Gently, Dain drew me back from the brink, giving me water to rinse my mouth and telling me that I was safe, that he had me, that he would always do his best to protect me. I held onto him and melted down, all the screaming I'd done in the back of my mind pouring out into the open air as I clung to my Dain. And he simply held me, none of the anger or terror I knew he had to be feeling coming to the fore. Dain set everything aside so that he could take care of me, and my horror finally battered itself to death against that generous love.

Shuddering in his arms, my throat aching and my whole body trembling, I tried to drag out of my memory the things I'd tried to protect, so I could tell him what had happened, and came away with nothing but empty promises to myself. The tears started falling again, my eyes burning. "I don't remember," I choked out. "Dain, I don't remember who did it, or why. I don't remember any of it."

"Shh," he said, brushing his fingers down my hair. He kissed me on the top of my head, tender and kind. "You told me before it was done. Ciradyl, Axily, and Lysanthir Miaquen." An edge of anger came into Dain's voice as he said the names, tension creeping into his body, but he pushed it away, relaxing against me again.

"What are you going to do?" I asked in a tiny voice. This was worse – so much worse – than strangers putting an arrow through my leg. My own guards, betraying me? I was... almost shocked that Dain was still here. The Dain of six months ago would have killed them already, and brutally, for doing this to me.

"Tonight I plan on feeding you dinner, brushing your hair, and holding you through the night so you know you're safe." He placed his lips against my hair again. "If need be, I can hunt those three to the ends of the world. Dealing with them can wait." Again he forced himself to relax away the tension that had returned at the words, exhaling slowly while his body went soft against me again. "I don't want to leave you alone tonight."

"Okay," I said, my voice still muffled against his chest. Dain was exercising an enormous amount of control, I realized. He'd been doing it since he'd realized what had happened to me, tasting heartflower on my tongue, ever since that moment when the rage and tension had vanished from his body and he'd asked me to take a bath. "Can I eat dinner on your lap?" I asked, flushing with embarrassment. "I don't want to be anywhere outside the circle of your arms right now."