“If it works,” Alise put in, “then what do we do with her?”

Nic looked to Asa for the answer. He looked pained. “House Refoel will take her in, at least until the child is born, and they’ll see to it that she doesn’t cause trouble. No one will question that, and my house will expect it. After that, well, then we’ll have to see.”

Alise and Nic nodded sympathetically, and Nic found herself laying a protective hand over the flicker of life she carried. She wouldn’t want to be the one to separate a mother from her child, but given what she’d observed of Laryn, the other woman hadn’t seemed excited about the pregnancy. Perhaps she’d be willing to give the child up to Asa, so they could be raised by a parent who wanted them, in a loving home.

Every child—no, every person—deserved that much.

“I’m still thinking through the ramifications that the bonding can be broken,” Gabriel said much later that night, when they had finally handled everything and the manse had settled into the peace of people returning to their routines. “You’re truly amazing to have figured that out.”

Nic preened a little, feeling quite deserving of the praise. She hadn’t gone with Asa, Gabriel, and Alise to put the question to Laryn. She didn’t feel any need to confront the bitter woman ever again. Unsurprisingly, Laryn had elected to be experimented upon, in return for the amnesty that at least the remainder of her pregnancy would grant. Alise had reported that severing the bond was remarkably simple, when she thought of it in terms of the Elal spirit-bonding skills she already possessed.

Nic had attended when Alise severed the bond between Maman and their father. She seemed unchanged thus far, and Nic very much hoped her father felt it and knew who was responsible.

Nic and Alise had decided to postpone further discussion of the implications—that House Elal had to be behind the creation of the spell in the first place. Also, the invisible, giant pink seahorse in the room was the power they now possessed to free all familiars of their enchantment. That Gabriel would insist they had a moral obligation to do so wasn’t in doubt. Nic, true to her nature, harbored reservations. The Convocation wizards wouldn’t sit idly by for an enterprise that would deprive them of their familiars. If House Phel wasn’t already at war, that would do it.

But for at least this, her first night home, with both of them safe and sound, Nic wanted to savor being with Gabriel. There’d been no sign yet of Jadren and Selly. Hopefully they’d turn up the following day. If not, then they’d organize a search. In the meanwhile, Nic didn’t want Gabriel dwelling on his worries. Thus, she planned to distract her wizard quite thoroughly. “You know, my father told me we stood on the brink of a new society. We do, but not at all in the way he thought. I always knew you’d turn the Convocation upside down.”