She handed him the bag that had been resting at her feet. “Thank you.” It was a strange exhaustion she felt, edged as it was with a relentless barrage of thoughts. She knew she’d have no rest as long as those images were burned into her mind. But maybe once she’d put them to paper, they would release her. “I think I’ll develop that last roll of film now.”

“Lily.” Zivon chuckled as he climbed out, helping her to do the same with the hand he still held. “You have to be exhausted. You should sleep.”

“I don’t think I can. Not yet.” And even if her mind eventually ceased tormenting her, it would then just begin replaying that perfect kiss. A far happier wakefulness, but even so.

Zivon shook his head and led her toward her front door. “I have never met anyone quite like you, Lilian Blackwell.”

Coming from anyone else, she might not have been sure that was a compliment. But coming from the man who’d just filled her veins with magic with a featherlight brush of his lips on hers, she decided it was the sweetest thing anyone could possibly say. “Thank you.”

As they approached the door, it opened before them, Daddy barely giving them time to enter before he folded her into his arms. “Thank God. Blinker stopped by and told us you were safe, had taken shelter with the other guests, but even so. Reports kept pouring in of new strikes. There were over forty airplanes to reach England this time, I’m told—and nearly half made it all the way to London.”

Her chest went tight at the numbers as Mama nudged Daddy aside enough that she could embrace Lily as well. Never had so many aircraft made it past their defenses. Lily shook her head. “Did you hear how many bombs fell?”

“Not yet. Some failed to detonate, some did nothing but shatter glass, but many did serious damage.” Daddy looked past her, toward Zivon. He nodded at him but didn’t reach out a hand. “Thank you for seeing her safely home, Marin.”

Zivon must have heard the strange, stiff note in Daddy’s voice as clearly as Lily did, given the way he straightened, then bowed a bit. “Of course, sir. I would do anything within my power to protect her.”

Mama shot Daddy a look and then moved toward Zivon, hand outstretched and soon squeezing his fingers. “Of course you would. But unfortunately, there isn’t much in these situations within our control.”

Lily’s brows drew together as she looked up at Daddy’s face. A bit of anxiety was to be expected on a night such as this, but why was he directing it all toward Zivon? “Is Ivy asleep?”