The only sounds in the room were of eight people breathing: some heavily, some rapidly, some choked with tears, some wheezing with shock. He thought he could pick out each one’s pattern with his ears alone. He could not force himself to look up.

Someone—Fawn—thumped down on her knees before him. “Dag…?” she said uncertainly. Her small hand reached out to touch his chin, to tilt his face upward to meet her wide, wide eyes.

He pushed the bowl forward with his left arm. It was hot to the touch but not dangerously so. It did not melt or disappear or explode or fall apart again into a thousand pieces. It just sang slightly as it scraped across the floor, the ordinary song of ordinary glass that had never been slain or resurrected. He found his voice, or at least a close imitation of his voice; it sounded utterly unfamiliar in his own ears, as though it was coming from underwater or underground. “Give that back to your mama.”

He pressed his wrist cuff to her shoulder and levered himself upright. The room wavered around him, and he was suddenly afraid he was going to vomit, making a mess right there on the middle of the parlor floor in front of everyone. Fawn clutched the bowl to her breast and rose after him, her eyes never leaving his face.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

He gave her a short headshake, wet his cold lips, and stumbled for the parlor door to the central hall. He hoped he could make it out onto the front porch before his stomach heaved. Tril, on her feet, was hovering nearby, and she stepped back as he passed. Fawn followed, pausing only long enough to thrust the bowl into her mother’s hands.

Dag heard Fawn’s voice behind him, low and fierce: “He does that for hearts, too, you know.”

And she marched forthrightly after him.

16

Fawn followed Dag onto the front porch and watched in worry as he sat heavily on the step, his left elbow on his knee and his head down. In the west behind the house, the sky was draining of sunset colors; to the east, above the river valley, the first stars were pricking through the darkening turquoise vault. The air grew soft as the day’s heat eased. Fawn settled down to Dag’s right and raised her hand uncertainly to his face. His skin was icy, and she could feel the shudders coursing through his body.

“You’ve gone all cold.”

He shook his head, swallowing. “Give me a little…’’ In a few moments he straightened up, taking a deep breath. “Thought I was going to spew my nice dinner on my feet, but now I think not.”

“Is that usual? For after doing things like that?”