“I wouldn’t think of it.” She grabbed her backpack and strode out of the cave. She could see the lights of Jubaldar in the distance. Five minutes later she was reaching for her phone and calling Gilroy.

*  *  *

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing, Sasha? You scared our Indiana Jones wannabe into shouting for help. You’ve spoiled his entire shtick.”

It was Alisa’s soft voice, Sasha thought. No, it couldn’t be. She was just dreaming. Alisa couldn’t be here.

“Open your eyes. I didn’t walk all that distance to have you ignore me.”

It was Alisa. Sasha opened her eyes and saw her face. Wonderful face. Full of character and love. “Hi.” Her voice sounded a little woozy, and she cleared her throat. “I was hoping it was you.” No, that wasn’t right. It would have been bad to wish Alisa here when she’d been trying to keep her away. “I mean, I’ve missed you, and I’m glad to see you.”

“I know what you mean.” Alisa carefully put her arm around Sasha’s shoulders, lay down next to her, and then cuddled close. “I’m glad to see you, too. Though I would have preferred it not to be like this. How bad are you hurting?”

“That’s what Gilroy kept asking. He wouldn’t stop talking about it. So I told him to go away.”

“Very rude. But he can be persistent, and it must have annoyed you. You wouldn’t answer any of his other questions, either?”

She cuddled closer. “I just wanted to close my eyes and forget for a while. So that’s what I did.”

“That’s what I thought you were doing, what you’ve always done. Fight as hard as you could and then go away for a while and rest and heal. But Gilroy didn’t understand, and it scared him.”

“I don’t care. I wasn’t ready to come back yet.”

“And you’re still not coming back, because this time it hurt too much.” She was gently stroking Sasha’s temple. “But it’s time, Sasha. You know it. And I do understand, so you have no excuse. Talk to me and we’ll get through it.”

She tried to fight it, but Alisa was right. She could come back now. Alisa was here and she’d help to absorb some of the pain as she always did. Yet she couldn’t say the words. It was a few minutes before she said stiltedly, “I couldn’t stop it. I tried, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how.”

“Nightshade? It was something about Nightshade?”