D’vin raised an eyebrow in surprise but reached out and dragged Fiona into his embrace. He was surprised to see Sonia wrap an arm around the other woman, surprised to see Fiona return the embrace, and surprised by how tightly the younger Weyrwoman squeezed him back. Most of all, he was surprised by one thought: Sonia doesn’t share. Apparently, that had changed.

“You are going to stay here the night, they’ll manage without you,” Sonia said as she eyed a nightgown thoughtfully and threw it toward the younger Weyrwoman. It would be big but it would do, she decided. “Put that on.”

“But—”

“The correct answer is: ‘Yes, Weyrwoman,’” D’vin called out drolly. “In fact, the only answer is—”

“Yes, Weyrwoman,” Fiona dutifully finished, chuckling. She’d drunk too much wine, she could feel her cheeks heating and tingling with the effects as she added superfluously, “That’s the answer at my Weyr, too.”

“So you’ve got them well-trained,” Sonia said. She canted her head appraisingly as Fiona slipped on her nightgown. “As I thought: big but not too big.” She gestured toward the sleeping quarters beyond. “D’vin’s not the warmest man but between the three of us, we’ll keep you from getting too cold, even in that.”

Fiona’s thoughts of further protests were eliminated by a yawn.

Stay there! Lorana’s voice told her adamantly.

You should be sleeping, Fiona said, secretly glad to have the contact with the ex–queen rider.

“What was that?” Sonia demanded of her suddenly.

“What?” Fiona asked, startled by the words spoken out loud.

“You weren’t talking with your dragon,” Sonia said, eyeing her thoughtfully.

“Lorana,” Fiona confessed. Her cheeks flushed hotter: She wanted to keep that a secret.

“You can talk to her?”

Fiona nodded mutely, going pale.

Sonia eyed her for a long moment before asking, “And what did she say?”

“‘Stay there,’” Fiona repeated. She gave Sonia a beseeching look. “I don’t want anyone else to know.”

“Why?”

Fiona shook her head, unable to come up with a quick answer. “It’s special. We don’t know if it will last—”

“How long have you had it?”

“Since the mating flight,” Fiona said. “She and Kindan—well, Kindan and she—I don’t know, they were with Zirenth when he rose.”

“And T’mar?”

“Still unconscious,” Fiona said, adding, “If Lorana hadn’t held Zirenth when T’mar was injured, he would have gone between.”

“And so you and Lorana …?”

Fiona shook her head, blushing furiously again. “Kindan,” she said in a small voice.

“Whom you’ve always wanted,” Sonia said.

“Yes,” Fiona agreed in a whisper, eyes lowered in shame. She raised them again to meet Sonia’s. “But I want Lorana, too. Like a sister, only more.” She paused, groping for words and then shook her head when she couldn’t find them, saying desperately, “I never realized that love is so different.”