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Jael studied him hard, not sure the lad was up to the task. “It might be dangerous. They may not be pleased to see you.”

Math pursed his lips. “Kora might come with me.”

“Stones, no.” Jael shuddered at the thought. “I don’t think he’s ready for responsibility on this level.”

Anrid stirred and drew his attention. “You never know what people are capable of unless you trust them with something. Perhaps he would surprise you.”

He wanted to believe that, truly he did. And what choice did he have? He couldn’t go. Trap was too busy, and the other staff…they were needed to handle the runestones.

“Very well.” He rasped the words through dry lips and hoped he wouldn’t regret this decision. “I’ll send Kora with you.”

“We will be fine,” Math said, with a bright smile. “Besides, we’ve had dealings with Lord Talos before.”

“Strained dealings.”

Math shot him a reproachful look. “Why don’t you go, then? If you’re so against this plan.”

And leave Anrid and the children alone with the shadows? Leave Anrid alone with Kora? He shuddered to think what might happen in his absence.

“No,” he muttered, shoulders hunched against the impossible choices he couldn’t avoid. “You and Kora are the best ones for it, I fear. I don’t dare leave.”

The young apprentice exhaled, his eyes searching Jael’s as if he still had unanswered questions.

“Perhaps,” he hedged, “your father may have some...insights...that we haven’t considered yet.” He flicked a look toward Anrid. “About things.”

Jael tried not to flinch and betray his guilt, but he feared his thoughts were written plainly across his face. “Yes, of course. I plan to update him.”

Math offered him a curt nod. Then, casting Anrid a friendly smile, he tucked his book under his arm and threaded his way through the garden beds and disappeared from sight behind a tall row of shrubs. Jael stretched his neck side to side to ease the tension; he felt weary to his very bones.

“You need to trust people more.” Anrid’s reproachful words brought him round to face her. “You’re overprotective. I could have handled going to speak with the elves, you know. I’m stronger than I appear.”

The displeasure on her face robbed him of words. “That—that wasn’t at all what I was thinking,” he stammered. “Until we know more about what’s going on, it didn’t seem prudent for you to—for us to be—that is to say, I didn’t think you should be too far away. From the children.”

She squinted at him, dubious. “From the children,” she echoed dryly, her tone colored with disbelief.

Heat blossomed in his face yet again. How did she make him always feel so stone-eaten uncomfortable and yet long to be near her at all times? It wasn’t very nice of her. At all. No girl should have that sort of power over a man.

“Of course I’m thinking about the children. You want me to keep their interests in mind, don’t you?”

Her mouth twisted. “You know I do. But I don’t want you using them as a cover for whatever it is you’re not saying. I know when I’m being lied to. I work with children.”

The heat in his cheeks faded to an icy chill. “I’m not lying to you,” he argued, but his words sounded weak even to his own ears.

“Maybe not,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “But there is something you and Math don’t want me to know.”

The urge to come clean and tell her everything overwhelmed him. It would be so easy to fall prey to her commanding, rune-lit eyes and tell her everything—about the Bifrost, the binding, how he felt... Should he tell Anrid the truth and risk her hating him forever? If she thought he were the cause of her hopes and plans crumbling around her, she wouldn’t thank him for it. Even if she stayed in Agmon, it wouldn’t be willingly.

No, he couldn’t tell her. Not yet.

He resisted the pull and searched for something to say that might mollify her and buy him more time. Just a little more time.

Nothing came to him.

After an unpleasant pause, Anrid sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Well then. I’m going to go check on the children,” she said. “I’m going to need you to show me the way back.”

With that cool remark, she stormed toward the hedge of shrubs and vanished from sight.

Jael returned to his room after escorting a silent and rather sullen Anrid back to the children. They’d been overjoyed to see her, abandoning the beds Trap had just wrestled them into.