“You didn’t see it?”

She shook her head. “Ariel could smell it. She wouldn’t let me go after it. She was terrified.”

He glanced down at his food. “Maybe she was mistaken.”

Nest gave him a moment to consider what he had said, then replied, “Maybe she wasn’t.”

She could tell what he was thinking. He was wondering what a demon would be doing so close to home. He was wondering why he hadn’t known, then deciding it was because he had given up his position as a Knight of the Word, then realizing how vulnerable that made him. She let him work it through, saying nothing.

“If there is a demon, it has nothing to do with me,” he said after a moment, sounding like a man trying hard to convince himself.

She finished her iced tea and looked over at him. “You don’t believe that for a moment.” She paused. “You wouldn’t care to tell me about your dream, would you?”

He shook his head.

She smiled. “Okay, John. I did my good deed. I came here to warn you, and I’ve warned you. The rest is up to you. I’m here until tomorrow. We can talk about this some more, if you’d like. Just give me a call. I’m staying at the Alexis.”

She rose. It was better to leave things where they were, not to say anything more, to let him think about it. He stared at her, perplexed by her abruptness. She reached for her purse. “Can I help pay for the lunch?”

He shook his head quickly. “Wait, I’ll walk back with you.”

“I’m not going back,” she said. “I’m staying down on the waterfront for a while, have a look around.”

They stared at each other, neither saying anything. She could see the indecision mirrored in his green eyes. “You believe what she’s saying about me, don’t you?” he asked finally. “What the Lady’s saying?”

“I don’t know that I do,” she answered him. “I don’t know what I believe. It’s difficult to decide. But I think you have to look carefully at the possibility that she might be telling you the truth. I think you have to protect yourself.”

He reached for his staff and levered himself to his feet. The waitress saw them rise, and she came over to give them the check. Ross took it, thanking her. When she was gone, he held out his hand to Nest.

“I’m glad you came, Nest. Whether or not it turns out there was a good reason for it, I’m glad you came. I’ve wondered about you often.”

She nodded, brushing back her curly hair. “I’ve wondered about you, too.”

“I didn’t like leaving things with you in Hopewell the way I did. I’ve always felt bad about that.”

She smiled. “It’s over with, John.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel as if any of it will ever be over, as if the past will ever really be the past.” He stepped around the table and bent to kiss her cheek. “I’ll think about what you’ve told me, I promise. I’ll think about it carefully. And I’ll talk with you before you leave.”