Mikael finished healing Estelle's wing before checking on her. He bent low and lifted her eyelid. Only the whites of her eye showed. She was unconscious. He'd known that when she let go of the bed and hit the floor with a thud. Umbra had jerked towards her at once, but he'd ignored the shadow.

    He let his magic resurface and rubbed his hands along the scarred lengths of her wings' central tendons, hoping to reduce any lingering aches. Her scars were rough beneath his fingers, although her wings themselves were surprisingly soft.

    Mikael gave a heavy sigh. I didn't think it would actually make her pass out, he thought. She didn't scream nearly as loud as I did, and my wings were in better shape than hers. He'd found only a few tears along her tendons from her fight with Ze'ev, thankfully.

    Umbra slid down his arm and nestled in Estelle's hair. He gave the shadow a small smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize she was going to faint."

    The rest of the shadows wrapped themselves around Estelle's arms. Mikael scooted back a short distance. He tilted his head, studying her. Her features were relaxed for once. The corners of her lips were upturned in a natural smile. Her lashes curled against her freckled cheeks, fluttering occasionally. Locks of stray hair hung across her forehead.

    Mikael's gaze wandered down the length of her bare arms. She bore a few scars, but nothing like the terrible burns that covered both of her parents' hands. All the same, Mikael wondered at the origin of them, as well as the scars on her wings.

    He'd researched wing clipping after their second argument. There were several methods of doing it. Most preferred to bind the wings and shred the central tendons with a dagger. Estelle's scars looked as though someone had tried slicing her tendons with scissors while she'd been struggling.

    Mikael's gut clenched in anger. Did someone try to clip her wings? Was that why she was so sensitive about it? Was that where these specifically placed scars came from? Did that male, Ze'ev, have something to do with it? Mikael blinked and shook his head, trying to push his anger aside.

    He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Why was this making him so angry? Mikael rubbed his forehead wearily. It was just...instinct. He would have those instincts with anyone. Celeste, Sienna... Wouldn't he?

    Mikael inhaled deeply. He'd never been around Estelle long enough to catch her scent. Only brief whiffs of it when they sparred. Now, it permeated the air, along with his own. She smelled of smoke and snowdrops. His scent carried the freshness of morning dew and crisp mountain air.

    Umbra situated itself on his arm once more. Mikael opened his eyes, hearing the door slam open. Feet pounded in the hallway and Lysander came into view, his eyes wide with fear. He stared between Estelle and Mikael, his fear changing into anger.

    Mikael grunted as Lysander hauled him to his feet and shoved him back against the wall. "What did you do to my sister?" He snarled.

    "She's fine. I just..."

    Lysander wrapped a fist around his throat. Mikael gasped as his airflow was severed. "She doesn't look fine!"

    "Listen to me," Mikael rasped. He wedged his knee between them and jammed it into Lysander's gut. The male released him, staggering backwards. "I healed her wings but she fainted during the process. She's fine."

    Lysander glared at him, then crouched beside Estelle. "Es." He shook her. "Essie. Can you hear me?" Estelle blinked her eyes open with a groan. Lysander gave a sigh of relief. She sat up, touching her temple gingerly. "Are you all right?" Lysander asked. "Dad showed up and said his shadows were worried something happened to you."

    "I'm fine." Estelle's voice was little more than a whisper. "I'm all right." She gripped her brother's arm and let him help her up. Estelle stretched her wings gingerly.

    She met Mikael's gaze. "I'm all right," she repeated. "Mikael healed my wings for me but it hurt more than I expected. I must have passed out." Lysander still glowered at Mikael. "He didn't hurt me, Lys," Estelle said firmly. "I'm all right. Is Dad still here?"

    Lysander nodded. "He's talking to Devlon. Jorah is calming him down. I'll tell him you're all right, but he'll want to see you. He'll have to show Mom you're all right."

    He started towards the door, pausing just once to look back. Estelle rubbed her arm and moved over to a cabinet. She grabbed a shirt and pulled it on over her tank top. Mikael stood wordlessly at the other end of the room.

    "Did he hurt you?" She asked.

    "No, but I wouldn't blame him if he had. You have a very protective family."

    "We have reason to be." Estelle met his gaze once more. "We've been used against each other too many times before." She started towards the door, then hesitated, gripping the doorframe. She looked back over her shoulder. "Thank you, Mikael." He blinked and she was gone, her scent still hovering in the air.

◦═══✦═══◦

    "Are you sure you're all right?" Seren asked, pacing in front of Estelle. Her mother was more worried than she'd expected. Seren continued to rub her hands together until Azriel pulled them away from her chest and gripped them tightly.

    "I'm fine, Mom. I swear." Estelle stretched her wings to prove her point. There wasn't any lingering soreness, which she found strange. In the past when she'd hurt herself and been healed, there was always some level of remaining aches.

    Madja, their favored healer, stepped back with a nod. "She's all right. There are no tears in her wings or a single bruise on her skin."

    Seren loosed a pent up breath and Azriel ran his thumb across her knuckles. His shadows drifted between the two of them, offering her additional comfort. "I'm not even sore," Estelle said. "Is that unusual?"

    "In most circumstances, I would say yes," Madja replied. "However, Mikael's healing gift is more potent than my own. It was inherited from a High Lord, like Lucien's. I would suggest taking things easy for at least a day." Madja nodded to Azriel and Seren and left the room.

    "Come on, Lys. Rhys was asking to see you and Corbin," Azriel said. He kissed Seren's forehead before he and Lysander left. The door to Estelle's bedroom clicked shut behind them.

    Seren crossed the room and sat down beside Estelle. "You don't have to get so worried all the time, Mom," Estelle said gently. "Shadows have a habit of over exaggerating things."

    "I know," Seren sighed, "but that won't stop me from worrying. I'll always worry about you and Lysander."

    "We can take care of ourselves."

    Seren drew her pendant out from beneath her shirt and ran her thumb over the carved Illyrian wings and fire. "That doesn't mean you're safe."

    Her thoughts are dark and full of turmoil, the shadows whispered. Estelle remained silent, waiting for her mother to continue.

    "When you've seen the things I have...lived through them, you know that no matter how capable someone seems, they can still fall in a heartbeat," Seren murmured. "I killed Azriel's half brothers. The same males who lit his hands on fire and kept him locked in a cell for eleven years. They caused hell for us, and I killed them in minutes."

    "Eris killed his father. You've heard stories about how powerful Beron was. Eris still managed to defeat him. When Azriel told me about Evren's death...he said he's never seen Eris so undone." Seren shuddered, closing her eyes. "He let me see her death unfold through my daemati abilities. I hope I never hear another scream like that."

    "It reminded me of my own. You were there when your father died during the War with Koschei. I'm just glad you'll never remember it." Seren blinked and Estelle saw tears rimming her eyes. "I've never met a male more capable than Azriel and I held him in my arms as he died."

    Estelle could only imagine the pain her mother must have felt. To lose one's mate was to lose half of one's self. Most would rather die than live without their mate. It was very rare for someone to receive another mate after the first had died.

    The only person Estelle knew who'd gone through that was Jorah, and she had broken the Bond with her first mate herself. Estelle could only hope that someday, if she had a mate of her own, she would love them as deeply as her parents, aunts, and uncles loved one another.

    "You're capable, and still, there have been plenty of times when I might have lost you and Lysander," Seren continued. "When I might have lost you and Azriel at the same time."

    Estelle swallowed, a lump forming in her throat. She didn't want to remember that awful day that her mother was talking about. Instead, she leaned over and hugged Seren tightly. "I know, Mom. You've lost a lot of people, but I promise you are not going to lose me. You don't need to be so worried when something small happens."

    "Small things can become big overnight," Seren laughed weakly. "Just look at you and your brother."

    Estelle smiled, drawing back. She knit her brows, thinking. "Do you know what Rhys wanted from Corbin and Lys?"

    "He plans on taking them to the Summer Court when he visits next week."

    "Are they going to see Amren and Varian?"

    Seren nodded. "Tarquin and Cresseida will be there too. Rhys thought it would be good for them to go on some diplomatic visits too, since you'll be unavailable for a while and Nyx has his own duties to attend to some of the time."

    Estelle grinned. "They'll be pleased about that. They always complained that they only got to go on the boring visits while Nyx and I attended the fun ones."

    "I suppose it will give them a break from Devlon too." Seren stood and offered Estelle her hand. Estelle took it, letting Seren pull her to her feet. "We should get you back to Windhaven. I'm sure Devlon and Jorah have training exercises planned until midnight."

    "You would know. You helped with the planning," Estelle rolled her eyes. "Will I get to be at home more than a few minutes during the weeks we're here?"

    Seren nodded with a smile. "Of course you will." She bit her lip. "After you start making some progress with Mikael."

    "Of course," Estelle groaned. "I'm working on it. Sort of."

    "Well, you should sort of work on it harder." Seren pressed a kiss to her forehead and pushed her towards the balcony door. "I love you."

    "I love you too, Mom." Estelle let the shadows wrap around her. They carried her away from Velaris and back to Windhaven in seconds.