I made a call to Martina and explained about Adora. I didn’t sugarcoat it. She said she would talk to her and she wanted me to come and have dinner with her as soon as I could. I promised I would. Then I talked to Julie about it. She would check on Adora while I was gone.

I’d packed some clothes, jerky, nuts, and bread to last me a couple of days into a backpack. I took two canteens and a roll of toilet paper. Considering the excursions Voron used to send me on, my supplies made me feel downright pampered. There was nothing left to do but wait.

Teddy Jo was taking his time.

The noise of the back gate opening made me turn. Christopher walked out from behind the house and came to sit next to me.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hi.” He smiled. It was the same shy smile I was used to seeing on his face. Like shaking hands with an old friend. But his eyes no longer had that faraway dreamy look, as if he were seeing things that nobody else could see.

“Where is Barabas?”

“He fell asleep,” Christopher said. “We had a long day.”

“You’re up late.” Small talk with the god of terror.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve been useless for too long.”

Oh boy. Not the useless thing again. “Christopher, Teddy Jo will be taking me.”

“I won’t fight with him again.”

“Your wings disappeared with the magic. The tech is still up. I don’t think he can carry us both.”

Red smoke spiraled out of his shoulders and the massive wings snapped open.

Right.

“Everyone was tired out from fighting me,” he said. “All of them wanted to be reassured that I wouldn’t snap again.”

“So you pretended to lose your powers when the magic wave ended?”

“It was the considerate thing to do. I’ve been so privileged to have people worry for me that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have people afraid of me.”

“We weren’t afraid. We were worried.”

“The part of me that is Deimos knows fear, intimately. Barabas was afraid. He was so afraid that his fear shone like a beacon.”

“Barabas will adjust. I don’t think he was afraid of you, Christopher. I think he was afraid for you. I was, too. I didn’t want to lose you.”

Christopher nodded.

“Is everything okay between you and Barabas?”

He looked into the distance. “Things are complicated at the moment. Before, I wasn’t in my right mind. Now he doesn’t know who I am.”

Who are you, Christopher? “What about you? How do you feel about it?”

“I love him.”

I wished I knew what to say.

“There is something in your backpack,” he said. “It keeps tugging on me.”