A few minutes earlier…

Jake hadn't realized that he'd actually be able to hear and see his heart explode.

He watched in shock when Savannah collapsed on the floor, shifted into an enormous falcon, grabbed the bomb, and then flew unerringly to the window and out of the room as if she'd been flying all her life.

He took half a second to send enough healing magic toward his leg to allow him to follow he and then ran across the room and hurled himself through the window in time to watch in horror as she soared through the air and out over the river.

"Savannah," he screamed, again and again until his throat burned and only raspy croaking noises came out of his mouth.

 She never stopped--never turned--never looked back. Just kept winging out over the river, farther and farther, until the world blew up and nothing but fire and smoke remained—that and a small, winged body plunging gracelessly out of the sky.

Something sharp slammed into his already injured leg and knocked him backward.  His back and head smacked hard on the ground, but he didn't care. It didn't matter, nothing mattered, nothing would ever matter again.

Because Savannah was gone

The world faded to black, and his last thought was that he hoped this was death, come to claim him. He was done with a world that didn't have Savannah in it.

 Jake woke up and looked directly into the eyes of a falcon the size of an eagle who stood next to him.

"I would like to help you, but she won't allow it," Griffin said, sounding highly irritated.

Jake turned his head to see Griffin, Denal, and Lucas, all standing shoulder-to-shoulder staring down at him, and he grinned. "All three of you big, tough guys scared of a little bird?"

The bird in question, otherwise known as the center of his universe, screeched at him and pecked his arm with her beak.

"Hey! Easy on the injured arm. I think I got shot there, too. Will you let Griffin help us?"

The magnificent bird, fierce and beautiful just like Savannah herself, cocked her head and stared at the mage for a long moment and then hopped backward and dipped her beak toward the ground.

"I'll be damned if she's not communicating with you," said Denal. "That's helpful."

Griffin cautiously walked forward, spread his fingers out, and sent a wave of healing energy into Jake's leg and then, for good measure, waved his hands and spread the energy over Jake's entire body. Instant relief followed.

"Thanks, man. I definitely needed that. I can't believe – I can't believe she's alive. She survived the Transition and then she took that bomb…" Suddenly there was a lump the size of a boulder blocking Jake's throat, and he couldn't get out another word.

"That's one of the bravest things I've ever seen in my life," Lucas said, his eyes no longer red.  The berserker was gone then, thankfully.

Griffin knelt next to Savannah and slowly held out one hand. She tilted her head and stared at him. "I could not stop the Transition. But I think I can help you, if you want to shift back to human but are unsure how to do it. I have that much knowledge of shift her magic.  Will you allow it?"

The bird stared at Griffin and then turned her head to look at Jake. Jake nodded his encouragement. "Please let Griffin help you, if you need it. I'd really like to be able to see your beautiful face right now."

The bird screeched, and Jake held up both hands in protest. "Not that you're not beautiful like this. It's just, I'd really like to see your human face right now. I need to. Please, Savannah."

The falcon took a step toward Griffin and inclined her head. The mage again waved his hands and called the silver-blue healing magic. But this time, it was shaded with a bright purple. Nothing happened for several long moments, and Jake tensed up. "What's taking so long? Are you sure you know what you're doing? Do you even--"

Then he shut up, because something was finally happening. A purple-blue shimmer surrounded Savannah and, moments later, she shifted back into her human shape. Her clothes were back in the building, of course, and within seconds all four warriors tossed their shirts over her. She curled up in Jake's arms and covered herself, and Jake looked up at his comrades--his brothers--and nodded his head in thanks.

And they were his brothers. What had started as a lark had turned into so much more over the course of these missions. He would die for them, and he knew they'd do the same for him.

"I flew! I flew!. Did you see me? I actually flew," Savannah said.

"I saw you. With the bomb," Jake said sweeping her up onto his lap. "Please never, ever do anything like that again."

Savannah raised an eyebrow. "I promise I'll never, ever do that again until the next time a roomful of children is being threatened by a crazed shifter with a bomb."

"Good enough." And then Jake had to stop talking, because he needed to kiss her with all the jumble of love, relief, happiness, and hope that was overwhelming him.

When they finally stopped to draw breath, Savannah pulled on one of the shirts and wrapped two of the others around her waist to form a skirt. Then they stood up, still holding onto each other.

"I have an idea," Savannah said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How about we go to Madagascar?"

He laughed and held her even tighter. "Sure. But how about we go to Atlantis first?  "

They were still locked in an embrace five minutes later when an exasperated Denal pushed them through the portal into Atlantis.

"Welcome home," Jake said.

She smiled and looked around, her eyes wide with wonder, but then she snuggled closer to him and looked into his eyes. "You are my home, forever and always."

He gloried in the sound of it. "And you, mine. Now, let me show you Atlantis."

"Do you have lemurs?"

He laughed. "No, but let me tell you a story about a sorceress who had a basilisk problem…"