I glanced up at the queen, surprised to find her eyes fixed on me. She gave me a little nod of acknowledgment, but just as quickly her attention was drawn back to the courtyard, where the first horses appeared, as the crowd exploded in applause.

The Sorceress Imperial led the procession, followed closely by Oliver and several members of the Wizard Guard I didn’t recognize, but not the one wizard I was looking for.

He and Owain were at the very end of the procession, chuckling about something as they guided their horses forward. Owain idly stroked Vesta’s mane; his own hair, remarkably, looked as if it had been brushed and tied back. North was still in his leather armor, and the cloak I made for him was spread out over his shoulders. There was color in his face, and a smile that stretched from ear to ear when he observed the crowds. With the sun shining directly on him, North was happy and, for the first time, receiving the recognition he deserved.

I watched his eyes cast out over the crowds and took a careful step back. I didn’t want anything to interrupt this moment for him.

They gathered with the others at the base of the stairs, dismounting from their horses. Several attendants rushed forward to lead the animals away.

North was still scanning the crowd as his mother walked up the steps to where the queen was waiting. Wordlessly, the Sorceress Imperial handed over a scroll, and the crowd hushed as Queen Eglantine read it.

“I would first like to thank each one of you for your service to our people,” said the queen loudly. “It was at great risk that you traveled into our enemy’s country, and that kind of bravery does not go unnoticed.”

At her side, the Sorceress Imperial turned away from the crowd. North climbed a few steps and turned to face the crowd again. From that height, he spotted me right away. I gave a little wave, and the grin on his face was enough to send a flush of happiness through me. He jumped down from the steps and forced his way through the crowd. I ran forward, an enormous smile on my face.

“It gives me great pleasure,” the queen was saying, “to accept Auster’s terms for peace.”

I threw my arms around North’s neck, and the crowds flooded around us, sending up songs and shouts into the air. I laughed, pressing my cheek against North’s warm skin, and felt one of his hands come up to tangle in my hair.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, and when he bent down to kiss me, we had the time to make it last.

There was still a large crowd gathered in the courtyard later that afternoon, as I sat on the ledge above. North’s notebook was open before me. I thumbed through it, taking notes of my own.

Fallbright leaves mixed with heartroot intensified the pain, I wrote inside the back cover of Proper Instruction for Young Wizards. Fallbright leaves are rare but may have a better effect blended with a combination of georgeroot and cattail leaves.

Now that he was back and things had settled down, there was only one last problem pulling at my consciousness. The war might have been put to rest, and Dorwan shipped off to Auster, but we had yet to overcome North’s curse.

“What are you doing?” North asked, coming up behind me. He wrapped an arm around my chest and drew me back toward him.

“A little research,” I admitted. I snapped the books shut and turned around. I had a few ideas about the curse, but I didn’t need to bring them up quite yet.

“Research!” he said. “Don’t you know you have a companion of limitless intelligence and magic? What do you need books for, when you have me?”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future,” I said. He leaned down to kiss me, but I pulled away at the last moment.

“Now, now,” I said. “You’ll have to treat me with a little more respect. They consider me a goddess in some countries, you know.”

North laughed loudly, reaching for me again. “Yes, but I’ve always considered you a goddess, Sydelle Mirabil.”

I smiled, letting him pull me close. Wizards, honestly.

“Can I see your hands?” I asked him. “Just for a moment?”

I could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn’t want to do it. “Right now?” he asked, taking in the sight of the wizards and humans milling below.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I murmured. I lifted one of his gloved hands and kissed it. He seemed to relax.

“If you weren’t so beautiful…,” he said, and slowly began to tug at his gloves.

I drew his hands closer to me, inspecting his skin for any signs that the curse had spread. North shifted his weight impatiently, but I kept my eyes fixed on where the black began and ended.

“It really hasn’t spread since Arcadia,” I said, turning his hands so his palms were faceup. “I feel so relieved.”

“Yes, but I really haven’t done any hard magic since then,” North said. “The next time I have to cast a spell, I’m sure you’ll see a difference.”

“Wayland.” We turned toward the dark-haired woman watching us from a short distance away. North yanked his gloves back on, turning away from his mother.

“I didn’t realize it had already progressed so far,” said Hecate, her face pale. She looked smaller to me somehow, though she was still dressed in the resplendent robes of her office. “Are you in pain?”

“I’m fine,” North said. He tucked his hands into his pockets. “We’ll be leaving soon. You don’t have to worry about our causing more trouble.”