He took her stick, vanished it along with his, then crouched in front of her. “No, I wasn’t.” He waited until she looked at him. “Do you remember when you went into the Twisted Kingdom to mark a trail for Daemon to follow? Your body was already strained from healing the landens who had been trapped by a jhinka attack, and by the time you got back to the Keep after finding Daemon, you’d made a mess of yourself.”

“I remember,” she whispered, staring at her hands.

“As soon as you were able to stand on your own, we started working to rebuild your muscles and your strength.”

“What’s your point?” She looked weary, defeated.

He placed one hand lightly over hers. “You didn’t get half as far that first time as you did today. So the point, Cat, is I’m sorry. I wanted you to come back to us so much, it got in the way. I clipped your wings instead of helping you learn how to fly again.”

“So you’ll be my sparring partner again?”

He smiled. “We’ll get there. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

She made a face. “Can’t tomorrow. Surreal and I are going to Amdarh for what she calls a female indulgence.”

“You’re staying at the town house?”

Jaenelle shook her head. “Surreal says it’s easier to be pampered if we stay at that . . . whatever it is. Besides, Daemon’s at the town house right now.”

So? He didn’t ask because there was something odd about her tone. Something . . . nervous. And Daemon had become edgy over the past few weeks—and subtly territorial in a way that made all the male servants at the Hall wary of drawing his attention. “Then let me know when you get back.”

He stayed at the Hall long enough to assure Surreal he’d start working with Jaenelle once the two women got back from their female indulgence, whatever that meant, then caught the Winds and headed for Ebon Rih. But before he went home, he stopped at the Keep to have a little chat with his father.

EIGHT

1

Baffled by the worried glances he’d gotten from the servants and too restless to stay inside, Daemon left the town house shortly after breakfast, walking aimlessly until the shops opened. Then he headed for the bookshop where he could fill an hour or two browsing. Since love stories had lost their appeal, maybe he could find something else Jaenelle would find intriguing—and find something for himself that would catch his interest enough to keep him occupied while he waited for some word from Surreal.