M.K. tightened her grip around Nod's waist and shut her eyes against the rushing wind. It was thrilling, riding on the back of a bird, but she hadn't quite gotten used to the dizzying blur of giant leaves and branches swirling around her. At least not when she wasn't the one actually steering the thing. It didn't help that Nod was pushing it to go faster than normal. The only thing that made her feel like she wasn't floating off was the solid torso beneath her arms.

"You doing okay back there?"

She opened her eyes a crack and looked up into Nod's soft brown orbs. He was gazing back over his shoulder with a crooked grin, his wild hair blowing crazily in the wind.

She smiled back and shouted to be heard over the tumult. "Just great!"

"Then keep your eyes open! You'll miss the whole ride!"

M.K. rolled her eyes. "Keep your eyes forward before you run us into a tree."

"All right, all right." With one last smirk, he turned his head away and leaned forward in the saddle.

They were following close behind Ronin's hummingbird as he led the way to Moonhaven. The forest was dark and growing dimmer as thick gray clouds slowly blotted out the sun, and M.K. could tell the wind was picking up despite the gusts of air produced by their flight. Leaves whirled all around and branches swayed more and more violently. It was going to storm soon, and that made her nervous. She'd yet to experience rain while stuck in her current size, but she was sure it would be dangerous. She guessed Nod and Ronin felt the same way, judging from how they spurred their birds on faster than usual and the urgency in their body language.

Her curiosity got the best of her after another minute of flying and she leaned forward to ask, "Is it dangerous when it storms?"

Nod turned his head a bit to answer, but kept his eyes facing in front of him. "Depends. You don't want to get caught in the rain, that's for sure."

Well, that's just great, M.K. thought, casting another anxious glance at the sky. It was a dark gray color and looked as if it was just waiting for the right moment to open the floodgates and drench them all.

Nod yanked on the bird's reins just in time to avoid a particularly broad maple leaf fluttering directly into their path. M.K. hugged him even tighter to avoid being thrown off by the sudden lurch, an involuntary squeal escaping her lips.

Nod took a dramatic gasp. "Say, could you loosen your grip a little before I suffocate?"

"Maybe when you stop driving like such a maniac!"

He laughed. "You'll thank me when the rain starts and we're safe in Moonhaven."

"If we're still alive," M.K. grumbled. She wasn't sure if he heard her over the wind.

It had been just over three weeks since the new queen had been chosen. During those weeks, Nod had been giving her the grand tour of the forest—a proper one this time—much more elaborate and in-depth now that Mandrake was gone and the Boggans had been subdued. Not one had been spotted since that day, something all the Jinn were extremely thankful for.

M.K. had probably been enjoying the time more than anyone. Every day, Nod showed her something new and amazing and she never ceased to gape in wonder—whether it was an underground waterfall, an up-close encounter with an animal, or a secret treetop haven. The forest was even more beautiful and mysterious than she ever could've imagined. Although she never thought it would take being shrunk to the size of her pinky finger to realize it.

She'd accomplished much during those few weeks. She had nearly mastered the art of leaping from branch to branch and could almost keep up with Nod and Ronin now. During the time she spent at Moonhaven, she had made friends with many Jinn. They were all so kind and welcoming that it was hard to want to stay aloof. Somehow, she'd grown especially close with a daisy flower named Bellin and spent quite a few pleasant afternoons swapping stories with her. She missed her father, of course, but talked with him regularly via his many cameras. Most days he would even venture into the woods to talk with her face-to-face.

She wasn't sure how long she would stay shrunken, but she had a feeling it would be until the end of summer when she had to go back to school. But just in the past few days, she'd realized that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go back. The more time she spent with the Jinn, the less she wanted to leave. Which was absolutely crazy, of course. Hadn't she wanted to return to her human size since she'd first been shrunken? When had that changed?

She asked herself those questions on a daily basis as if she didn't already know the answer. But deep down, she was already aware of the real reason she didn't want to leave. It was because the thought of being separated from Nod was almost unbearable. Yes, she loved the friends she'd made and the world she'd been introduced to, but the real thing tethering her there was that stupid, reckless boy. After her time with him, the idea of returning to the city had become considerably less appealing. And that was something she never thought would be possible. Just like crushing on a guy the size of an insect.

For now, she chose not to think about it. That bridge would be crossed later. In that moment, she just leaned against the toned back in front of her and relished the feeling of having her arms around him. It amazed her how, a few weeks ago, she'd been so reluctant to be in this position and now there was nowhere else she'd rather be. They'd been spending so much time together. She hated the thought of being out in the normal sized world while he was here, riding birds and running through the treetops without her. Mentally, she shook her head. Not thinking about it.

"Hey, M.K.?"

She leaned her chin over his right shoulder to hear him better.

"I, uh…I was thinking," he said, his voice barely audible above the rushing wind. "Would you ever—" Suddenly he lurched. "GYAH!"

"Nod?" M.K. gripped his arm, feeling a twist of alarm in her stomach. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," came his quick reply. "Everything's fine."

But M.K. didn't miss the strain in his voice. She leaned up farther, trying to peer over his shoulder to see what was the matter. But before she could get far, he pitched forward again, his body going rigid, a pained grunt escaping his lips.

"Nod?!" M.K. shouted, fear wrenching her voice up a few octaves.

He didn't answer. He didn't even acknowledge that she'd spoken. Suddenly she was seized by a horrible panic. Heart pounding against her ribcage, she hoisted herself up in the saddle and finally got a good view over his shoulder.

Immediately the blood drained from her face. Bile rose to the back of her throat, forcing her to swallow to keep from vomiting. There were two arrows. Two crooked, rough, wooden shafts, one lodged in Nod's left bicep and the other buried in his lower abdomen.

For a moment M.K. could only stare in disbelief. Even when she saw blood begin to seep into the fabric of his shirt, her mind remained numb. She blinked, wholly believing the sight before her would vanish. But it stayed.

It took a full five seconds for her brain to finally kick into gear. She glanced up into the trees just in time to see the tail end of an ugly brown Boggan disappearing behind the trunk of a hemlock. Her mind spun. They hadn't been seen in weeks! Why now?

She didn't have time to dwell on it. Her attention turned back to Nod, horror churning in her gut and making her feel sick. Blood was quickly spreading across his stomach and arm, dark crimson covering the light green. His eyes were wide in shock and glazed over. And his chest had stopped moving.

"Breathe, Nod!" M.K. shouted once she'd gotten some semblance of sense back. Her fingers dug into his shoulder to get his attention. "Breathe!"

She must have gotten through, because he suddenly gasped and slumped in the saddle, the rigidness draining from his form and leaving him limp. Spastic, hitched breaths proceeded to rack his chest like hiccups. M.K. gripped him under the arms to keep him from falling completely forward and somehow managed to grab the reins from his flaccid fingers.

"You're gonna be okay," she whispered frantically in his ear, her voice breathy and shaking because she didn't fully believe it herself but it had to be true. "Just relax. You're gonna be fine."

"I'm…I'm all—all right," the boy gasped, his voice quivering worse than hers had been.

The fact that he would try to claim such a thing right now was ridiculous, but at least it affirmed that he was still conscious, if not completely coherent. She gave the bird a hard kick in the sides, urging it to go faster. They sped through the air, quickly approaching the back of Ronin's hummingbird.

M.K. waited until they were almost side-by-side with him to shout his name. "RONIN!"

The Leafman didn't look in their direction, instead keeping his focus on maneuvering the fast-flying bird through the trees. "What is it?"

"N-Nod!" she screamed desperately through the rushing air. "Nod's been shot!"

Instantly his head snapped to them. Even from that distance, M.K. could see the way his eyes widened in horror as he got a good look at the arrows perforating Nod's blood-soaked torso. "Oh no…" he muttered in shock. Then, in less than a second, all traces of fear and worry were wiped from his countenance. His features hardened into a determined expression, his mouth set in a firm line. "Follow me," he commanded, and zipped off to the right.

M.K. struggled to direct the bird after him. She didn't know where in the world he might be going, but she hoped it was close. They wove through trees and branches at a frantic speed. Her arms around his waist were suddenly not a comfort anymore, now that they were supporting him and slowly getting covered in his blood. She tried not to think about it, but the image of the arrows piercing his flesh was seared into her mind and the warm dampness growing around the wounds was making her lightheaded.

It seemed to take forever to reach Ronin's destination. The wind only got wilder, creating a maelstrom of leaves and pine needles. M.K. muttered nonsense into Nod's ear the entire ride, hoping to keep him awake. She kept her eyes locked on the green tail of the bird ahead of her.

Finally, finally, it dove down toward a tree and landed on the side of a hollow in the narrow trunk. And not a moment too soon. As soon as M.K. was maneuvering her bird into the hole, the rain began to fall. She barely avoided being hit by a massive raindrop by ducking into the cover of the cavity.

Ronin was out of his saddle and by their side in an instant. M.K. released the reins and withdrew her arms from under Nod's. The boy swayed in the saddle for a moment, then slumped to the side with a groan.

"Whoa!" Ronin just managed to catch him before he fell all the way to the ground. "Easy there." Carefully, he eased Nod off of the bird and half-guided, half-carried him to the back of the small hollow.

M.K. slid out of the saddle and followed warily. As Ronin helped him to the ground, she could see his injuries head-on for the first time. They looked even worse now. His left arm was practically dripping with the blood pouring out from around the arrow's wooden shaft. And now his shirt was drenched, almost black with it. She had never been particularly squeamish about such things, but the sight of him covered in so much red was enough to summon a fresh bout of nausea.

But that vanished when Nod gave another yelp of pain. His face was contorted with a grimace and his body trembled. M.K. suddenly rushed to his side and knelt, pulling his head into her lap. Her fingers gently brushed through his sweaty hair as she tried to bring him whatever comfort she could.

Ronin bent over his torso and began inspecting the wounds with hard, calculating blue eyes. There wasn't a hint of emotion in his face, but M.K. knew he was distraught when she noticed the slight tremor in his hands as they hovered over Nod's chest. She herself fought to keep tears from her eyes. She wasn't prone to show extreme emotion, but seeing her friend in this state was unexpectedly hard.

It hadn't been a minute before Ronin stood. "I'll be right back." He walked toward the entrance of the hollow.

"Where are you going?" M.K. asked fearfully.

"Just outside. Not far."

Her brow furrowed in worry. "In the rain? Is it safe?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine," he replied, sounding confident. Without waiting another second, he leaped out of the tree and was gone.

The rain was falling harder now. M.K. could hear the steady drumming of large drops on the leaves and the branches and the ground. The only other sound was Nod's labored breathing.

She continued to stroke his hair, trying to look at anything except the horrible mess of blood covering his stomach. Her eyes fell to his face and she felt her stomach clench again. He'd gone pale. His eyes were screwed shut in pain and she couldn't tell if he was conscious or not. Sweat was beading on his brow quickly. She pulled the sleeve of her hoodie over her fist and gently dabbed at it. It wouldn't do much good, but she didn't want to just sit and do nothing.

"It'll be all right, you'll see," she cooed softly. "Everything is going to be just fine." It was an empty promise, but she had to believe it. The last time she'd seen a forest-dweller with an arrow in their stomach… She shuddered. I can't think about that. Nod is strong. He won't let this take him from me.

His head lolled to the side and he let out another low moan.

"Nod?" M.K. leaned over, hopeful. "Can you hear me?"

After a second or two, his eyes fluttered open and drifted up to hers. They were hazy and unfocused and filled with pain, but there was recognition in them. The corner of his mouth twitched into the faintest grin. It was enough for M.K.

She smiled, vehemently holding back tears, and smoothed a lock of thick hair away from his forehead. "It'll be okay," she repeated, just as much for her sake as for his. "Just hang on, all right?"

He gave a barely perceptible nod. Then his eyes slowly closed again.