I was starving by the time we’d finished up the potions but understood that we were pretty strapped for time. It was getting close to lunch and one of the market stalls had fruit and cheese for purchase. So we loaded up on nyapples, a loaf of bread, and a white block that looked like swiss cheese before we went to find our horses. It’d be weird to cut chunks off during the ride, but I could manage. Or I could just eat the whole damn thing, whatever was easier.

Since we’d left so early, we were back just as the sun reached the middle of the sky. It was a quiet trip, punctuated by awkwardly trading around the bread and cheese without running into one another. At one point, I thought Ravyn was going to fall off her horse trying to hand Cannoli her utility knife, and I laughed until she chucked her nyapple core at my head.

Regardless, the journey had lightened all of our spirits, I think. We were one step closer to reviving the girls and getting the hell off of Shi Island.

A grinning Ceres met us at the door, and she curtsied before gesturing for us to come inside.

“What’s so funny?” Ravyn asked.

“Oh, it is not amusement I feel,” Ceres replied softly. “You shall see.”

When we entered the common room, Cannoli’s ears perked, and she covered her mouth. I followed where she was staring and found Tristan lounging on the sofa, Ara sound asleep with her head in his lap. He was reading a book with one hand while stroking her hair with the other. When he looked up, he smiled sheepishly and set the book aside.

“She dozed off while I was reading to her,” Tristan murmured.

“Must have been a boring book,” Ravyn quipped.

Keke nudged Ravyn with her elbow, but I caught the mischievous grin tugging at the corner of Keke’s lips.

“That’s so sweet,” Cannoli squeaked beneath her hand. “I don’t think she slept a wink last night.”

“She definitely deserves some rest. There’s…there’s a rough road waiting for her.” Tristan sighed.

“Does that mean you’ve made a decision?” Keke asked.

Tristan nodded. “Ara will stay here and lead Venicia.”

“It is a wise decision, if I may add,” Ceres said, moving to stand beside Cannoli. “Ara is a capable leader and knows well the plight of our land.”

“Yeah,” Tristan murmured, glancing down at Ara’s steadily breathing form.

“What happens to Celestia?” I asked.

“She’ll be escorted and tried in Nyarlothep. Likely they’ll execute her,” Tristan replied carefully. “I don’t want this island to see me as its executioner.”

I nodded. “You’ll have to tell me how that works.”

“Sure thing. We’ll have plenty of time for it.” He chewed his lip and shook his head. “Anyway. How was your trip?”

“It went great. We have everything ready to go,” I said. We could talk more about Ara’s staying back later. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it had been for Tristan to agree.

“We can start waking them up as soon as you’re ready.” Cannoli toyed at a section of her hair. “Assuming you wish to be present, anyway.”

“Is there anything I can really do to help?” Tristan asked.

“Honestly, just talk to them while they wake up. Familiar faces and pretty words can go a long way in reducing shock,” Ravyn explained. “Matt and I should probably stay out of sight when they start waking up.”

I frowned. “Why’s that?”

“Who were the last two people Destiny, Lara, and Lynn saw before we used the scrolls, hm?” Ravyn scoffed. “They’ve been tortured for weeks because of what we’ve done.”

“You can’t blame yourselves for this—” Tristan began.

Ravyn held up a hand. “Blame has nothing to do with this. We’ll have time to explain after these girls are awake. Got it?”

My stomach sank. She was right. “Yeah. Got it.”

“Should we wake them up one at a time or all at once?” Keke asked.

“I believe one at a time would be best. This way, we have all hands available should we need them,” Ceres answered.

Cannoli nodded. “Agreed. The more options we have should something go wrong, the better.”

Tristan rubbed his face with both hands and took a deep breath. After a few seconds, he exhaled and looked back at us. “Let’s get started then.”

“Mm. Tristan, don’t stop petting me,” Ara murmured, then giggled. “It feels so nice.”

Keke snickered, and Cannoli squeaked behind a deep blush. Ceres smiled knowingly while Ravyn groaned and rolled her eyes.

I cleared my throat, and Ara’s eyes snapped open. She pushed herself to sitting and quickly brushed her fingers through her hair.

“O-oh! You’re back.” Ara coughed and smoothed her skirts. “Excuse me. I must have lost track of time.” Her face turned a deep red, and she slowly rose to her feet. “So, erm, do you have the potions?”

Ravyn crossed her arms over her chest. “We do.”

“Wonderful. Can we proceed?” Ara didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she pushed between Keke and me, making her way to the staircase.

“She’s so cute,” Cannoli whispered.

“She really is.” Tristan chuckled beneath his breath as he watched her quickly ascend the stairs. There was a lot he wasn’t saying behind that stare. But I had to give him points for holding it together. He shook his head and stood, rubbing his hands on his jeans. “Well, let’s start with Lynn, then?”

“As you wish.” Ceres nodded and followed Ara to the staircase.

Ravyn caught my sleeve and held me back once Keke and Cannoli had gone. Her eyes were cold, and her lips formed a small, hard line.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“This won’t be pretty, Matt,” she whispered. “No matter what happens, you need to trust us.”

“I do trust you,” I replied, if a little incredulously.

Her frown deepened. “I’m serious. Complete trust. Without question. If Ceres or I tell you to jump off the roof, you do it. Understood?”

The tight knots in my stomach returned, but I nodded. “Yes. I promise.”

“Alright.” Without another word, she accompanied the others to Lynn’s room. I gathered my thoughts and did the same.

Keke and I stood in the doorway, out of the way from the three working on Lynn. Cannoli and Ravyn flanked Lynn’s bed while Ceres drew back the curtains, spreading more light into the dim room. Tristan and Ara stood in the far corner, Ara’s trembling hand entwined with his. Keke glanced at Tristan and Ara, then slid her hand into mine.

“It’ll be okay,” Keke murmured, squeezing my hand.

“I hope so.”

“First, we’ll start with the salve.” Cannoli set her [Cat Pack] on the bed next to Lynn, fishing out one clay jar of ointment and one glass bottle of the violet potion. She twisted the cap free and lathered her hands with the balm before passing it to Ravyn. “We should apply it everywhere we can since we don’t know where she’s hurt.”

Ravyn accepted the container and coated her palms. “This smells really strong,” she noted.

Cannoli nodded. “Keke and I doubled the intensity. She knew a heating trick that upped the potency without using more ingredients.” She smiled as she gingerly applied it to Lynn’s arm. “She’s a lot better at [Alchemy] than she says.”

Keke grumbled, “I’m standing right here.”

Ceres took the jar after Ravyn and started on Lynn’s leg. “I wish to learn more of this art from the three of you. If you are open to teaching me, of course.”

“I would love to!” Cannoli replied. “I can show you around Granny Nauka’s lab, and we can make potions together! Ravyn even knows how to—”

“Cannoli. Focus,” Ravyn chided gently.

“O-oh! Right. Sorry.” Cannoli chewed her lower lip and set back to work.

There were hushed affirmations between the three girls as they continued to cover Lynn in the numbing agent. I hadn’t realized how tightly I was squeezing Keke’s hand until she glanced up at me and touched her head to my shoulder.

“That should be good. Let’s start feeding her the potion,” Cannoli said.

Ceres gently slid one arm beneath Lynn’s neck, supporting her head as she lifted her up from the bed. Cannoli parted Lynn’s lips and tilted the purple brew into her mouth. Ceres tipped her chin upward, and they poured a slow, measured stream down Lynn’s throat.

“Start the spell, Ravyn,” Cannoli instructed.

“[Disenchant],” Ravyn whispered, holding her hand against Lynn’s forehead. A warm, white aura surrounded her hand, and she closed her eyes.

I counted ten heartbeats before Cannoli said, “Alright, that’s about all we can give her until she’s awake.” She drew the bottle away and set it on the table beside the bed.

Ceres held Lynn steady, and Ravyn continued casting. Five more seconds passed, and the glow disappeared.

A soft groan hummed from Lynn’s lips.

“That’s our cue, Matt.” Ravyn stepped away from the bed and tugged my shirt. “Further back, boy.”

Keke, Ravyn, and I moved outside of the room, watching the procedure through the open door. Ara and Tristan stepped forward, standing beside Ceres and opposite Cannoli. I could still see slivers of what was happening between their bodies, and I held my breath.

Lynn’s groaning escalated into panicked whimpers.

Ara reached for her hand. “Lynn. Lynn, it’s me, Ara. I’m right here.”

“No…No!” Lynn cried. “Please! Not again!”

“I’m right here, love. You’re safe,” Ara continued, dropping to her knees.

“I don’t know anything!” Lynn mewled, sobs wracking her chest. “I-I told you! I don’t— I don’t!” Then she screamed.

Keke huddled closer to me and grabbed my arm. Ara and Tristan repeated soft words and kind phrases. Ceres and Cannoli held Lynn at the shoulders while she writhed in pain. She’s feeling everything all at once. Every renewed howl sounded as if we were witnessing the beatings in real-time.

Hell wasn’t deep enough for what Celestia deserved.

“Lynn, sweet, I need you to drink this. Please,” Cannoli said, reaching for the bottle on the table. “It’ll help. I promise you.”

Ceres helped stabilize Lynn as Cannoli put the potion to her lips again, forcing her to drink it between sobs.

The cries sank to desperate whimpers and violent coughing. Lynn blinked wildly, her hands writhing beside her. Violent coughs wracked her throat, and her breathing sped to shallow gasps.

“She’s going into shock,” Ravyn murmured. “Cannoli, you have to calm her down.”

“I’m trying my best,” Cannoli replied, her face maintaining the same concentrated disposition of a surgeon. “Lynn, everything’s alright.”

Tears streaked Ara’s face and she touched her forehead to Lynn’s hand. She stole a shuddering breath, then started to sing. “Dry your tears, my precious one, ‘tis only shadows o’er the sun. Feel the warmth upon your face and recognize its sweet embrace.”

The rapid rising and falling of Lynn’s chest gradually slowed, and her eyes became focused.

“See the flowers in the trees, scent their petals on the breeze,” Ara continued. “And if e’er you find yourself afraid—”

“—Look ‘round at our world that Saoirse’s made,” Lynn whispered in harmony. “A…Ara?”

Ara bit her lip and nodded. “I’m here, Lynn. I’m right here.” She laughed with relief before she was overcome once more with emotion.

“Welcome back, Lynn,” Tristan murmured, brushing long strands of damp hair from her face.

Keke buried her head against my arm, her tears soaking my sleeve.

Ravyn looked up at me, tinges of anxiety still evident in her features. She set her jaw, then smacked her lips. “One down.”