“Morgan is coming,” she said, with a shiver. “And if I do nothing else, I’m going to keep this land and all of us safe.”

Groaning, Remmie rubbed at his eyes. “You can’t tell the Olken that. You don’t even know for certain it’s true. You’ve no more proof than a few dreams.”

She had Jervale. But even as she opened her mouth to tell Remmie what the Olken had said, what he knew, what she’d seen him do in the Black Woods… instinct had her shrinking.

I need Olken magic to stay secret a little longer, even from Remmie.

“Barl?” he said, exasperated now. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Hurt, she closed the diary and smoothed its scarred, mottled leather cover. “I thought you believed me.”

“I believe you believe it,” her brother said, after a moment. “And I believe Danfey’s wicked enough to hurt you, if he could. But Barl… Dorana is months behind us. And you think that’s really him, talking to you? No mage is that powerful. Not even Morgan Danfey.”

“That’s not what you said last night. And it’s not what you said in Benbarsk.”

He grimaced. “I wanted us out of Benbarsk. If we’d stayed there we’d have all died, for certain. Its people are as deadly as its bears.”

“So… what? You’ve been humouring me?”

“No,” he said, after a long silence. “I wanted you to be right. And wrong. If that makes any sense.”

It made perfect sense. He was afraid she was losing her mind, so he wanted Morgan to be real. But if he was real, then they were in danger again… and he didn’t want that.

“Yes,” she sighed. “It does.”

“Barl, I know you think you’re right about Morgan, but you mustn’t forget you’re exhausted.”

“Exhausted or not, I am right,” she said. “But to be honest, Rem, I don’t care if you don’t believe me?”

Uncertain, he bit his lip. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that sooner or later we’ll both learn the truth. And in the meantime, I don’t want to fight.”

“Neither do I,” he said. “So you can stop hiding in here and come and help me with class. It’s past time the children got back to their lessons, before they forget what it means to be a mage.”

“I can’t. I’m busy.”

Remmie made a little growling sound in his throat. “What could be more important than making sure Dorana’s children—” And then he frowned at the diary. “Barl? What maggot’s in your brain now?”