Kihrin said nothing at first when Janel paused her story and motioned for Brother Qown to continue. He ch9ewed on his lip for a moment. “You know, I hate to say this, but I think … I think you’re right. I think Xaltorath was looking for you. Specifically, you. Just like I think he … she … was looking for me back in the Capital. It was intentional.”

“While it’s a distressing idea, I concur,” Brother Qown said.

Janel swallowed and then nodded. “I know now. I hate it. I hate it with everything in me, this idea—that people have died just because I exist. It’s so senseless. I do feel guilty.” She raised a hand. “I know it’s not my fault, but it doesn’t change my feelings.”

Kihrin met Janel’s eyes. “A good friend told me we volunteered for this. Four of us. From the Afterlife, we volunteered to return and help fight the war. I think you’re one of us.”

“Let me guess—my name was Elana.”

Kihrin blinked at her. “What? Why would you think—”

“When we met in the Afterlife, you called me Elana.” She paused. “Repeatedly.”

“Oh. Odd. I don’t know an Elana. Hell, the only time I’ve heard that name—” He frowned. “Huh.”

Janel raised both eyebrows and waited.

“I’ve been told that in my past life, a woman named Elana saved me from something, uh, terrible. In fact, I wouldn’t be sitting here without her.”

“Oh?” Janel rested her chin on her knuckles. “And however do you plan to say thank you?”

For a second, Kihrin thought she was talking about Atrine, but then he realized that no, she really wasn’t. He slowly smiled. “I have a few ideas.”

“I cannot wait to hear them.”

Qown cleared his throat.

Kihrin startled. He kept forgetting the priest was still sitting at the same table.

Janel looked vaguely embarrassed. “Anything else I should know?”

Kihrin gave her a sour smile. “There’s a prophecy.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed as she looked up toward the ceiling. “Gods.”

“Pretty much. So I think Xaltorath—as a demon—would have every reason to look for us. To track us down.”

“But then why hasn’t she killed us?” Janel questioned. “It makes no sense.”

“I think to understand whether or not it makes sense, we’d have to understand Xaltorath.”

“Good luck with that,” Janel said.

“The demons want to live,” Brother Qown said, speaking up at last. “What does anyone want? They want to survive. The question we must ask ourselves is: Can they only survive at our expense? Is this a Zaibur game where a single side wins, or is this ravens and doves?”

Kihrin and Janel looked at each other. “Uh…”

Kihrin said, “Ravens and doves? I don’t know that game.”