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"I’ll be fine You and Mala hang out here until I get back Then we’ll return to Sarih&ou"

"You have ent s forward to this Humans have their fun…" She waved at a car full of skiers as they walked back to Renata’s flat "…and we have ours Mala’s just jealous right now because she doesn’t ski"

Mala gave Renata a sign that needed no interpretation

"What do you do when you’re not here?" he asked

She stared into the dark branches overhead Her head still ached, but she couldn’t remember why

"I don’t know"

He took his arms from around her waist and put both palms at her temples She closed her eyes and felt the soft whisper of his power as he traced spells on her skin Slowly, the pain began to recede

"Whatever you are doing, it hurts you" There was disapproval in his tone

"But then I come here, and you one, and in its place was a reassuring waran to creep in Low rustles and bird calls Wind in the trees They were lying on a bed again, but this time it wasn’t in the meadow It had been drawn farther into the forest She could hear water flowing in the distance

He tucked her head on his shoulder and lay back, looking up into the trees as they rested He lifted one ar in theto rew I noticed it later"

She lifted her head and frowned "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good, I think"

"Oh" She lay back down again If it was good, then she’d sing so for you?"

"What do you remember?"

She closed her eyes and let her raphs scattered across a table She focused on one and smiled

"We were near the ocean once There were lanterns, and they floated into the sky"

She sang softly, and as the old words left hertheir way to his mind She reached down and felt for his hand She knit their fingers together, and she could feel the waric floeen them

"Ava, look"

Her eyes opened and she looked down to where their hands joined She saw it The spells on his ar into themselves as if drawn by an invisible hand She watched the, and when she finally fell silent, theto me," he said "My inganother kiss

There was a rustle in the forest and a blast of cold air

His eyes narrowed and swung toward the disturbance