He kissed my fingertips. “We will find a way, Tea. Khalad told you about our suspicions, didn’t he? Since when have I ever been wrong? These blackouts you suffer from—they explain your nearly jumping out the library window. There’s more to this than we know, and time away from Kion should rid you of any poison in your blood.”

“I…I want to believe these blackouts are because of some toxin. But my blackouts can’t absolve me from murder. And oh, Likh. What happened to Likh?”

He sobered. “We’re still working on that. We discovered the rune shortly after they arrested you. I don’t understand it either—he ate all the same foods we had. Althy and Shadi were convinced he hadn’t consumed anything they or your mother hadn’t prepared. It was his idea to place himself under wards. We thought it best that he come with us, to give the rune time to dissipate on its own.”

“But when we return to Kion, it won’t stop someone from trying again—”

“What if we don’t go back?” He stroked my cheek. “What if we never go back to Kion? Then you would have no need to be a bone witch. Likh has no reason or desire to return, and most other kingdoms would be glad to have a heartforger like Khalad nearby. If we hide well enough, the elders will stop seeking you out.”

“I can’t ask that of you.”

“I know you, Tea. Your sense of responsibility is keeping you from agreeing with me. If this is the only peace we can know, then let us disappear.”

“But your titles! You’re a prince, a cousin to Kance—”

“Titles are worthless to me,” Kalen said gently. “Tea, I rejected my father’s dukedom. I have distant relations to the south and turned my titles over to them. They’re decent folk and should carry the position well. I’m rarely in Holsrath, and Deathseekers are supposed to forsake all titles anyway, no matter how many times Kance or Alyx insist. There is nothing tying me anywhere, nothing tying me to anyone but you. We can talk more about this once we arrive in Thanh. In the meantime, wear this.”

It was a simple, pink rose pin, set in silver but otherwise unadorned. “Likh made it for you,” he said. “It will mask the black in your heartsglass until we can figure out how to get rid of it.”

I knew I couldn’t change his mind—for now—and sighed. “This could have waited until I was dry, Kalen.”

“Well, the Grand Duke Besserly and the other Yadoshans are waiting for us at camp, and while they’re not as knowledgeable about heartsglass, I thought it best to be prudent. We can—”

I nearly shot out of the water. “Lord Besserly is here? And you’ve been letting me prattle on this long?”