enough.” I yawned. “Have you seen Drak?”
“I saw him talking to Daz,” Anna said.
“Oh,” I frowned. “I hope everything’s okay.
“I’m sure it is,” she smiled.
Frankie sauntered through my door, Naomi at her side. “How are you feeling?” Frankie asked, handing me a mug of pula while Naomi dropped a pastry in my lap. Justine and Tabitha joined her, followed by Val and then Reba bringing up the rear. They all crowded around me, giving me hugs and telling me how glad they were I was home.
“I’m feeling good,” I said, sipping my drink.
“You’re feeling good?” Justine asked before landing a solid punch on my shoulder. “Well then I get to yell at you. Fuck you for leaving. What the hell were you thinking? Why didn’t you tell one of us? Why didn’t you bring one of us! What the hell?”
I rubbed my shoulder with a wince. “Damn, who taught you to hit?”
“Don’t change the subject!” She hollered.
I sighed. “I wanted to gather flowers.”
Tabitha blinked at me and flung her arms out to her sides. “You didn’t think you had enough?”
“I wanted to get my favorite and Drak’s, to welcome him back and make him feel at home. And it would have gone fine, but I mistook Crius’s body for something else and—”
“What do you mean?” Val asked.
I stared at her, realizing what I’d said. Maybe if I’d been able to see properly, I would have never gotten close enough to get caught.
“Well, he looked like something else.”
Val’s gaze was like a laser. “And why’s that?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
I bit my lip.
“What’s up?” Frankie said. “Is something wrong? We can help.”
“I don’t … I want to be someone you can depend on,” I said. “I don’t want you to be worried about me or think I can’t be there for you.”
“I don’t know what this is about, but sure we depend on you, but you depend on us. We all depend on each other. We’re a team here, just like all those warriors are better together, so are we. You’re not an island, Miranda.”
She was right. I’d spent so long wanting to be everything for them, that I’d let myself down. And them. “I can’t see,” I blurted out.
“What?” Frankie asked.
“I mean, I can see, but really poorly. My vision is terrible. I wore contacts, which weren’t in my eyes when I was asleep, and it wasn’t like the Rahguls grabbed my glasses when they took me.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” Justine said.
“Looking back, it’s stupid, but I’ve never been good showing weakness. Drak noticed, and he helped me learn to use my other skills better. He’d mark our trails with bright flowers so I wouldn’t get lost…”
“Like a team,” Val said. “I get it. Sax and I wouldn’t have survived what we did without working together. I suspected you had impaired vision.”
“Your damn nurse skills,” I mumbled.
“You should have told us,” Frankie said.
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t keep shit like that from us again,” she nudged me with her shoulder.
The doorway darkened, and I glanced up to see Drak leaning against the frame. Daz, Ward, and Sax stood behind him.
Drak glanced around the room a little anxiously. I knew he still didn’t like a lot of people in a small space. I waved him inside and opened my mouth to ask how he was doing when I caught sight of a familiar color on his arm.
I gasped, and Drak froze. I leaped out of bed and grabbed his arm, holding it out at his side as I took in the brand-new red Night Kings tag wrapped around his bicep. “Wait, what’s this? Are you … are we…?”
Drak smiled, and his aura shone bright and strong. There was no smoke, no hesitation. Just pride and happiness. “I am a Night King.”
That was all he had to say. I knew he meant it. I squealed like a little girl as claps and cheers erupted around the room. I threw myself into his arms and he spun me around. When my feet finally returned to the ground, I looked around me. Frankie lounged on my cushion with a proud Daz rubbing her belly. Ward hugged Reba, while Sax nuzzled Val’s neck. Justine, Tabitha, and Naomi beamed at Bazel while Anna tickled her.
“Miranda,” Daz said.
“Yeah?” I turned to find him sitting against our wall, his legs stretched out in front of him with Frankie’s head in his lap. His fingers sifted through her long hair. “If you’re willing,