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Fenna banked the surviving racks toward cooler air currents. Fatigue etched lines at her mouth. Zephyr draped a blanket around her shoulders; she leaned into his chest as they watched ember sparks swirl upward.
"Tomorrow—" she began.
He kissed her hair. "Tomorrow we're unstoppable."
Star curled into a crescent around the camp, tail tip resting near Muse's cart— huge guardian with molten gaze. Aurora, safely nestled beside Fenna's neck, thrummed warm lullaby with each breath. Overhead, a fractured-glass sky glittered with mana shards and distant constellations.
Zephyr stared at glowing coals, mind replaying the day. It was full of fear, rage, and redemption. Regret transmuted to determination; caution to flame. "In three dawns," he vowed, "Ayan will learn the price of arrogance. If he brings mercenaries again, the whole of Emberwood will rise to burn them."