When he returned to healing, Ellery’s free hand drifted toward his shoulder. She squeezed.
Someone cursed behind them, and Ellery jerked her hand away. When Domenic peeked up, Syarthis stared back. No matter how much Syarthis revolted him, this close, Domenic couldn’t quite look away. Valmordion’s core brightened into the purest, most dazzling of golds, and Domenicfeltthe heat of Syarthis’s magic flare in response, feverishly hot.
“What the fuck happened here?” Hanna hissed. “Why is this kid torched?”
“Can you save him?” Domenic asked desperately. “He’s Ravfiri’s wielder, Hanna.”
Hanna took in Kumar and hesitated. Her grip tightened on Syarthis.
“Yeah,” she answered finally. “I can.” She knelt between them and aimed Syarthis at Kumar’s sternum. A soft gold light shined beneath his eyelids, and the worst of his blisters at last stilled their smoldering.
Ellery cursed in relief. “How soon will he wake?”
“I’ve got no clue. Magic boosts the body’s healing process, but the body has limits. Even for Syarthis.”
What matters most is that he’s alive,Domenic told himself.But if Kumar doesn’t wake by midnight… If he can’t bond with Ravfiri…
“What about Iseul?” Hanna asked. “The rest of the Council was in the audience, weren’t they?”
“They were unconscious when I went into the vigil chamber, but they didn’t look injured. I wanted to check on them, but there wasn’t time…” Ellery paused. Then she rose and scooped something off the floor several feet away—a frozen blue stone.
“It’s another one,” Domenic breathed. “Just like Decibel.”
“The Council should know about this, about all this. Hanna, if I leave to wake them, will you be able to get him to the infirmary?”
“We’ll be fine,” Hanna muttered. “Go.”
After Ellery left, Hanna glanced at Domenic from the corner of her eyes. “How are you holding up? The magician who fetched me told me what ghast you fought.”
“Oh, I’m peachy.”
“So it’s not your puke I’m kneeling in right now?”
“That depends. Would it be less disgusting if it were mine?”
“Nope, it still is,” she grumbled.
Around them, the Order magicians tended to the wounded. Yet even with the threat gone, they gawked anxiously at Syarthis, all but shoving the students in their haste toward the exits.
“You get out of here, too,” Hanna told Domenic. “I mean it. Take a breath.”
“I can still help you.”
“You’re not. And the reminder’s worse when we’re with each other. Look at all these grown Order magicians, fleeing like they’re the ones who just faced one of the Dire Three. By the time you get back, it’ll just be me and Flambé here.”
“It’s Kumar.”
“Don’t tell me that. Not until after I save him.”
And Hanna did save him. An hour later, Kumar stabilized enough to be transported to the infirmary. But he still didn’t wake. And so, just as one of the greatest wands of Summer had finally found a wielder, midnight arrived. And Ravfiri’s window closed.
XXIXELLERY
WINTER
The Gallamere skyline glittered through the frost-coated window in Glynn’s office. Opera music crooned faintly from the record player, punctuated by the slam of the door as Sharpe stalked out. Seong had departed an hour ago to take Hanna home to rest. Ellery, Domenic, and Glynn slumped in their seats, exhausted and shell-shocked. It was one in the morning.
“I still don’t like the idea of going to Nordmere just because that monster showed it to you,” Domenic muttered. “It has to be a trap.”
