“This happens to everyone?” I said, incredulous.

“To every wizard,” she said, smiling. “Yes.”

“Then why have I never heard about it?” I demanded.

“Because young wizards who are anticipating the arrival of their Sight have an appalling tendency to ignore uncomfortable truths by labeling more appealing fantasies revelations of their Sight. Everything they care about turns into a prophecy. It’s vastly irritating, and the best way to avoid it is to keep it quiet until a young wizard finds out about it for himself.”

I mulled over that idea for a few moments. “Significant to my future, eh?”

“Potentially,” she replied quietly, nodding. “One must proceed with extreme caution when acting upon any kind of precognizant information, of course—but in this case, it seems clear that there is more to that island than meets the eye. If it were me, I’d look into it—cautiously.”

“Thank you,” I told her seriously. “For the advice, I mean.”

“It cost me little enough,” she said, smiling. “May I get your take on something?”

“Seems only fair.”

“I’m surprised at you, Harry. I always thought that you had an interest in Karrin.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Timing, maybe. It’s never seemed to be the right time for us.”

“But you do care for her,” she said.

“Of course,” I said. “She’s gone with me into too many bad places for anything else.”

“That,” Anastasia said, her eyes steady, “I can understand.”

I tilted my head and studied her face. “Why ask about another woman?”

She smiled. “I wanted to understand why you were here.”

I leaned over to her, touching her chin lightly with the fingertips of my right hand, and kissed her very gently. She returned it, slowly, savoring the touch of my mouth on hers.

I broke off the kiss several moments after it had become inappropriate for a public venue and said, “Because it’s good for the soul.”

“An excellent answer,” she murmured, her dark eyes huge. “One that should, perhaps, be further explored.”

I rose and held out her chair for her, and helped her into her coat.

As it turned out, the rest of the night was good for the soul, too.