“Kimber, it’s Asti. I swear on Saint Bridget that it’s absolutely safe to open the door.”
The door flew open, and a short, stout woman came out and wrapped her arms around Asti. “Thank every blessing,” she said. She then reached over to Verci and pulled him in as well. “You are both such blessings.”
“Easy, easy,” Asti said. “I’m covered in bruises.”
“Is everyone all right in here?” Dayne called out, centering his focus on one of the brothers. “The children?”
“Those who are in here,” the brother said. “We’re all safe. But Sister Myriem?”
Dayne lowered the girl to the ground. “I don’t know if she’s hurt. She’s breathing.”
“She saved me,” Jerinne said. She was still very confused about what happened in the narthex. “I don’t understand how, but she saved me.”
Asti took a good look at her. “She was in your pub yesterday,” he told Kimber. “She prayed with me.”
“She came to the shop, called me Saint Terrence,” Verci said. “Who is she?”
“She’s Sister Myriem,” Satrine said. She came in with Minox, both of them looking an absolute fright. Minox was as pale as curdled milk. Behind them, Hemmit and Lin walked slowly, both looking distraught and out of sorts. Then what happened to Maresh came flooding back to Jerinne. Sudden tears coming, she went over and embraced them both.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, almost choking out her words. “I . . . I know I failed you down there. I know I—”
“No,” Lin said. “Don’t blame yourself. They did this. Only them.”
Hemmit tried to hide his tears, but failed. “Maresh . . . the bodywagon is taking him away. He’s got . . . I need to write to his mother.”
Dayne approached. “Do you . . . can we do anything?”
“We’re going to go with Maresh,” Lin said. “But . . . stay and make sure everything is set here.”
“We’ll see you soon,” Hemmit said, grabbing Dayne in an embrace. “Thank you, my friend, for continuing to be . . . everything that you are.”
“I’m not entirely sure what that is,” Dayne said.
Hemmit chuckled. “A champion, my friend.” He pointed to Jerinne, and to the Rynaxes and the constables. “All of you.”
Lin led him out, and Dayne and Jerinne went back to the group around Sister Myriem.
Satrine was kneeling down next to the cloistress. “Myriem, it’s Satrine Rainey. Are you all right?”
The girl didn’t stir.
The reverend approached from the back of the church, a group of children behind him. His expression was a cipher as he knelt down next to Myriem. “The sister is our charge, friends, and we will tend to her. It shall be our honor.” On his signal, a few of the brothers picked her up and took her back.
From behind the children, a young woman came through. Napolic. After a moment, Jerinne realized it was the same one from the tunnels yesterday. Kaiana.
“Where’s Ver—the Thorn? What happened?”
Dayne looked stricken. “Um, he . . . that is . . .”
“Miss Nell,” Minox said, stepping forward. He spoke quietly, as if his voice would break if he raised it at all. “Mister Calbert was instrumental in stopping the disaster that unfolded today. We . . . we would not have been able to end this crisis without him. He . . . his bravery . . .”
Kaiana’s face fell as the meaning of Minox’s words became clear. Her whole body crumpled, and she would have fallen had a skinny young man not been there to catch her.
“We’re very grateful to him,” Dayne said. “He was—” That was all Dayne managed before he started crying.
“We should—” Asti said haltingly. “We should figure out what do with these children.”
“I’m having a wagon come to bring them to the Grand Inspection Unit,” Satrine said quietly. “We’ll . . . we’ll find their homes, and take care of the ones without any.”
“Good,” Dayne said, wiping his eyes. “This is all a good day. You all will be able to go home in time for Terrentin.”
“Indeed!” a voice boomed from the church door. A figure strolled into the church—dressed all in yellow and soaking wet, and every step left a wet footprint. He walked confidently, with a sack over his shoulder. “So Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice!”
Kimber fell to her knees, “Blessing upon us, Saint Terrence has come.”
“Indeed!” he said, coming closer. “I’ve come because I heard there were several children here, some of whom have never received a gift for Terrentin.” He put the sack down and opened it up, revealing that it was filled with toys: jape-snaps and wind-ups and clamor-boxes.
“Wait a minute—” Verci said. Saint Terrence looked up at him and winked.
“So many beautiful, incredible toys for these children,” Saint Terrence said, handing them to the children. “For you, and you, and you.”
Kaiana looked up and screamed. She leaped on top of Saint Terrence, wrapping her arms and legs around him.
“Does he have a gift for her?” one of the children asked. This one must have been the baron’s son, based on his accent.
“I think so,” Dayne said.
“Let’s let the children enjoy their toys,” Asti said, urging everyone to step away. “I’m sure the saint has a lot more places to go today.”
“Indeed,” Saint Terrence said, letting Kaiana back on her feet, though her arms stayed wrapped around him. “In fact, let’s adjourn to the back room.”
“All of us?” Jerinne asked.
“Yes,” Satrine said, her voice dripping with honey. “We’re all the saint’s helpers today.”
They—Dayne and Jerinne, Asti, Verci, and Kimber, Satrine and Minox, Saint Terrence and Kaiana and even the skinny fellow—went through to the back to a small meeting room. Saint Terrence slumped into a chair. “I know, I know, I owe you about sixty crowns, Rynax.”
“At least,” Verci said.
Saint Terrence sighed, and his features, yellow suit and even his wetness melted away to reveal the Thorn. He looked a mess of cuts and bruises, but he had a wide, if exhausted smile on his face.
“Can you explain what happened?” Dayne asked. “How are you—”
“Not dead?” the Thorn asked.
“You let me think you were dead!” Kaiana said, slapping at him.
“I did nothing of the sort,” the Thorn said. “So those last moments on the platform, we had sucked the last bit of dragon out of
