The group was in the carriage instead of the dimensional space so that Zee could stare outside.
Her face was blank, but everyone knew emotions were deep.
The river had followed them for most of the afternoon.
Sometimes it disappeared behind low hills or stretches of scrub, only to reappear farther down the road. Wide enough to provide water for travelers, narrow enough that the sound of it never quite overwhelmed the quiet of the desert.
Eventually, Pixelle flew higher.
She hovered above the caravan for several seconds before dropping back down.
"There's a lake up ahead."
Zee looked up.
"A lake?"
"The river feeds into it," Pixelle said. "Not far. Maybe another half hour."
Zee was quiet for a moment.
Then she looked at Jax.
"Can we stop there?"
Jax didn't hesitate.
"Of course."
"I just..." Zee looked toward the river. "I think I need to be outside for a while."
Jax understood.
Three days inside the caravan.
Then her family.
Her father.
Everything that had happened.
Zee needed nature.
She needed open sky.
Water.
Wind.
Something alive that didn't expect anything from her.
"Then we'll stop."
No one argued.
No one mentioned schedules.
No one suggested they keep moving.
The lake appeared less than thirty minutes later.
It wasn't enormous, but after days of desert, it looked almost impossible. The river widened into a broad stretch of dark blue water surrounded by reeds, scattered trees and patches of green that followed the shoreline.
The caravan stopped beneath one of the larger trees.
The Shadow Bulls settled nearby.
Nobody immediately started preparing dinner.
Nobody asked what came next.
They simply gave Zee what she had asked for.
Time.
By the time the sun began dipping toward the horizon, Jax sat with his back against one of the caravan's wheels.
Zee rested in his arms.
Neither of them had spoken for several minutes.
The lake reflected the changing sky, gold slowly giving way to orange and red. A light breeze moved across the water, carrying the smell of grass and damp earth.
Zee's head rested against his chest.
Jax had one arm around her, his thumb moving slowly against her arm.
Small circles.
Nothing important.
Just enough to remind her he was there.
"You stayed," she said quietly.
Jax looked down at her.
"I wasn't going anywhere."
"I mean after that."
"After what?"
She shifted enough to look at him.
"Everything they said."
Jax gave a small breath through his nose.
"Was that supposed to scare me off?"
The faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.
"Maybe."
"Then they don't know me very well."
She gave a small laugh.
It didn't last long.
But it was real.
Zee settled against him again.
"I think I've been carrying them with me this whole time."
Jax didn't interrupt.
"Even after I left. Even after everything that happened." She watched the water. "I kept thinking maybe one day I'd go back and it would make sense."
She swallowed.
"That they would explain it in a way that didn't feel so wrong."
"They won't."
"I know."
Her answer came quickly.
Too quickly.
Jax didn't challenge it.
Zee stared across the lake.
"But I needed to see it."
Jax waited.
"I needed to know what would happen if I went back."
Her fingers moved lightly against his shirt.
"I think some part of me thought they might have changed."
Jax knew.
He'd known before they arrived.
He'd known when she spent an hour staring at the same page of a book.
Zee had talked about closure.
Tradition.
Her father's blessing.
But somewhere underneath all of that had been a little girl hoping her parents had heard the stories.
Hoping they were proud of her.
Hoping they wanted their daughter back.
Jax tightened his arm around her.
"I'm sorry."
Zee was quiet.
"My mother cried."
"I saw."
"She didn't say anything."
"No."
"I don't know if that makes it better or worse."
Jax didn't pretend to have an answer.
"I don't know either."
Zee nodded.
They watched the lake together.
"I thought they'd heard about me."
"They had."
"No." Zee shook her head. "I mean really heard about me."
Jax understood.
"I thought maybe someone had come through and told them what I'd done. Maybe someone I healed. Or someone who'd seen me fight."
Her voice grew quieter.
"I thought maybe my mother had heard my name somewhere."
Jax said nothing.
"And maybe she smiled."
That hurt more than anything Agamon had said.
Because Jax could hear exactly how much Zee had wanted it.
"I thought maybe my father heard too. Maybe he wouldn't admit it to anyone, but..."
She stopped.
Jax waited.
"Maybe he was proud of me."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
Jax pulled her closer.
Zee closed her eyes.
For a while, there was only the sound of water moving against the shore.
Eventually, Zee breathed out.
"I don't want their blessing anymore."
Jax looked down at her.
Zee's eyes remained on the lake.
"I don't need it."
Jax studied her for a moment.
"Okay."
She looked up at him.
That wasn't agreement.
It wasn't celebration.
It wasn't Jax telling her she was better off without them.
It was simply acceptance.
Zee seemed to understand that.
"If they don't want to be part of my life, then they don't get to decide what I do with it."
"No."
"They don't get to decide who I marry."
"No."
"They don't get to decide whether I'm worthy of being happy."
Jax's expression hardened slightly.
"They never did."
Zee stared at him.
Then nodded.
"I want to get married in Solmere."
Jax smiled.
"Okay."
"I don't want another ceremony built around traditions that decided what I was supposed to be."
"Works for me."
"I want people there who actually want me there."
"You've got a lot of those."
That brought another small smile.
"I know."
Zee looked toward the others.
They had deliberately spread out along the shoreline.
Bunny sat near the water with her boots off, feet dangling in the shallows.
Pixelle was hovering over the reeds, apparently having an intense disagreement with a dragonfly.
Llandra stood beneath one of the trees.
Nyxian was beside her.
Lexi sat nearby.
None of them were watching Zee.
Which meant all of them were watching Zee.
She smiled.
"I want them there."
"They'd probably be offended if you didn't."
"Bunny might hit me with her hammer."
"Probably."
"Pixelle would yell."
"Definitely."
"Nyxian would..."
Zee considered that.
Jax waited.
"I don't actually know what Nyxian would do."
"Neither do I. That's usually the problem."
Zee laughed.
This one lasted longer.
Jax smiled.
She leaned back against him.
"I want Solmere."
"Then Solmere it is."
"And I don't want to wait."
Jax raised an eyebrow.
"How long are we talking?"
"One week."
Jax looked down at her.
"One week?"
"We already have the dress."
"True."
"We already made most of the arrangements before we left."
"Also true."
"And we have Lexi."
Jax looked across the shoreline.
Lexi was suddenly standing.
She had absolutely been listening.
"A week is plenty," Lexi announced.
Jax stared at her.
Lexi was already writing something in a small notebook.
"Of course it is."
Lexi didn't even look up.
"I'll need updated attendance estimates, confirmation from the caterers, final alterations on Zee's dress, flowers, musicians, seating, security coordination, lodging assignments for visiting guests and confirmation that the venue is still available."
Jax blinked.
Zee looked at her.
Lexi finally glanced up.
"What?"
Jax shook his head.
"Nothing."
She returned to the notebook.
Jax looked down at Zee.
"Apparently we're getting married in a week."
Zee smiled.
"Apparently."
"You sure?"
Her smile faded slightly.
Not from doubt.
Something else.
She turned enough to face him.
"I'm sure about you."
Jax's expression softened.
"That's the important part."
Zee nodded.
"I spent so much of my life being told what I was supposed to do. Where I was supposed to go. What I owed everyone."
She looked toward the lake.
"I don't want to do that anymore."
Jax let her speak.
"I chose to leave."
A pause.
"I chose to become a healer."
Another.
"I chose to stay with all of you."
Her eyes returned to him.
"And I choose you."
Jax smiled.
"Good choice."
Zee gave him a look.
"You're a little biased."
"Extremely."
She laughed again.
Then leaned forward and rested her forehead against his.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
They stayed like that for a while.
No promises that everything was fixed.
No pretending the day hadn't hurt.
No pretending tomorrow wouldn't hurt too.
Just Zee in his arms.
The lake in front of them.
The sun disappearing beyond the horizon.
And a life waiting for her in the other direction.
Eventually, Zee pulled away.
"One week."
"One week."
"And we're getting married."
"That's usually what happens at a wedding."
She lightly hit him in the chest.
Jax grinned.
Zee rested against him again.
"Let's go home."
Jax kissed the top of her head.
"Let's go home."
A short distance away, Nyxian watched them.
Bunny had joined her, along with Llandra and Pixelle.
"They look better," Bunny said quietly.
Llandra nodded.
"She needed this."
Pixelle looked toward Zee.
"Her dad is stupid."
Llandra glanced down at her.
Pixelle crossed her tiny arms.
"He is."
Nyxian considered that.
"Well, I know one thing."
Bunny looked at her.
"What?"
"Her father is definitely not getting that mug Jax sells."
Bunny frowned.
"Which mug?"
Nyxian stared at her.
"The one that says World's Greatest Dad."
Bunny's lips pressed together.
Her shoulders started shaking.
Llandra closed her eyes.
Pixelle covered her mouth with both hands.
"That's terrible," Pixelle whispered.
"I know."
"Don't let Zee hear you say that."
Nyxian looked toward her.
"I wasn't planning to."
That quieted them.
Because the joke was funny.
But the wound wasn't.
And they all knew the difference.
The last of the sunlight disappeared beyond the lake.
Eventually, Zee stood.
Jax rose beside her.
The others began returning to the caravan.
Pixelle zipped inside.
Bunny started calling for everyone to hurry because she was hungry.
Nyxian followed while loudly insisting she had absolutely no idea what Bunny expected her to do about that.
Llandra walked beside Jax.
Zee started toward the caravan.
"Zee."
She stopped.
Lexi stood behind her.
Then she changed.
Her tiny Fairy form expanded until she stood at her full human height.
Zee turned toward her.
Lexi walked forward and took Zee's hand.
For once, there was no teasing.
No logistics.
No lists.
Lexi looked directly into her eyes.
"You have one week."
Zee nodded.
Lexi squeezed her hand.
"I'll make damn sure your wedding is perfect."
Zee's eyes widened slightly.
"Something even the gods will envy."
Zee stared at her.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
Then she smiled.
Not the fragile smile she'd worn earlier.
There was determination in this one.
She squeezed Lexi's hand and nodded.
Something even the gods would envy.
That was something she needed to hear.