Keena

 

                                                          

 

Keena gasped and her eyes flew open, rewarding her with white-hot, vision-blinding pain. Her whole body hurt. Each muscle felt like someone had pounded it with a meat tenderizer and then again for good measure. A sharp stinging sensation on her lip made her touch the spot gingerly. The memory of her fight in the practice ring filtered back to her in pieces. 

She groaned, shielding her eyes with one arm. “Ugh.”

She was lying flat on her back on the unyielding wooden surface of a table, its hard edges digging into the bruises on her back. The cabin was owned by Adriel and his family. She could tell by the scent of flowers perpetually drying in hanging bunches from the ceiling.

“Welcome back, sleepyhead,” Adriel’s deep voice said.

Keena moved her arm an inch to peek cautiously at him. He’d tied his long black braids out of his face with a piece of leather he kept tied around one wrist for that very purpose. Concern colored the ice-blue of his eyes, the emotion drawing his perfectly shaped eyebrows together into a frown. The expression told her he wasn’t entirely impressed with her antics. 

“‘Welcome’ might be too strong a word?” Keena said, trying a small smile. Her voice sounded like a croak from the grogginess still blanketing her. 

“Yeah, that sluagh smacked you hard. How’s your head feel?” he asked.

“Like I got hit with a stick,” she grumbled.

Adriel laughed softly, his warm breath brushing over her neck as he reached out with one hand, his lean fingers slipping behind her head. They gently probed their way through her hair, finding the bump and avoiding it as he skillfully kneaded her scalp. It was deeply relaxing and made her want to push her head into his touch to encourage him to keep going. 

But then a tingle shot up her spine, one that brought a different sort of longing into her limbs. For him to slide his fingers down, for him to lean a little closer than he already was. The urge to pull him to her startled her enough to make her turn her head sharply, the self-consciousness too sudden to control. 

He mustn’t be able to tell. And he knew all her tells. 

Worse than that, with his wolf senses, he’d be able to smell her tells. The thought was making her heart quicken, but at least the pain lacing through her as she’d moved too fast proved a helpful distraction. Especially as her groan in protest put an alarmed expression on that handsome face of his. It made his cheekbones more pronounced, and she could see the tiny muscle flex along his jaw.

He pulled his hands away, moving back from her and ending up standing awkwardly by the side of the table. She told herself firmly that it was better he stood there than sat next to her. A few strands of loose black hair shifted, kissing his face when he tilted his head. His blue eyes were lit with an inner glow as he studied her, she was losing herself in his gaze. What was on his mind?

Then he arched an eyebrow at her. “What were you even thinking?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, still stuck on what he might be thinking.

A glower creased his brow. “That was a level one ring.”

She looked away from him, replacing her arm over her eyes. She didn’t want to think about it. The way that her light had taken her over like the rage was swallowing her whole. It wasn’t like this in Themiskyra—the anger. Here it was concentrated and thick. She had forgotten herself. Forgotten how potent the anger was once she passed through the gate. But she couldn’t express that to Adriel. She didn’t want him to see the truth of the ugliness that lurked within her. That had been one of the many reasons she’d always downplayed the extent of her light, so that no one saw the shadows that the gift of her light cast. Only Polly had seen them.

“I passed level three a long time ago. I thought I could handle it.”

“Right,” he muttered, seeing through the lie. He might not know all her shadows, but he had an unsettling knack for noticing when something was weighing on her. He reached out and pulled her arm away from her face, making her look at him. “You could have gotten seriously hurt.”

She smiled brightly. “Thanks for the news flash.”

One corner of his lips kicked up in that way she enjoyed, and he turned away from her. When he turned back, he held a cup under her nose. A glittering golden stream of steam curled up from its brim.

“It’s Pallida tea,” he said.

Her favorite.

She was going to accept it from him, about to reach her hands up, when he took her by surprise by slipping an arm under her. She’d been about to scoot herself into a seated position to accept the cup from him and instead, here he was, propping her up.

He watched her as though she were some fragile thing. It was irritatingly nice. “Can you hold the cup?”

She could. Taking it, her mouth was unexpectedly going dry, his heat slipping over her back, brushing over nerves, bringing them to full alert.

Stand down, she told herself for the hundredth time. It’s just Adriel.

But then the arm around her shoulders made her tilt forward so that he could slip into the space behind her. It was all done in one fluid motion and she felt him settle, his legs cradling her on either side of her hips. He had the audacity to get her resting her back against his chest as though she couldn’t have sat upright on her own, but then she had to admit that she probably would have failed had she tried. 

She focused her attention on every minor detail of the wooden walls of the cabin, noting the places where the mud between logs needed to be touched up and the soft cloth curtains that blew in the breeze above the kitchen window. She focused everywhere but on the heat emanating from Adriel’s chest, or how the heat from his legs warmed the outside of her thighs.

A year ago, Adriel acting as Keena’s own cozy backrest would have been as natural as breathing, but lately there had been these reactions in her. She couldn’t put words to them because she didn’t even understand them herself. All she knew was the two of them had become awkward around one another. Or maybe it was just Keena who had gone from comfortable and amicable towards Adriel, to awkward and intensely aware of his presence. An awareness that was foreign and uncomfortable, and she resented it with every fiber of her being. 

A secret part of her longed to lock her eyes with his, tap into her sight and bore into his mind to find out just where he stood, but she would never invade the secret thoughts of someone she cared about. Not without their consent. That was a rule Keena had established for herself from the minute her gift had presented itself and it had grown into a boundary she would not let herself cross. No matter how curious she was for answers.

Keena was grateful for the tea. At least it was something to occupy herself with. She sipped it, grimacing as the bitter taste spread over her tongue.

“No honey?” she asked, clicking her tongue at the tartness.

Adriel cursed under his breath. “I forgot. I’ll get it.”

Automatically, Keena laid a hand on his leg to stop him from getting up. His body became still, like the slight pressure of her hand was anchoring him in place, rendering him unable to move.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just teasing. It’s fine. It still tastes good,” she said, using the fact that he couldn’t see her face to hide her grimace as she took another sip.

“You sure? I-I can get you some.”

“It’s fine, Adriel. My head is already feeling better.” She took another sip. Once she was sure she wasn’t scowling at the bitterness, she tilted her face up towards him with her brightest smile. His eyes met hers and she couldn’t look away. It seemed neither could he, and they were both locked in each other’s gaze, unmoving.

Keena’s heart was beating slow and steady in her chest, but every breath was heavy with anticipation. She forced herself not to glance at Adriel’s mouth, his lips shapely and full. And so very close to hers.

A stream of curses made them both jump. A moment later, Adriel’s older brother, Bly, came stomping through the front door. His exclamations cut off as he noticed Adriel and Keena. A slow, mischievous smile spread across his face as he took in the position the two were currently in. Adriel with one leg hanging off the table, Keena cradled in his lap, one of her hands still resting on his upper thigh.

“Oh. Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” Bly’s voice dripped in innuendo, making Keena’s cheeks flush automatically. 

Adriel scoffed. “Shut up, Bly. Keena hurt her head.”

Bly was the opposite of Adriel in almost every way a brother could be. 

Though Bly had the same striking and beautiful features as his younger brother, he had dirty blonde hair and deep golden-brown eyes that reminded Keena of a doe. 

Where Adriel was light-hearted when he wanted to be, he still respected his place within Mina and the responsibility the titles of his parents had placed on his shoulders. His father Prince Sentos, son of the Fae King Bres, and his mother Jikonsaseh, the Wenronian Alpha, were prominent members of Mina’s leadership and Adriel acted accordingly. 

Bly didn’t have the patience for the formalities attached to the responsibility he had been born to. The closer he got to the trials and the end of his trips to Themiskyra, the more he seemed to be on a mission to find out how many things he could do before he inevitably needed to grow up and fall in line. Keena suspected in the next twelve weeks Bly planned on drinking, fighting, and fucking his way to oblivion.

Adriel’s words temporarily sobered Bly. A concerned look knitted his brows together as he came to stand next to Keena, his eyes scanning over her face.

His voice was rough as he studied her face. “Where’d you get hit?”

She didn’t like Bly, but even she wasn’t immune to the older male’s closeness as he studied her with those doe brown eyes. Not trusting her voice, she put her hand on the back of her head. Gods, what was wrong with her? She’d never been one to get flustered by the nearness of a male like this, yet here she was all tongue-tied when yet another of the Stormwing brothers stood too close.

She tensed as his fingers slid into her hair. His touch was clinical as he probed around the back of her head, finding, and then slowly pressing on the bump. She let out a hiss as the pain shot through her again. His eyes returned to hers and his unflinching examination made Keena’s cheeks grow warm. His gaze searched her face intently, eyes squinting in the dim light of the cabin. Without a word, he left her side for the nearby kitchen counter, rummaging through a drawer before coming back.

He held something in his hand, fiddling with it for a moment. It was long and silver with a tiny bulb of glass at the end. Keena knew it was something called a flashlight. 

A few years ago, before Zeus closed most of the gates, a special team of rebel soldiers had gone through the Veil to the human realm to gather supplies. This had come after an exceptionally bad growing season, so devastating even the Naturae Fae hadn’t been able to protect the crops.

Along with large quantities of food, the team of soldiers had come back with medical supplies and medicines that weren’t available in Daearen. Keena could still remember how perplexed and awed the children had been by some items the soldiers had scavenged, like this flashlight. They were told it was a human form of magic, allowing those who didn’t have access to another source of light to still see in dark spaces. 

Bly pressed the button that got the light flooding out through the glass bulb and held it up to Keena’s face, his lips a breath away as he watched her pupils intently. He had learned to search for signs of concussion at an early age because Adriel kept climbing trees and falling out of them. For a few months, he’d been determined that he was going to learn how to fly. Like Keena. 

Keena held her breath as the overwhelming smell of liquor on Bly’s breath burned her nostrils. He whistled softly and pulled away. Keena watched as Adriel’s fingers tightened on his leg.

“Well?” Adriel asked impatiently.

Bly didn’t respond right away. He put the flashlight back in the drawer, his movements unhurried, before he turned back to them. “Those green eyes of yours sure are magnificent.”

Adriel growled at his brother in a warning. She noticed his hand shift around her and wondered if it was out of protectiveness—Bly got carried away with the flirting once he got started—or possessiveness. The mere implication made her skin heat up again. 

Adriel was too focused on his brother to notice. Or at least she hoped so.

“Don’t even go there,” Adriel warned.

Bly smirked. “Relax. She got knocked pretty good, but I don’t see any sign of concussion.” He took a swig of Keena’s tea and grimaced. “Gods, Adriel. Didn’t you put any honey or lemon in this piss?”

Keena could hear Adriel grind his teeth. Calmly she reached up and took the cup from Bly, taking a deep bitter gulp of the tea, not taking her eyes off Adriel’s brother, schooling her features into an even expression. When she finished, she put the cup down and tilted her head to the side, resisting the urge to flinch as pain shot up her neck and into the base of her skull.

She gave Bly a smug look. “Tastes fine to me.”

Bly frowned. “Maybe you did knock something loose.” He reached to examine the back of Keena’s head again.

Adriel smacked his brother’s hand away, the tension rising in the room as both stared at each other. Bly broke first, a toothy broad grin breaking out across his face that made Keena wonder exactly why Bly was so adamantly flirting with her. It seemed to her as though he was trying to get a rise out of Adriel on purpose. Like he was teasing him.

Keena’s heart sped up, unsure of how to process the implications of it. Did Adriel not want Bly flirting with her because he didn’t want her to fall for his brother’s antics and get herself hurt, or because he didn’t want her to fall for anyone’s antics period? Was it a friend looking out for a friend, or could it be jealousy? Her heart did a flip in her chest.

Why had she finished the tea?

She looked for the cup, thinking she should ask for a refill to break whatever standoff was happening between the two brothers, but Bly broke it for her.

 “Message received,” he said. “I’m going to bed.” Bly’s words were light, but as he turned away Keena saw him frown, a distant look on his face. “You know,” he added, stopping to turn back to them. “Nova should be back with the next batch of younglings anytime now. You better not let her catch you two like that, or she’ll turn you into barbequed dog meat, Adriel.” 

Bly gave his brother a meaningful smile and disappeared into a room in the back of the cabin.

Keena had to bite back her protest when Adriel took his brother’s warning to heart and shifted away from her, his hands hovering to make sure she’d be steady on her own. Despite being unhappy about losing her comfortable spot nestled against him, Bly wasn’t wrong. Nova was incredibly protective of her younger sister. She’d been chasing away boys that so much as dared to bat an eyelash at Keena for years. 

Not that it had ever been necessary. Keena wasn’t interested. Something about living in hiding and Morrigan’s dogged pursuit of the people opposed to her rule didn’t exactly whisper “romantic” to Keena. She had no desire to settle down and have a litter of children, only to ship them off to a different realm so they too could learn to become fighters. The thought made her nauseous.

“You okay?” Adriel asked. The disruption in her musings brought her back to his concerned face.

“Yeah, why?”

“You looked like you were getting sick.”

“I think I just drank the tea too fast.” She held up a finger, stopping the apology before it could leave his lips. “It’s fine,” she insisted.

He slumped back, relieved, fiddling with the cup Keena had set on the table, careful not to meet her gaze. “I went to see Ren.”

“Me too. Maeve wouldn’t let me in.”

“Me neither,” Adriel said.

Keena nodded slowly, grateful that it didn’t make her head hurt quite as badly as a minute ago. “I left some flowers,” she offered. Adriel cocked an eyebrow and Keena smiled. “I picked them in mine and Ren’s spot. You know the place.” A smile quirked his mouth and she couldn’t keep her smile from widening. “Shut up. I can be sentimental when I want to be.”

“Interesting,” he said slowly, placing a hand by his chin as though he were trying to discern some deeper meaning. She didn’t do innuendo, he knew that.

She slapped him on the arm and finally he laughed, breaking that odd tension that kept cording itself through her limbs.

Adriel grew serious, saying, “Maeve told me Ren hasn’t come out of fox form. And Maeve was hoping you’d stop by again. Maybe talk to her. I think she regretted not letting you in earlier. She doesn’t think Ren should go to the… funeral rite in that state because it might make people...”

“What? Uncomfortable?” Keena asked.

“It’s Maeve’s words, not mine,” Adriel defended, but Keena got off the table with a soft huff of annoyance.

“I think she should go in whatever form is more comfortable for her. It requires no magical effort for her to maintain her fox state. It does, however, require a great deal of effort for her to maintain her other form. Gods! Doesn’t that matter to Maeve?” Keena snapped.

Adriel’s voice was calm as he dipped his head to look at Keena. “I think it just unnerves her. It signals to her that Ren isn’t quite herself.”

 “Of course she isn’t! So, should it even be about Maeve’s feelings at this point? I mean, if we’re going to talk about nerves, let’s talk about what kind of nerve it takes to think you have the right to—” Long warm fingers spreading over her hand cut Keena’s rant off. She looked down, Adriel’s fingers splaying over hers, lacing their hands together for a moment and then squeezing.

“Keena, she lost her twin brother. She’s carrying her own grief as well as Ren’s and you know she puts Ren first. It’s not that she doesn’t think Ren should express her grief in whatever way is best for her. It’s that she wants Ren to be okay, or at least have some sliver of hope that she will be. Right now… Ren seems lost to her.” His tone was soft, sliding along Keena’s raw nerves, easing some of the anger etched in them. She looked at Adriel, who was smiling softly at her. She let out a sigh. He was right.

“You’re cute when you get all worked up,” he said, then sucked on his lips, like he hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

The swirl of feelings that rushed through Keena was both heady and infuriating. The warmth spread over her won out and she could feel herself deflate slowly. She hated when he did that, but it was those sweet, unintentional confessions that had an effect on her that was like taking the wind out of a sail, rendering her anger dead in the water.

“Madra duhb, black dog,” Keena hissed in Gaelic.

Adriel knew there was no heat in her tone. “Mac Tíre duhb, Black wolf, actually.”

His smile sent her heart scattering like horse hooves over smooth ground, rubbing her nerves raw. She needed to get out of here before she said something stupid.

Keena laughed, hiding her wince as her body protested in pain. “Alright, let’s go see Ren. I will not encourage her to transform back, but I will at least try to get her to eat something. Maybe we can stop by Enid’s and see if she has any of her tamales. Ren can never turn them down.”

“Mhm, with some of that cornbread cake she makes,” Adriel said.

Keena snickered. She was sure if he were in his wolf form, his tail would be wagging furiously. Adriel was always hungry. At the rate he was growing, she wasn’t surprised.

 “Come on, you bottomless pit, let’s go get her some food. We know she can’t resist.”

Adriel was out the door before she could finish her sentence. 

Figures, she thought, closing the door to the cabin.

 

*

The market was small, with tiny little booths set up all along the square with several more neatly set up inside the perimeter, creating tidy, narrow aisles for passers-by to walk through. Dwarves standing in front of a booth with their metal goods called out to anyone passing by, holding up jewelry and weapons alike to showcase their skill. Elves, laying out extraordinary fabrics and garments, light as air but as warm as animal fur to ward off the chill of winter clinging to the tails of spring. The aromas of herbs and hearty, warm foods lifting on the wind and filled the market, blanketing it and Mina’s citizens with a warm comforting hug.

Some of the coven witches sat behind the counter of their booth, the line reaching back and wrapping around the market as people came from all over the village to get things like healing poultice and potions for themselves. 

Outside of celestial beings, witches were the only magic wielders Keena knew of who could use magic as they needed, as long as they stayed within the confines of the natural order. This was why the witches always had an abundance of totems, runes, spells, and potions at their disposal. These tools allowed them to be unrestricted in their magic work. As long as they respected the magic they wielded, their contract to Danu would forever allow them this freedom.

Keena’s heart contracted. Longing shooting through her as she eyed the herbs and poultices displayed with care on the stand. Racks of dried herbs hung neatly behind the witches like a curtain. She’d spent years at Enid’s hip, learning the name of each plant, of their medicinal purpose, potency, and dose. A familiar tug of war played inside of Keena. The longing to be a healer and the duty that called her to be a warrior instead. 

Brenna, one of Enid’s most talented coven members, looked stern as a customer leaned over the booth. Keena had known the talented witch since she was old enough to sneak away from her mother’s watchful gaze to explore all the ingredients and ready-mixed medicinals in the coven’s apothecary. 

The customer was Kishi—one of a mere handful of hyena shifters that had settled in Mina—and his voice was growing in pitch. Keena’s brows furrowed, but when Adriel took a step forward to intervene, she placed a hand on his arm and stopped him. 

“Go get our food,” she said. “I’ll be there in a second.” She didn’t look at him, her eyes fixed on the booth.

“You’re still sore,” he remarked.

“Mind over muscle, my friend,” she replied, waving him on dismissively. 

If it came to blows, she could tell the Kishi would be an easy match. But she could also tell that it most likely wouldn’t go that far since the man had the shape and cut of a coward. She edged closer to the booth, straining to pick up the conversation. She couldn’t hear the words being exchanged, but the body language was shouting out the growing tension between the two. Brenna pushed her tightly braided hair away from her face, her black skin gleaming in the afternoon sun. Her green and brown hazel eyes fixed on the man leaning over her without flinching.

Finally, Keena was close enough to hear.

“I know for a fact you lot have a spell for that,” the man said. His lips pulled back in an annoyed snarl as he leaned over the booth’s table. 

“Sir. You’ve been here every day for a week now and every day I’ve told you the same thing. We don’t make love potions.” Brenna’s voice was calm, but Keena could tell she was unsettled. The witch had the means to defend herself but would lose the covens booth in the market if she resorted to violence. She was painted into a corner.

The man’s face contorted, his skin turning pink. “You said you don’t—not that you can’t.”

When Brenna smiled, the expression was cold, her white teeth flashing against her skin, her eyes flickering, “Correct,” she said.

“And I’m telling you to make it.” The man slammed his hands on the booth.

“Oy,” Keena finally interrupted, smiling when the man looked up at her, startled. “I believe she already gave you an answer.”

“Mind your business.” The man pushed his stringy gray hair out of his face, a contemptuous leer in his orange-red eyes.

“No,” Keena said simply, rewarded when he looked at her, surprised.

The man’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing at her. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you it’s rude to butt into other people’s business?”

Keena’s smile broadened. “Sure did. They also taught me it’s repulsive and deplorable for a grown man to bully a young woman when he doesn’t get his way. I’d rather be rude than repulsive and deplorable.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“Why you little—” The man raised his arm to strike, but Keena met the strike, catching his wrist in a hold that told him she had no booth to lose and the training to make him look like the arse that he was.

She fought the surge of adrenaline that kicked through her veins, urging her blood to slow.

“Gee, it’s a wonder why whichever lady you’ve been interested in doesn’t seem to return the sentiment,” Keena said, rolling the man’s hand to the side.

He growled at her, and she saw him clench his fist. She didn’t mean to but for, just a second, her mind linked with his and she could see exactly how he planned on using that fist on her, how he would then shift into hyena form, expecting to get the upper hand that way. If he shifted in the market, he would go before the Council and yet he didn’t seem to care. She saw the broken pieces within, the fear he still carried after his flight from the Mother Tree, his relief at finding a place in Mina. His loneliness.

He didn’t need a love potion—he needed comfort. But he had to realize it for himself.

Her gaze hardened in warning. “I was about to let you go with only a few choice words, but if you follow through on what you’re currently planning, I will knock you on your wrinkly old butt without hesitation.”

She let go of his wrist as the man gaped at her, flexing his hand until it fell slackly at his side. She reached for one of the small linen bags sitting on the table, smelling it briefly before handing it to him.

“This is arrowroot,” she said. “It will help calm those nightmares.”

He stared at her, accepting the bag as she handed the small satchel of coins that he’d already left on the table over to Brenna. Keena didn’t need the man to ask how she knew he was having nightmares or how she had predicted what he was planning, but she needn’t have worried. He was speechless, still gaping as he stepped away from her.

“And maybe stop harassing women before the Council gets wind of it?” Keena called after him as he walked away. When he turned to look at her over his shoulder, she waved and smiled. “Have a nice day.”

“Thanks,” Brenna said, a relieved smile brightening her hazel eyes. 

Keena returned it.

“You should report him,” Keena said. “Just to be on the safe side.”

“I have,” Brenna assured. “To Enid. I’m sure she’ll pay him a visit.”

Keena chuckled. “I almost feel sorry for him.”

Brenna cocked an eyebrow, and both women laughed as there was a gleeful acknowledgement of exactly the type of stern talking to the Kishi was about to receive from the head witch of Brenna’s coven. Enid was a phenomenal cook but when she wasn’t doling out portions of mouth-watering treats, she was just as effective at serving dire warnings and keeping the entire community in check.

“Where is Enid anyway?” Keena asked.

“She rode out to meet the raiding party,” Brenna said. “In case there is anyone following them, or they run into any more trouble on the way back. After what happened… She was concerned. She thought they might welcome the backup.”

Keena swallowed, only able to nod her agreement. 

Adriel was waiting patiently in line for their food, his eyes watching her across the market with a quiet burning intensity. To the outside observer, his posture looked relaxed, but Keena could see the muscle in his jaw twitching when she got near and the way his muscles were chorded tightly as though poised for a fight.

Keena left Brenna to walk over to him, putting a hand on the young wolf’s arm once she reached him. “I had it.”

His brows knit together when he looked at her, but she could feel the tension seep from his muscles as they relaxed under her fingers.

 His tone was husky as he looked at her. “You know, for someone who doesn’t enjoy fighting, I can’t help but notice a pattern.”

“I may not enjoy fighting, but I enjoy bullying even less,” Keena said.

Adriel’s one eyebrow arched as he studied her. “What did he want?” Adriel asked.

Keena snorted. “A love potion.”

A smile broke free of Adriel’s control. “You’re joking.”

“Not even remotely.”

Adriel let out a laugh that started in his belly and traveled up his chest. The sound was rich, calling from Keena an accompanying laugh. The sound was musical and filled the market, making the people around them smile in return.

With food in hand, the pair turned down the street, working their way towards Ren’s house.

Her smile vanished, the reality around them wiping her light mood away.

She felt bad for laughing, smiling in the market with Adriel. It felt… wrong to find joy in these small moments with him. How could she find joy in anything when her friend was in so much pain? Guilt settled over her like fog, weighing down her body, slowing her pace. 

A loud blare from one of the large animal horns fixed to the entrance gate cut through the air, making the pair turn towards it. It wasn’t the warning horn, nor was it the normal blaring sound of greeting that usually accompanied the returning raiders. This was a special horn. One that signaled another kind of return. 

A smile split Keena’s face despite her previous guilt. She handed her food over to Adriel before she reached out to the air and wind to lift her off the ground. The following moment she was careening through the air towards the gates, swift and light, eager to greet her elder sister and welcome her back home.