Graeden's eyes brightened. "I was told to be on my best behavior."
Intrigued, Adrina took a step toward him. "Told, by whom?"
"Not by Xith if that's what you're thinking. By Leria."
"Ærühn's sister? You talked to her about me?"
Graeden smiled. "I did. She knew I liked you."
Adrina stared at him. What a nice smile. Graeden looked back at her without speaking and she leaned closer, smiling back at him and almost daring him to kiss her. On the lips, on the cheek, it didn't really matter as long as it was a real kiss.
But Graeden didn't. Instead, he said, "Goodbye, Adrina. As I said before, I'll tell the range watch to signal on first sight of Vilmos and Ærühn."
"Thank you, I appreciate that. I'll worry less then."
She opened the door and started inside, her eyes going wide at what she saw. She screamed and screamed, fell to her knees.
"Xith?" she shouted. "Xith?"
She crawled across the floor to him, took his head in her hands. "Please look at me. Please."
Graeden rushed inside. He knelt down beside her, his hand on her shoulder. "It can't be," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke.
"No, no, no," she shouted, her eyes full of tears. She'd found Noman this way the day before, though dead in his sick bed and not on the floor.
She shook him, his head lolled from side to side. Her sobs rang through the hut.
"No, no, no," she repeated.
Graeden tried to pull her away from Xith. She refused to move.
"I didn't even know he was ill. But I should've seen it. I should've known."
She fought the urge to scream, to tear at her hair, to pound her fists into the floor. "I was so worried about me. I didn't see. Why didn't I see?"
Graeden was silent. He tried to help Adrina to her feet, but she refused to let go of Xith. "Please, Adrina. Let go… Let me help you."
"Go, get out of here! Leave!" Adrina shouted, suddenly feeling guilty for not being with Xith in his final hours.
Graeden stood, hesitated. "Adrina?"
"Leave! Leave! Leave!" Adrina shrieked as she jumped up, arms flailing angrily.
Graeden took a step back. "Adrina?" he repeated.
Adrina pushed him to the door. "Get out! Get out! Get out!"
Graeden moved through the door. "Let me know if there's--"
Adrina slammed the door shut and then collapsed on the other side of it, sobbing uncontrollably.
From the other side of the door, Graeden said, "I'll get my father. He'll know what to do."
"Get no one. Tell no one," Adrina said somberly.
She heard him take a step, hesitate. She shouted after him, "Never come back. I never want to see you again."
She ran to Xith, held and rocked him in her arms. "Come back to me. Don't leave me here all alone."
She scratched back tears from eyes that stared blankly ahead. If Xith was gone, hope was gone with him. She willed herself to think of the right thing to do.
"Father? Mother?" she implored the empty room.
"Someone tell me what to do. Is hope gone? Is it all ash and ruin now?"
Realizing she wasn't truly alone, she called out, "Adrynne, Adrynne? Show yourself. Show yourself now."
Adrynne ripped her way out of Adrina's flesh but Adrina refused to acknowledge the pain.
The lady elf appeared as she had before. With substance, instead of wispy. She said, "I know what you want."
"Then do it," Adrina said coldly, still staring at nothing with dead eyes.
"Each new mark puts you that much closer. You've two already."
Adrina threw up her hands. "Do it already!"
The lady elf moved closer. "You've never asked, you know. Not once. Not ever. Aren't you curious about the bond we share? About Tnavres? About me?"
Life returned to Adrina's eyes, if only to fill them with hatred and turn them on the lady. "So just what do you get from this bargain? What do your years of servitude get you?"
"It gets me nothing. It is you who buys my freedom. When you are all used up, you will be his and I will at long last be free to make the final journey. But I do not wish this--this thing that I've become--on you or anyone."
Adrina shook her fists. "Then help me!"
"I am helping you. Listen. When Zanzes gave you a choice--a choice between two paths--you shouldn't have chosen anything. You should've chosen death, for death would have been far better."
"Death is no choice! I command you to bring him back."
"Oh, but it is a choice. It is," the lady elf said bitterly. "You may think you command Tnavres, and he may let you think you do. But me, you don't command, for I'm not yours to command. I'm his. I do only what serves him, only what he wants--and that he wants this so strongly should terrify you."