Nash had been so right. This was exactly what I needed.

I knelt while I held Elsie in a tight hug.

"I missed you, Maxy." Her curls tickled the side of my face. "It's been four sleeps!"

"I know it. I'm so sorry." It hadn't simply been the four sleeps that made it feel so long. I'd only seen her for an hour the day she came to visit. As soon as I let go of her, she grabbed me again.

"Biggest hugs!" Elsie cried.

"Biggest hugs!"

When I pulled back, my throat felt thick I could cry. I realized how badly I just wanted to go home with Nash and Elsie and take the weight of the valley off my shoulders for even a few days. I brushed her hair behind her ears and tapped her nose. "Did you know that you're getting tall?"

"Oh, I know. Strong too."

"Very."

"Watch this." Elsie suddenly sprinted away toward the big tree in the center of the courtyard of the Sacred School where her bag of belongings waited. That and the two sticks I noticed she grabbed now.

I sank back onto the grass in the courtyard of the Sacred School. Nash settled beside me and laced his fingers with mine.

Elsie wheeled around and slashed both sticks down. Stomping one foot forward, she let out a cry and jabbed one makeshift sword, while raising the other in a convincing, albeit clumsy, guard.

"Wow," I said and clapped, truly mesmerized by the determination in her eyes. "You've been training."

"Every single day, Maxy. Just like Daddy."

Elsie kicked, spun, and launched into a series of swings. Max was surprised by her coordination at the young age of five.

"Maybe we should take her to battle," I whispered.

Nash smirked but shook his head. "I can't even joke about it."

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"Because you know she'll be charging in one day. Look at her."

He waved a hand at me. "Please. I'm hoping to have at least ten years before I have to worry about it. Maybe twenty."

"Twenty? Are you insane? You'll be lucky if you make it ten years before she's trying to get to the front lines."

"She makes me feel so conflicted. I love her courage, but part of me wants her to be a coward. I want her to stay home and safe forever."

"Don't let your fear hold her back."

Nash nodded, looking serious now. "I know."

"Thank you for making me come back before meeting with Gael. I wouldn't have made it without this."

When Nash met my eyes, the weight on my shoulders managed to slip off for a few seconds and for my world to become as small as this courtyard. "It's not your fault we're at war. We always have been." His thumb traced along my jaw. "Don't let your guilt kill you."

"How do I say no to people who need my help?"

"I don't know. That's why we're meeting with Gael. So they have more than just you to ask. Even if you make an agreement, you still have to be willing to let someone take care of the people."

I chewed the inside of my lip while watching Elsie play. "It's hard to step back. I feel responsible for the turmoil. I know you're trying to tell me I'm not, but I did make certain decisions, and those had consequences."

"Listen." Nash lifted my face to his. "You had us at your side every step of the way. This is not all on you."

My lips melted against his. With the three of us together in the courtyard, all felt right. "I don't know what's going to happen with Elias's world. The gods will figure out I've traveled there and they may get mad, especially after we give you an implant. Is this is even what you want?"

"Absolutely." The muscles in his jaw knotted. "You remember what it was like when your power was locked away inside of you. So imagine how it feels to have none. It kills me that I can't fight beside you the way you need me to."

"You never say."

"But you knew."

I nodded, chest tightening. "Of course I knew."

"I want that implant. I don't want anything to hold me back ever again. If that power can help me make a peaceful home for you and Elsie and everyone we love, then I'll do anything to get it."

"The gods–"

"Make them listen, Max. Dr. Drake cares about you. You have some pull with them."

"Alright. We just have to make this work. We need more people with power we can trust. It bothers me a little, though. Deciding who gets power and who doesn't."

"Don't get caught up in it. We're in a crisis and this is part of the solution. You can beat yourself up about it later."

I chuckled. "Fair enough."

"Now no more talk about anything serious. Rest."

I turned to lean against his chest and close my eyes against the warmth of the sun shining through the glass top of the climate-controlled courtyard. Elsie hopped onto her knees in front of us and retired her sticks at her side. When I opened my eyes, it was to her wide grin.

It felt like I drew in my first breath in days.