Aphenglow slept on and off during her long hours of keeping watch, making sure at regular intervals that Bombax was sleeping comfortably. But when she woke at sunrise she found him awake and staring at her from the bed. When he gave her that familiar smile—the one she loved so much—she leaned down and kissed him passionately.

“I was worried for you,” she whispered.

“I was worried, too.”

“You can talk again?”

“So it seems. I didn’t even think about it. I just did it.”

“How do you feel?”

“Good. Much better. Whatever was in me is gone. Was that your doing?”

She nodded. He reached up and stroked her face, and they kissed again.

Then he told her everything that had happened to him after he had reached Varfleet. She listened intently, a mix of emotions surfacing as she did so: shock, relief, and anger. She was surprised at their intensity and even more surprised when anger overwhelmed everything else.

“What in the world were you thinking?” she demanded when he had finished. “Going into the worst part of Varfleet to find someone to help us? Mixing with people who would cut your throat for your shoes? Don’t you see what you did? You put yourself in danger for no good reason!”

His rough, handsome face tightened. “It seemed a good enough reason to me. A little risk was necessary. We needed magic of the sort that couldn’t be found by staying in the better neighborhoods.”

“That’s very funny. But it almost cost you your life. Or maybe something worse. Who knows what the Mwellrets had planned for you? It appears you were to be turned over to someone else. What do you think that might have led to?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter now.” He gave her a look.

“Not this time it doesn’t, but what about the next? You think you are invulnerable! It’s maddening! No one else takes the chances you do. Do you ever stop to think about that?”

He looked suddenly hurt. “Why are you so mad at me?”

“Because I love you, and I don’t want to lose you! I think more of you than you do of yourself! You put yourself in these dangerous situations and you expect me not to mind?”

He sighed. “I expect you to understand.”

“Well, I don’t! I don’t understand! Not any of it!”

“What if I promise not to do it again?”

“Now you are being condescending.” She was furious. “You tell me what you think I want to hear and everything will be all right. Is that it? Keep me happy until you do it again? Because you will! You can’t help yourself!”

He looked exasperated. “What am I supposed to do, Aphen? What can I do that will please you? It seems nothing will, listening to all this.”