Aphen shook her head. “That’s what’s so strange. It isn’t all that hard anymore. It hasn’t been since he died. I can’t explain it. In the dream, he was still there, alive and well, but I couldn’t touch him. He was smiling, laughing, enjoying himself, but I wasn’t with him.” She hesitated. “I think I’ve been losing him for a long time. I think subconsciously I might have known.”

“You’ve been letting go.”

She nodded. “It feels like it. I still hurt thinking of him. I still want him back with me. But …”

She shook her head, unable to finish. Then she added. “It makes me feel disloyal to think like this.”

Arling took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re grieving, Aphen. You’re entitled to do that in the best way you can. There isn’t any right or wrong to how you do it.”

Aphenglow supposed that was so, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Overall, nothing that had happened since she had found Aleia Omarosian’s diary had worked out for the better. Bombax was dead, Paranor was abandoned and lost, the members of the Fourth Druid Order were scattered to the four corners of the earth, and the Federation was hunting for them—all because she had thought it a good idea to find the missing Elfstones. She was beginning to question her judgment about almost everything in her life.

“I want you to be careful,” she told her sister suddenly.

Arling looked at her in surprise and then grinned. “Why would I need to do that? No one is interested in me.”

“I just want you to watch out for yourself. Just promise me. You said you’d feel better knowing Cymrian was watching over me. Fair enough. But I’ll feel better knowing you are watching out for yourself.”

She was serious enough that the smile dropped away from her sister’s face. “All right, Aphen. I’ll be careful.”

When they reached the gardens, they embraced and kissed. None of the other Chosen had arrived yet; Arling was early for the ritual greeting. Dawn was still half an hour away. They stood together for a moment, holding each other.

“Will you come back for me after you’ve found the Ard Rhys?” Arling asked.

“I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise.”

“Even if it’s only to tell me you are safe.”

“Even if it’s only for that.”

They smiled at each other, cried a little, and parted.