Epilogue

Messer, wounded and recovering in a family’s home after being shot from the sky, learns the prince and his Match are leaving for Maile. Grateful yet unwilling to remain a child’s pet, Messer climbs to the window and attempts escape despite a damaged wing and intense pain.

He launches, battles crosswinds, and follows cheers to the southern gate where three carriages depart. After a chaotic landing on the rear carriage and a scramble across roofs, Messer senses familiarity in the front coach and forces himself through its door.

Inside, Messer collapses before Acker and Jovie. He shifts to human despite excruciating pain, and Jovie breaks down in relieved sobs while Acker covers him and dryly welcomes him back. Messer apologizes for missing the end of the conflict and asks for a healer.

When Messer asks about Kai, he recounts how Aurora found him wounded but ultimately left him when Kai called her away. Concluding that Aurora would never abandon him of her own will, Messer asserts Kai must have influenced her decision.

Messer declares, “He’s got my girl,” reframing their next goal: confronting Kai’s hold over Aurora as the group continues toward Maile.