Lyrra glanced at Aiden and gathered up her papers, quills, and ink pot. “I’d better make a fairer copy while I remember what all these scribbles mean.”

When he and Donovan were alone, Aiden asked, “What is the answer?”

“‘If roused, their wrath can shake the world / And men will not see the light of day again,’” Donovan replied.

“Mother’s mercy.”

“That’s what we all stake our lives on, Bard. The Mother’s mercy. And the mercy of Her Sons and Daughters.” Donovan struggled to stand up.

“Do you want help getting back to your room?”

Donovan gave Aiden a wan smile. “I wouldn’t refuse it. Right now, I wouldn’t turn down a bowl of chicken soup.”

The Crone gave Liam a cool stare. He stared back, not sure why he was so primed to fight, except that Breanna had already been through enough.

“I asked to talk to Breanna,” the Crone said.

“Then talk. But I’m staying.”

“Oh, sit down, Liam,” Breanna said.

He sat on the sofa, close enough to her that their shoulders brushed.

“Now, Granddaughter, since you have no family here—”

“She has family here,” Liam snapped. “She doesn’t have to live alone in the Old Place. She can live here with us.”

“I’m not living alone in the Old Place,” Breanna snapped back. “I’m living with Falco and a puppy.”

Liam frowned. “A puppy? When did you get a puppy?”

“Yesterday. Falco brought him for me.” Breanna squirmed. “Now that I’ve figured out what he meant about the salmon, I think the puppy was intended as a courting gift.”

His frown deepened. “Courting gift? Giving a woman a pet is more a betrothal gift than a courting gift.”

“Whatever. The point is, I’m not living alone. And the only reason you’re being a featherheaded jackass about Falco is because you want to court Selena and don’t know how to do it.”

“I never said I wanted to court Selena!”

“But you do want to, don’t you?”

“Yes, I want to, but I never said it!” He crossed his arms and muttered, “Stone-headed female.”

Breanna crossed her arms in exactly the same way and muttered, “Featherheaded jackass.”

Finally remembering they had an audience, he looked at the Crone sitting in a chair across from them. Her lips were pressed together and she was shaking with the effort not to laugh.

Breanna hunched further into the sofa. “You wanted to talk to me, Grandmother?”

The Crone laughed, shook her head, and rose. “There’s no need. I’ve already learned what I needed to know. But remember, Breanna, I am your elder now. If you need my help—for anything—you must come to me…or ask me to come to you.” She walked over to Liam and took his face between her hands. “And you, Grandson. A witch enjoys being courted the same way as any other woman.”