“You’re family, and you love him. Go. I’ll tender my formal written resignation to the Council. And then there’s that list of catalysts for Rumm.”

“Speaking of which,” Barl said, brows pinching. “Since he’s going to be obtaining supplies. I think he should procure us some more chickens, Morgan. An awful lot have died, and we do need eggs.”

“More chickens,” he said gravely. “I think that can be arranged. Anything else?”

“I don’t think so,” she said, glowing like glimfire. “And starting tomorrow, my love, with the help of Ollet’s Compendium, we will take our recalcitrant transmutation incant by the scruff of its neck and shake it until it conforms most pefectly to our will!”

He watched her skim out of the library, so light and graceful on her feet. His Barl. His beloved.

Bid farewell to her, Remmie. She’s mine now. Not yours.

When she walked into the schoolmaster cottage’s kitchen she gave Remmie such a fright that he dropped his pan of mutton soup onto the floor.

“Barl!”

Oh, it was so good to see him. He was a jigget, and he tethered her, but she loved him anyway.

“Remmie,” she said, her voice breaking, and threw herself into his open, eager arms. Held him as hard and tight as he was holding her, half-laughing, half-crying, just like him.

“I can’t believe it,” he said at last, pushing her to arm’s length. “Are you really here?”

“I’m here,” she said, smearing her cheeks dry. “Remmie, the floor’s swimming in soup.”

He looked down. “Oh. So it is.” He put the dented pan in the sink then banished the mess with a quick chant and a sigil. “Barl, how are you here? When Lord Danfey came to see me, he said you’d be gone a long time. And while it’s felt like years, really it’s only been weeks. Are you all right? What did they do to you? I mean, you look all right but—”

“Remmie! If you’d bite your tongue I could get a word in edgewise!”

He stared for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Oh, Barl, I have missed you!”

“And I’ve missed you,” she said, grinning like a fool. “Cut us some bread, pull out the butter, and I’ll explain.”

“Still the same bossy Barl, I see,” he grumbled, but he did as she said and they settled down at the table with fresh bread and butter and cherry conserve between them. Still staring, Remmie reached out and poked her.

“What was that for?”

“Sorry,” he said, grinning like a fool himself. “Just making certain you’re real.” And then the grin faded. “Tell me everything, Barl. Don’t think to spare me.”