“He says I have to stay,” said Enopp. “And he does too.”

“He didn’t say a thing,” said Anonoei.

“It’s his outself,” said Loki. “I can see it now. Hiding inside Enopp. It’s where he went when I held them both in prison. He must have sent his outself to comfort his brother through their captivity. He’s been riding inside his brother all along.”

Leslie immediately stepped forward to put her hand on Eluik’s head. “I should have seen it, but it never occurred to me. Yes, he’s riding him like a heartbound.”

“So you can break the link?” asked Marion.

“I’ve never tried with a manmage,” said Leslie.

“He’s a manmage?” asked Anonoei.

“No,” said Loki. “Not necessarily. He’s too young to know what he is.”

“He’s too young to have sent his outself,” said Marion. “But he did.”

“He didn’t know what he was doing,” said Loki. “He couldn’t have. It isn’t magery, not with any kind of skill. And if you tear them apart, against his will—”

“How do we know what his will is?” demanded Anonoei. “He was taking care of his brother, but maybe he didn’t know how to get back.”

“Like an outself trapped in a bagged-up clant,” said Danny, remembering when he tied up some of the cousins.

“Exactly like that,” said Marion.

“This boy took such care of his brother,” said Leslie. “Completely forgetting himself. I never heard of such love.”

“You want us to take care of these boys,” said Marion.

Loki said nothing.

Danny understood now. “He wanted someone to take care of them. He and Anonoei have work to do, and they want the boys out of danger. But he didn’t know you existed.”

Loki looked at Anonoei. She buried her face in her hands. “I don’t want to leave them.”

“But you also don’t want them with you,” said Loki.

Danny looked from Marion to Leslie, the two of them now standing behind the boys. “You want them, don’t you?”

“They started doing magery far too young,” said Marion. “Who knows what that does to a child?”

“I did this to them,” said Loki. “I had no idea this could happen, but at the time I didn’t care. And now they’re still in prison.”

“Eluik’s fine,” said Enopp. “He says to leave him alone.”

“Nobody’s going to do anything to him,” said Marion.

“Not me, anyway,” said Leslie. “I think he has to learn how to bring home his own outself.” She looked to Loki. “He’s just lost, right?”