceptive."

  "Lady ne," Frey approached, bowing to me. "Lady Edna is ready to speak with you, if you have the time."

  While I would've preferred a moment to wash away the grime from training, Edna had been almost as elusive as Lydia was. The sheer number of meetings requested of her made me wonder how long it'd been since Edna st returned home.

  ?I have time.?

  Edna was waiting for me in a small study, where an assortment of sweets and two cups sat oable. "Sorry I haven't been able to e see you retly, ne," she said as a maid filled the cups with tea.

  ?That's okay,? I sat across from Edna, suddenly hyper aware of just how hungry I'd bee. I quickly devoured a few of the sweets.

  "Has Lydia been able to look after yic education in my pce?"

  "Lydia has been indisposed," Bir answered in my pce. "So I've been helping Lady ne improve her healing magi the evenings."

  "Healing magic is certainly useful," Edna said with a warm smile, though her voice betrayed exhaustion. Dark circles were visible under her eyes, even behind the makeup that tried to hide them.

  ?If you don't mind,? I leaned forward in my chair. ?I'd like to try and heal your hand.?

  Bir didn't immediately transte my words. She and Edna shared a silent uandiween them, resulting in Edna asking all of the maids other thao leave. Ohey were gone, Bir shared what I'd said.

  A wry chuckle escaped Edna's lips as she gazed down at her gloved hand. "Regrowing lost fingers is impossible, is it not? Or has Saint Rochelle's spirit shared something with you?"

  A soft gasp from Frey caused my ears to twitobody had told her about Rochelle's spirit. Si was something we didn't want being publiowledge, I was a little unfortable with her knowing. But, Edna wouldn't have let her stay if she wasn't trustworthy.

  ?She said it may be possible for me to ma a miracle. I 't promise it'll work, but I'd like to try.?

  Massaging the bridge of her nose, Edna sighed softly. "I'm sorry, seems my injury has weighed on you. But it is my fault. If I'd spent all the time I wasted ying about the capital actually training I wouldn't have lost. I know it was a blessing in disguise. You saved Reika. Still, I brought this on myself. I'm not worthy of a saint's miracle."

  "My dy..." Frey's voice quivered. She stepped forward, dropping to her knees. "I beg you. Please allow Princess... no, Saint o treat your injury."

  "Frey..." Edna's brow quivered as she gazed down at Frey who rostrating herself at her feet. "Something like this doesn't hinder me o. It is simply a reminder of what I stand to lose if I let myself stagnate."

  "We all failed," Bir spoke up, her words ced with an unfamiliar resolve that sounded like sharpeeel to my ears. "None of us were capable of proteg Lady ne. But, that doesn't mean we have to turn aside her grace. You promised to help her didn't you, Edna? How exactly is refusing her first ce to wield her power as the saint helping?"

  The room fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Bir. A quiet tension stretched between us until Edna began ughing. "It's moments like these that remind me you used to be a knight, Bir. You're right, I shouldn't refuse her. I'm sorry here's been so much going oly that I've fotten myself."

  "Frey, fetch a few vials of ichor for o use," Edna anded as she removed her glove, exposing her wounded hand. "Thankfully, I've hidden my injury from most of the people here. Healing it shouldn't expose you."

  Relief washed over me. I couldn't express just how grateful I was to Bir for speaking up on my behalf. It seemed as if Edna needed a stern voice to vince her. Bir seemed to know that, when I'd bee uain of what to say.

  "I'm sorry I've been so distant tely," Edna said, fog her tired eyes. "Marwood is close to Ezin, and I fear our ruse may not hold up much longer. I've also been w to bolster ers and tighten our defenses. It feels like a lifetime has passed since my efforts began, even though it's only been a week."

  ?Why have you been w so hard?? There was a lot we o do, destroying the red stones, and colpsing the mine used to obtain them. But none of that could be doil I became stronger. I was making progress, but it wasn't enough. We weren't ready to take a.

  "I just want to be ready for anything," Edna replied. I couldn't help but think there was more to it than just a desire to be prepared.

  Frey pced a tray with three vials of ichor oable in front of me. It was time for me to see what I was truly capable of. Taking Edna's wounded hand in mine, I downed a vial of the magical liquid and closed my eyes. I recalled an image of healing light, just as Bir had taught me.

  As I jured my spell, my thoughts shifted to Cheimul, the goddess who had blessed Rochelle and ensured her soul would reinate. I prayed that Cheimul, goddess of water, death, and mother of the gods would grarength. If there was a liween us, I hoped she would listen to my plea.

  When the magic within me began to fade, I opened my eyes. Everyone was staring at Edna's hand. Her wounds had reopened. New bone was jutting out where there'd once been nothing. I downed another vial. Flesh tticed over the bone and formed into new fingers. By the time the magiy sed vial faded, Edna's hand was as good as new.

  "You did it," Edna gazed down at her healed fingers in astonishment. Frey fell to her krembling. Her wide-eyes were full of reverence as if she was looking at a god made flesh. Even Bir was gazing at me as if she'd seen the divine.

  "That spell," Bir's voice trembled. "ne... what did you do?"

  ?I healed her, just like you taught me.? My cheeks warmed with pride and my tail thumped against my chair. I'd do.

  Bir's face turned pale, and she colpsed to her knees. I rushed to her side, but she held up a hand to stop me. "Just a moment, please," she whispered.

  "An i of the goddess Cheimul appeared behind you," Edna ented. Moving beside me she gently pced her hand on my hair and begaihank you, ne."

  A cold sweat rolled down my spine. I'd summoned an i of Cheimul? I looked up at Edna. I could uand why Frey and Bir were so shaken. But asn't she? Unfortunately I couldn't even ask, not until Bir regained her posure.

  "I'm so overwhelmed that I'm just numb from it all," Edna ughed, pig up on my unspokeion. "You really are the saint. Not that I ever doubted it, but this is beyond anything a mortal spellcaster could've ever achieved. I hardly have the words I feel are necessary to praise what you've done."

  We spent some time together, trying to e to terms with what had happened. Eventually, Frey and Bir posed themselves enough to be seen by others. After that, Edna excused herself, saying she desperately needed some rest.

  As Bir and I made our way bay room, I couldn't shake off the feeling of uhat had settled within me.

  "Lady ne," Bir bowed outside my door. "I'll go ask the maids to run a bath for you."

  I rying to calm my rag heart as I stepped inside my room. Colpsing against the closed door, I pced a hand over my chest. Taking deep breaths I tried to calm my heart as the weight of what I'd doled within me.

  "ne..." Lydia's soft voice pulled me out of my reverie. Looking up, I fouanding beside my bed. She was standing, holding her hand out as if reag for me. "Are... you okay?"

  My mouth fell open as I gazed up at Lydia. I'd never heard her speak so timidly. The sound of it made me want to cry. It felt as if there was a wall between us, and I had no idea what'd caused it. Was this something I'd done?

  ?Why?? I ched my jaw as I signed my frustration. ?Why have you been avoiding me??

  "I—" Lydia's voice trailed off as she approached me. Dropping to her knees she met my gaze for a moment before looking away. "Didn't inally mean to. At first... I was afraid. I just... My feelings for you, I fear they're too much. I want you all to myself. But that's not the only reason. Truthfully, I would've e to you sooner, but then I remembered there was something I had to do. I'm sorry it took me so long. I just couldn't decide."

  ?Decide?? My ears twitched as I tilted my head in fusion. What was she talking about?

  Pulling a beautiful neckce with a light blue gemsto of her pocket, Lydia smiled. Hesitantly she held it out, looking up at me, silently requesting my permission. Once I'd nodded my approval, Lydia csped the neckce around my neck. "Happy birthday, ne."

  My eyes widened in surprise as I brushed my fingers over the neckce. I'd fotten it was my birthday. So much had happehat I'd pletely lost track of time. ?I fot.?

  Lydia nodded, a shy smile spreading across her face. "Even if you never want to be my girlfriend, I'm still happy to have you in my life ne. I want this neckce to be more than just a piece of jewelry. It's a promise. No matter how dire things appear, I'll never leave you. Even if I think you'll survive without me, I'm not going to risk it. I'd rather die at your side than live a life without you in it."

  The neckce suddenly felt warm against my chest. Reag out, I brushed aside a strand of Lydia's hair. The simmeriions in my chest threateo boil over at any moment. Before I could bee paralyzed by them, I knew what I had to do.

  Without ahought, I leaned forward. Lydia's eyes met mine, filled with love and vulnerability. I couldn't help but want to match the passion within them.

  Pg my hand on Lydia's cheek I closed the distaween us and pressed my lips against hers. Closing my eyes I felt as if the world melted away. There was only Lydia, the heat of her radiating through me.

  I fot to breathe. We liogether, our lips joined as oil I felt as if I might drown. Pulling away I sucked in a ragged breath. My eyes traced over Lydia's face taking in her crimson dyed visage.

  "I die happy," Lydia whispered, softly chug to herself. I watched as she brought her fingers up to her lips, toug them as if unsure our kiss had been real.

  Unwilling to let Lydia pawn it off as a figment of her love-addled imagination, I pulled her hand aside and kissed her again. Shifting my weight I nudged Lydia backward, pushing her onto her baow ying atop her, I deepened our kiss.

  The pounding of Lydia's rag heart mirrored my own. ing her arms around me, Lydia pulled me tight as if trying to fuse my body into her owe being a novi love, it felt as if my lips were dang with hers. I lost myself to the passion of it.

  When we finally broke apart for air, I couldn't help but giggle. Lydia's face was flushed the darkest shade of red I'd ever seen. ?No dying,? I signed, as my tail waved triumphantly behind me.

  "Have I not already?" Lydia smiled as she asked breathlessly, her eyes sparkling with tears. "This is exactly what I'd always hoped heaven would be like."

  As we settled into a fortable silence, I id beside Lydia on the floor, nuzzling my fato her shoulder. Thoughts of Elise began to surface. I'd always wished for the day I'd be able to y beside her like this. Such a future would never e. But Lydia was here now, and I truly cherished her. I didn't want to push her away anymore.

  ?I love you too.? My broke, which I thought would never know love again, was full.

  eri