He opened his lips but kept his teeth sealed together in case it was blistering hot, but it was all right, and he opened his mouth farther, and she smiled like they’d done something fabulous together. She slid an arm around his shoulders, and Willo came in on the other side, and they managed to raise him up so he could drink without drowning. Rebecca put a cup to his lips. It was lukewarm tea, and he managed to keep it from pouring out the corner of his mouth, which had been a problem lately.

He was embarrassed to have Rebecca Morley feeding him like a weanling. But her touch soothed him. It was good to rest in her arms.

There was something he should remember about Rebecca Morley. Something had happened. Wasn’t she hurt? Hadn’t she died? Just now she looked better than him—dressed in a clan tunic embroidered over with gray wolves—too fancy to be wearing in a sickroom.

He reached up and wiped away her tears with his thumb, but she just made more. And that was all he remembered for a long time.

The next time he awoke, he found his amulet warm and humming. He looked up and there was Fire Dancer sitting next to his sleeping bench. Dancer had his hand on Han’s amulet, feeding it power while it fed power to Han.

“What are you doing?” Han whispered. He was a little amazed when the words came out and Dancer heard and understood them.

“I’ve been lending you power over the past few days,” Dancer said. “You seem to use yours up as soon as it appears. It’s one way I can help you heal yourself without getting poisoned.”

“Oh.” Han considered this. The flash trickled in like rum brandy, and he felt better than he had in a long while. “Do I have to give it back?”

Dancer laughed, though there were worry lines around his eyes. “We’ll see. Maybe I’ll be low one of these days and you can help me out.”

Han felt more alert, his mind clearer, too, than it had been. And he was ravenous, even though his mouth tasted like a stable that needed mucking out.

“Do you know—is there anything to eat around here?” he asked.

Dancer grinned. “Please. You know there’s never anything to eat in my mother’s house.”

A young man with a healer’s amulet appeared out of nowhere with a bowl of stew, a jug, and a cup. He set the food on a bench next to the bed and backed away, making sure not to get too close to Han.

“Have I got something catching?” Han asked as the healer retreated.

“You’ve been rough on Willo’s apprentices, I hear,” Dancer said. “You’re lucky anyone’s willing to come within arm’s length.”