Legs? Questionable.
Ears? Ringing like cathedral bells.
Dignity? Missing, presumed dead.
Serena dismounted Velkaris the way a person exits a building that's on fire: fast and with zero plan for what came next.
She made it one step before the ground swung up to meet her, but someone caught her first. Her concussed brain, helpful as ever, supplied one name.
Dex.
She leaned into the arms without thinking, letting the name settle through the fog.
Nope. Not Dex.
Fin Shadowclaw had scooped her up like she weighed nothing and was already moving to an indoor area, out of the rain.
She blinked, dazed.
When did he get here?
He put her down on a tall cabinet, instead of a chair and his lips were on hers before she could process the fact that an Alpha King just carried her. The same one she wouldn't let carry her earlier in the night before her cuff activated.
Her body responded to his touch. It took her a few seconds to notice she was kissing him back with equal fervor.
Gods... did she want more? What in the hell was wrong with her? Someone could walk in at any moment and this looked about as bad as possible.
Fin pulled away and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
The sensation of his touch lingered. Maybe one too many explosions had knocked a screw loose in her head.
Then he hugged her tightly.
Of all the ways to die today, being squeezed to death by a worried friend hadn't made the list.
Just a platonic hug. The way Elara would hug her.
He was standing in between her legs, while she sat on a counter, with his arms around her. And ... wait, was he aroused?
Was she?
Oh gods.
No. Definitely not a platonic hug.
He let go, pulling away to get a better look at her. He said something, but his words were muffled.
Dex, King Tiberon, Edward, and Taren entered at that moment with healers behind them. Serena was vaguely aware.
Fin said something else. The words arrived late, warped, like sound through water. Her thoughts were disjointed.
Dex was watching her but didn't seem like he was fully there. King Tiberon and Taren were badly bruised.
Hyran entered a moment later, brow furrowed. He touched Serena and her combat suit dried completely.
She looked down, dazed. She forgot she was soaking wet.
Between the concussion and being squeezed like a stress toy, keeping track of basic things like that seemed ambitious.
Alaric was talking. But the words kept sliding past her.
Fin grabbed a wet cloth and dabbed her neck and forehead. He also dabbed her face. She didn't realize she still had a nosebleed, busted lip, and busted cheek.
That's probably why Dex was staring. She looked like she got in a fight with a troll.
Alaric's gold light flashed over her. The bruises on her ribs eased, the ringing in her ears faded, and the throbs in her skull finally stopped. She hadn't realized how much pain she was in until it went away.
She caught the tail end of what he was saying.
"—concussion."
He snapped his fingers in front of her face. She was delayed but then realized he was trying to get her attention.
"Have her drink this," he instructed, handing Fin a tonic. "I'll be back to check on her."
He made his way over to King Tiberon, who also seemed delayed.
"—explosions. Dragons are recovered," a healer announced, entering.
To Serena's surprise, Gav and Hale entered a moment later.
Gav held up four fingers, voice cutting through the lingering fog in Serena's head.
"Portal to camp. Portal back. Portal to camp. Portal to the wall. At what point do I just live inside the portal?"
"The portal doesn't have feelings, Gavriel. Stop trying to bond with it," Hyran said without looking up.
Gav grinned and shook his head, then turned to Serena.
"Heard your combat suit was laced with poison, you got bucked off a few water dragons, invented magic parachutes, and won a fight with a pack of suicidal explosion fairies." He paused, deadpan. "On brand for today, wouldn't you say?"
Serena grinned and shook her head, tension easing.
"Ten water dragons with exploding fairies or a repeat of this morning?" Gav asked, face serious. Not bothering to hush his voice.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hale demanded, whacking Gav.
"What? It's a fair question," he replied, both hands in the air.
She rolled her eyes and laughed despite herself. Which made Hale and Fin both crack up.
Fin handed her the tonic and she gladly took it.
"Thank you," she said, meeting his gaze.
"Don't thank me yet. You haven't tried it," he replied, grinning.
She took a big gulp just as Hale spoke, casually.
"Elara mentioned you had a mix of swamp and sewage today."
Serena immediately gagged at the thought. She forced herself to swallow the tonic already in her mouth.
Hale was already laughing at her reaction.
"It worked, didn't it," Alaric called over his shoulder.
"Oh, it worked alright," Fin agreed, laughing and shaking his head once.
Gav caught Hale's eye. Neither said a word, but they were both thinking the same thing. This was not how Finnick Shadowclaw usually looked.
"When the non-water dragons landed… did the fae not explode?"
Across the chamber, Aeron, Alaric, and Hyran worked in tandem, magic moving efficiently. Aeron glanced over his shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Most fae aren't like that," he explained. "It's extremism. Likely why they were put on their most dangerous dragons."
Hyran didn't look up as he answered.
"We secured most for questioning as prisoners of war. Ideally, they can be leveraged to end this peacefully. The ones who resisted were terminated immediately. We were not willing to risk detonation."
The words were clinical. So was the silence that followed.
King Tiberon spoke next.
"Status updates on how many and their E.T.A., Serena?"
Serena closed her eyes, trying to feel. Her brows furrowed in confusion.
"For certain, twenty fire and two ice. Two water. And three that are the same, but I don't know what they are."
"Of water, ice, and fire, where does it fall closest to?" Hyran asked.
"Closer to ice and water than fire, but still has elements of fire," Serena answered.
Dexmon spoke in a voice that didn't belong to him. Gav and Hale froze, glancing at him with the same reaction Serena did earlier.
"Storm Dragons. Electricity functions as breath, equivalent to fire. Attacks are powerful, but it requires time in between to recharge. Additionally, they are able to manipulate weather patterns with hail, rain, and lightning."
Serena's hair was still soaking wet and she was shivering. That explained the storm.
"They are larger than standard dragons. Deployment is one rider and two spotters. They are among the most difficult to control."
King Tiberon's eyes darkened. "The Fae have been entirely too busy, it would appear."
Two additional people walked in. Serena recognized them as Hale and Gav's spotters. Silas Rane and Lunaris Stark.
King Tiberon stood, walking to the front of the room for everyone to view clearly.
"This is not a discussion."
"We are executing."
"Arrowhead formation. Velkaris on point. Immediate climb to above-cloud altitude. Failure to hold formation will be treated as loss."
His gaze cut to Serena.
"Serena is Dex's spotter on Velkaris. That is not up for negotiation."
Of course. Because today hadn't been complicated enough.
There was no softness in his voice.
"Velkaris will send fire and ice dragons to land first. Kronk, Solara, and Zenith will remain above weather altitude. You do not exist until I say so."
His eyes cut back to Serena, sharp.
"No shielding. We fly dark. Any unnecessary illumination will be considered hostile to our own forces."
"Understood," she said, meeting his gaze.
"Enemy spotters are the primary targets. Riders are secondary."
"Ice will be channeled into arrows. When Serena calls a lock, you prepare. Spotters will sound off 'lock' or 'no lock.' When she calls fire, you release. She does not miss. If you do, that is on you."
"Before first arrows hit, second arrows need to be fired along. If you are displaced or unsure, you hold."
He stopped, looking at everyone in the eyes.
"You will follow these orders exactly."
No one moved. No one breathed.
"Velkaris."
"Acknowledged," Serena answered.
"Solara."
"Acknowledged."
"Zenith."
"Acknowledged."
"Kronk."
"Acknowledged."
"Execute."