Nova woke and winced, realizing Fin was still inside her. A first.
She also noticed his cock was still rock hard.
The sun was up, pale light spilling across the sheets—morning already.
Nova eased herself out from under Fin, putting the blanket over him.
Her mind was still foggy from the night before. Not all of it… but enough of it.
Fragments.
Heat.
His hands.
Her face burned crimson, and the sudden, fierce urge to mate again pulled low and hard in her stomach.
She shook her head quickly and slipped into the bathing room. She washed herself off, her hair still damp from their bath, but she needed to wash the evidence of their activities. Her cheeks reddened again.
She dressed fast—a sports bra, thong, training suit—then grabbed a dagger from the dresser.
She pressed her palm to Fin's forehead—and froze.
He was burning up.
"Baby… are you okay?" Nova said, realizing she called him baby for the first time. It felt so natural, but she still blushed.
Nova hurried back into the bathing room, soaked a cloth in cold water, and set it gently across his brow. His breathing was shallow, fevered. Too hot.
Without hesitating, she drew her dagger and sliced her palm. She pressed her bleeding hand to his lips.
Nothing happened at first.
Then—
Fin's mouth opened, slow and instinctive, and he sucked. Eyes still shut, his hands flew around hers, drinking from her. He sucked for a moment longer and then his eyes snapped open—gold blazing beneath them.
He kissed her hand reverently, a worshipful press of lips that made her breath catch. Gold magic flared from his hands, wrapping her palm in warm light, healing the cut instantly.
His eyes never left hers.
Unspoken, but both were very aware their wolves had taken control last night. And now, in the quiet morning light, both were deep in thought, trying to pull the fragments together. But their wolves were silent. Withdrawn. As if guarding whatever had happened. As if holding the memory hostage.
Fin cleaned himself off in the bathing chamber, steam rising around him in soft curls. Nova forced down a few crackers, her stomach twisting rebelliously at even that small effort. Everything still felt fragile inside her — raw, unsettled.
Elias entered with another health tonic, the glass vial glowing faintly from the mixture of herbs. He added Alejandro's medicine into it, along with a calming tonic. His hands were steady, but his eyes were tight with worry.
Fin stepped forward and took both vials from him — not roughly, but with the quiet decisiveness of a man reasserting control over a world that had slipped from him too many times in the last day.
"Back to twice a day for the calming tonics too," Fin said, voice calm but leaving no room for argument.
Elias nodded, agreeing. Nova didn't argue either.
Her eyes met Fin's and she saw the fear he was trying to bury beneath all that steel. A fear he didn't want her to see. A fear he didn't even want to name.
Nova reached out, touching his hand. She kissed him on the cheek, and his expression softened.
They walked down to the training field with their fingers intertwined, Fin pressing brief, absentminded kisses to the top of her head as they went.
Omegas they passed stared openly, some with jaws slack, before bowing without thinking. It wasn't something they typically did for Fin unless he addressed them or was nearby. This was different. It was instinctive. Reflexive. Fin noticed but didn't comment.
Warriors along the path stared, the tension in their shoulders easing the moment they saw Nova. Word of the poisoning and the trial had spread quickly. Many of them had seen her stand on a dragon and the respect was already there. But now there was something else too — relief, and the unspoken instinct to protect her.
It struck Fin then how much he loved holding her hand, being so openly affectionate with her. He especially loved showing her off. She was his. He fought the urge to grin as they walked.
The morning air carried the bite of cold. Elle and Cael were already there.
Nova's gaze brushed Cael for a single heartbeat. His face was unreadable, but the memory of how angry he had been with her cut through her chest like a blade. She immediately looked away, feeling the weight of it settle in her throat. The guilt was sharp. Fin felt it the instant it formed, sharply enough through their matebond to make him stop mid-step.
He turned toward her without a word and took her hand, kissing it gently. Then he pulled her back into his chest, holding her there as if shielding her from the very thought of Cael's anger. His arms tightened around her with a quiet firmness that told her he had no intention of letting her face any of this alone.
She let herself lean into him, her breath steadying against the warmth of his chest as the training field stretched around them, waiting.
Cael broke the silence with all the subtlety of a dropped sword. "I am told I was a dick to you yesterday," he said plainly.
Fin's eyes shot up to Cael, an expression flickering across his face that suggested this was entirely new information. Elle looked at Cael as if she were amazed he had managed to reach that level of self-awareness at all.
Cael continued, shrugging as if addressing a council meeting instead of mending feelings. "And I accept your apology for the portal."
He paused, as if this next thing was robotic, as if too painful to say normal. "I am sorry that I was a dick."
There was a pause before Elle barked a laugh, unable to help herself. Nova let out a soft laugh too, wiping a sudden tear from the corner of her eye. Fin immediately looked down at her with concern, then back at Cael with the expression of a man who was now calculating whether strangling someone counted as training.
Cael winced. "Don't cry, Nova. Damn it, now I feel like an actual dick." He crossed the space between them and folded her into a sincere hug.
Nova returned it gently. "I am sorry. I promise I will not do it again."
Elle stepped forward and clasped Nova's hand with the authority of someone who had recently received divine feedback and was fully prepared to boss the world around because of it.
"You already apologized twice yesterday and again today. No more." she said firmly.
She pulled Nova towards the targets, Fin and Cael behind them.
Elle's voice slipped into Nova's mind. Both of them assumed the link was private. As usual, they were wrong.
Elle: Nova, I need to talk to you immediately after this. In private.
Nova made eye contact with Elle briefly. Elle's face was very serious.
Nova: On a scale of one to Meredith, how bad is it?
Elle burst into laughter so abruptly that Cael paused mid-step. He shot Fin a look, whose lips were twitching.
Elle: Gods, did you have a calming tonic yet? I might need one.
Nova: It couldn't possibly be worse than what we discussed yesterday.
Elle: Do you remember what happened yesterday?.
Nova: We went down spiral stairs and I turned around and saw Fin, and we watched two memories from Rex's sword.
Elle: Before Fin came, do you remember what happened?
Before Nova could answer, Cael walked directly between them, and spoke loudly. "I believe we met your mother yesterday."
Nova blinked up at him, confused.
"What do you mean?" Nova asked.
Cael answered without hesitation, utterly ignoring Fin and Elle's lethal glare.
"She appeared after, when an additional memory played from Rex's sword. She spoke to us, but she used you to do it. Just… not your voice."
"She did?" Nova asked, shocked.
Elle's glare sharpened, but Nova lifted a hand in reassurance.
"It is all right, Elle. I'm just surprised." Nova paused, then added dryly, "Considering she is dead."
Fin snorted once, unable to stop himself. Elle choked on a laugh. Cael looked impressed.
Elle exhaled, resigned. "Yes. And I am supposed to relay that you and I are terrible. Spectacularly terrible."
Nova shook her head. "I realized that when we watched it. Why did neither of us use our daggers?"
"Yes. We were idiots. I agree in hindsight," Elle said without hesitation.
"And neither of you shifted," Fin said, stepping forward with the quiet authority of someone now committed to making sure this never happened again. "We are going to do some target practice."
Cael shrugged. "You are at least not toddlers with swords." He tilted his head toward Fin with deliberate innocence. Fin's glare shifted into something that suggested Cael was one poorly chosen syllable away from becoming a training dummy.
Nova looked at Fin, confused by this. Fin didn't answer, glaring at Cael.
"Your portal idea was smart in my opinion." Elle said.
"Thanks… but do you think the summit killed him?" Nova asked.
"He's alive. According to your mother," Cael said, then added, "I'll take her word for it."
Nova inhaled sharply. "And now he can use that move on any of us."
That had not occurred to them until she said it. But obviously, that would be the case. Nova spoke again, breaking the three out of their thoughts.
"Does Aeron or anyone have an inkling of where his power stemmed from? Meredith and Ashbane's power felt similar. I don't understand." Nova asked.
"Hyran and Aeron are working on identifying that. It's tied to your power is what your mother said." Elle said.
Nova blinked, shocked by that.
"With your powers being bound." Elle said.
Nova frowned confused. Elle then looked confused, and glanced at Fin.
"Haven't gotten that far Elle." Fin said.
The confused look stayed on Elle's face because Nova had been awake for over two days. He'd at least known that since the black rain.
He folded his arms, studying both women with the analytical intensity of a commander preparing for war. "Let us see what you are actually capable of."
"Right." Elle said. She twirled the dagger as if that might somehow improve her odds, then took aim at the wooden target several meters away. The dagger spun out of her hand like a confused bird, cut sideways across the field, and buried itself in the dirt several feet to the right of the target.
Cael stared at the dagger half-buried in the ground with a pained expression, as if the weapon itself had personally offended him.
Ellle's voice cut through their mindlink.
Elle: Are you aware your soul is severed?
Neither woman noticed Fin's outraged face at Elle, both had their backs turned to their mates. Fin shot a look at Cael, who also looked annoyed. If they said something it'd give away the fact they could hear their mindlinks altogether.
Nova: Yes. Don't forget dying.
Elle looked at her shocked. Nova's voice came back annoyed, more intense than she meant.
Nova: They seem to remind me every chance they get. I understand. Loud and clear. So annoying.
Elle shook her head and started laughing.
Elle: You being mad is funny.
Nova attempted the same throw. Her dagger flew straighter than Elle's, which was the only kind thing one could say about it. It thudded pathetically into the very bottom of the target's wooden stand, then slid down and toppled onto the dirt. Even the target seemed embarrassed to be involved.
Elle and Nova looked at each other, then down at the daggers as if the weapons had betrayed them.
They both tried a few more times. Neither hit the target.
"We are pretty bad." Elle said, rubbing the back of her neck, before she bursted out laughing with Nova.
Cael picked up Elle's dagger and flicking the dirt off with the disapproval of someone who had witnessed a war crime.
Fin also looked cross, took a deep breath, with the heavy patience of a man who had just realized he would be rebuilding their entire combat foundation from the ground up.
"Did Draven not teach you this?" Cael asked, genuinely baffled. "You had knives during your three-on-one sessions. I remember."
"A bit," Elle said, shrugging. "But only with knives, not daggers. And we never threw them."
"We actually did not use them at all," Nova added dryly.
Elle exploded into laughter, the kind that said if you only knew. Nova tried to smother a smile and failed.
Before Cael or Fin could demand an explanation, Elle continued, "Nova and I always had to play defense. Disarming, dodging, staying alive. Never attacking."
Cael stared at them like they had just confessed to training under a potato farmer.
"I'm sorry," he said slowly, "why in the seven hells did Draven put either of you in three-on-one drills without teaching you offensive work first?"
He turned to Fin for backup like he needed another witness to how insane this was.
Fin looked equally unimpressed. "I am wondering the same thing. Were either of you attackers in any scenario?"
"No," they both answered in perfect unison.
Elle mindlinked Nova the moment the word left their mouths.
Elle: Remember when he made you stand in front of the entire class and explained how you were what they'd classify as a runt, and your only viable strategy was to master defense?
Nova shot her a murderous look. Elle nearly choked holding in her laugh.
Nova: Remember when he made you demonstrate your "power swing" and the training dummy did not move?
Elle snorted so loudly and Nova started laughing. Cael actually flinched. Fin's expression darkened with the slow agony of a man realizing exactly how badly their past training had been botched.
Elle recovered long enough to add another.
Elle: Remember when he told you that you run like you are late to embroidery lessons?
Nova's face reddened trying to not laugh but she eventually laughed, unable to contain it. Elle grinned, triumphant.
Nova: Remember when he told you to swing harder and you barely moved the air?
Elle: Remember when he snapped your stick in half because your form offended him?
Fin's voice cut through their mindlink, crisp and commanding.
"Daggers are traditionally for close combat. You aim for the ribs, the stomach, the throat. But when you must throw them, you do not rely on strength. You rely on precision. The motion begins at the shoulder, travels through the arm, and the weight of the blade completes the strike for you."
He stepped behind Nova, adjusting her stance with slow, deliberate movements.
"Your stance is too narrow. You need balance, not poise. Spread your stance. Turn your shoulders."
Cael signed and turned to Elle, adjusting her grip.
"And Elle, you are holding your dagger like you intend to offer it to someone. Grip it like it is an extension of your hand, not a letter you are delivering." Cael said.
Fin took her hand, his fingers closing over hers on the hilt. His other hand settled at her waist, adjusting her hips.
"Like this," he said, his voice low, close enough for only her to hear, then kissed her ear. She grinned.
He drew her arm back with his, guiding her through the movement in one clean line. Their bodies moved in sync, her breath catching when she felt how effortlessly the throw should flow. Together they released the dagger. It spun through the air and struck the center of the target with a solid, decisive thud.
Elle let out an impressed sound.
Fin kissed the top of her head, his hand lingering on her waist for a brief moment. He stepped back, eyes still on her, fighting the urge to kiss her. He knew they had a job to do.
Cael sighed as if preparing himself for a long ordeal, then stepped behind Elle. He took her wrist first, correcting her grip with a firm tap of his fingers, then placed his other hand lightly at her hip to adjust her stance.
"Square your shoulders. There. That is better." He said.
Cael drew her arm back with his, guiding the motion with crisp precision. "Do not flick it. Let the blade do the work. Follow through." His voice was low, close to her ear, more focused than gentle.
Together they released the dagger. It sliced through the air in a clean line and buried itself in the wood just outside the bullseye. A far cry from her earlier attempt.
Elle blinked, startled. "Oh."
Cael stepped back, hands dropping to his sides. "Yes. 'Oh.' You can do it."
Elle smiled, pride in her eyes.
"Which one of you will hit a bullseye first?" Fin asked, crossing his arms like he already knew the answer.
"She will," Nova and Elle said in perfect unison.
Fin tilted his head, amused despite himself.
Nova stepped forward, rolling the next dagger between her fingers with a confidence that definitely hadn't existed twenty minutes ago. She set her stance exactly the way Fin had shown her, every correction of his hands still lingering in her muscles like an afterimage.
She exhaled.
Released.
The dagger whistled through the air, straight and sure, striking dead center with a perfect, satisfying crack of steel sinking into wood.
Nova smiled, pride flickered across her eyes. Elle clapped her hands excited, grabbing Nova's arm.
Elle picked up a dagger, determined. She threw, and it landed just outside of the bullseye. She beamed with pride, like she'd unlocked a hidden talent she intended to brag about for decades.
Nova clapped for her now, matching Elle's enthusiasm beat for beat, like they were awarding each other medals for effort.
Fin and Cael looked at each other.
The look said everything: Why are either of them clapping?
Cael dragged a hand down his face.
Fin stepped forward, reclaiming the moment before their excitement dissolved into chaos. "Good. Now the real work begins."
He raised his hand. A shimmer of gold rippled across the targets. The bullseye shrank, tightening into a much smaller circle. The target itself shifted farther back, the distance increasing by several meters.
Nova stared at him shocked. She wondered how much she must have missed while she was unconscious. Fin pretended not to notice her expression or the awe she had for him through their matebond.
Cael rolled his eyes.
"You two should not be standing close to what you are trying to dagger. That is a last resort. We want you both able to dagger from a distance," Cael said.
Fin pointed at the farthest target. "Strike from range. Every hit must be deliberate."
He handed Nova a dagger.
Nova swallowed, adjusted her stance, and took aim again. The target looked impossibly small from this distance, but she steadied her breath and released.
Bullseye.
Elle clapped instantly.
Determination sparked through her. She snatched a dagger. "You are not the only one hitting today."
Cael rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. Both of you developing competency. The world is not ready."
Elle threw.
Bullseye.
Nova clapped again for Elle, and they hugged.
Fin and Cael stared at them, identical expressions of disbelief plastered across their faces.
Elle and Nova spun around both bright-eyed, proud, and completely oblivious to the expressions on their mates' faces.
Elle beamed. "Look at us," she announced proudly. "Blade experts."
"Exactly," Nova said, smiling like she'd just completed an elite assassin trial.
Cael stared at them, horrified. "Gods preserve us."
"You both realize this is just scratching the surface, correct?" Fin asked, now genuinely wondering.
Neither of their expressions changed.
"Go again." Fin said.