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“I’ll get the firewood.” Edmund hurried out the door after Julien.

“I guess that leaves fetching the food for me.” Averett gave her a side hug. “We’ll figure out a better solution in the morning.”

Essie rested her head on her brother’s solid shoulder. He carried the weight of the kingdom, but he was still able to help her with her burdens as well. “Will you wake Paige and the boys?”

“I’ll let Paige know, but I think it would be best if we left the boys sleeping. They’ll just be crabby and grouchy if we haul them out into the woods in the middle of the night. You look like you need as much sleep as you can get.” Averett patted her back, then stepped away. “We’ll give you and Farrendel twenty minutes or so before we descend on the campsite.”

“Thanks. He should be ready for people again by then.” Hopefully. Essie turned and faced the door to her room, her stomach strangely tight. Had Farrendel calmed down? She hadn’t heard any more crashes, so Mother probably hadn’t startled Farrendel. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open.

She’d expected a lot of things, but the sight before her wasn’t one of them.

Mother sat on the floor next to Farrendel. Somehow, she’d broken through all of Farrendel’s elven personal space boundaries, quite the feat. Farrendel leaned his head on her shoulder with her arm around him. They were talking quietly.

At Essie’s footsteps, Farrendel and Mother looked up. Farrendel straightened, pushing his hair from his face.

Essie jabbed a finger over her shoulder. “We’re going to stay outdoors at the family camping spot for the rest of the night. Julien and Edmund are grabbing the equipment and Avie’s fetching the food.”

“I’ll see if Avie needs help.” Mother patted Farrendel’s back and stood. After a moment’s pause, she bent and kissed Farrendel’s forehead, as she’d done for Essie and her brothers when they’d been children. “Sleep tight.”

“Linshi, Mamasha.” Farrendel gazed up at Essie’s mother with such trusting, silver-blue eyes. Essie caught the glint of the little boy he’d once been, the one who had longed for the mother he’d never had.

Essie gave Mother a quick hug. “Thank you. Can you make sure Avie doesn’t forget the hot chocolate? I’ve been promising Farrendel a mug of hot chocolate for months now. Apparently, elves don’t have any.”

“I’ll see to it.” Mother nodded and strode from the room.

Leaving Essie facing Farrendel and wondering exactly what she was going to say to him after what had happened.

ESSIE REACHED for him. She needed to reassure him. “Farrendel...”

Farrendel pushed to his feet, stepping out of her reach. His gaze flicked over Essie, as if searching for injuries. “Are you all right? I did not...my magic...”

“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt.” Essie tried not to think what could have happened. She had seen Farrendel’s magic incinerate bullets and kill with sizzling bolts of power.

How had she survived unscathed? She’d felt the crackle of his magic. Had it simply missed her? Had Farrendel been alert enough, even unconsciously, to keep his magic from hitting her? She would’ve thought the bolt underpowered, but it had shattered the lamp easily enough. It had been far stronger than the sparks Farrendel had shot into the air when playing with the nephews.

Was it possible that the heart bond had protected Essie? Could Farrendel’s magic have sensed not to hurt her?