“So is it true?” she asked. “You have no intention of fulfilling the prophecy?”

“Of course not.”

“Turning one’s back on such power can’t be easy. Even now, you’re considering his magic.”

“That’s a necessity. I don’t want it. Besides, none of this is about power. It’s about keeping my world safe. You forget that until a few weeks ago, I had no clue about any of this. In most ways-me whipping up a storm aside-I still consider myself human. I’m not going to let some army subjugate or destroy my race.”

“You see?” Kiyo said to her. “I told you.”

I could still see the doubt on her face.

“I’m serious. I don’t want to usher in some terrible era of gentry domination. I sure as hell don’t want to be a plaything for every gentry guy. And even if the worst happens”-I shuddered, remembering the elemental’s proximity-“well, there are ways of making sure I don’t actually get or stay pregnant.” I didn’t feel like getting into logistics with her. “Hopefully, I can just keep up the avoidance, though. I’m not jumping into anyone’s bed soon.”

Sympathy replaced Maiwenn’s doubt. “Yes. I’m truly sorry for what you’ve endured. It sickens me. I honestly can’t imagine it. You’ve surpassed your fearless reputation. I couldn’t have coped so bravely.”

I thought again about the terror that had filled me when the elemental had me trapped. The tears. The desperation. I didn’t know how brave I’d really been.

Kiyo’s eyes met mine then, and while Maiwenn looked distracted with thought, I think he might have glimpsed a little of my emotion. Affection for me burned on his face, and I fell into it. The moment shattered when a loud voice sounded outside my room.

“What the fuck happened in here? No way am I cleaning this up!”

Kiyo straightened up, alarmed, but I waved away his concern. “Don’t worry. It’s just my housemate.”

Sure enough, Tim burst in, outrage written all over him. He wore buckskin pants and a matching vest over his bare chest. Feathers decorated his black hair. Beads ringed his neck. His face fell as soon as he saw me.

“Oh God, Eug. Are you all right?”

I started to give him the “other guy” line, then opted for simplicity. “Fine.”

He jerked his thumb behind him. “That room’s in pieces.”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll clean it up.”

“What happened?”

“You’re better off not knowing. Tim, this is Kiyo and Maiwenn.”

Remembering himself, Tim raised his right hand in a sort of “How, white man” kind of way. “I am Timothy Red Horse. May the Great Spirit smile down upon you.” This latter part seemed to be for Maiwenn in particular. She smiled formally. Kiyo appeared to oscillate between hilarity and disgust.

Greetings done, Tim walked over to me, shaking his head ruefully. “You’re into some crazy shit.”

“You might want to find another place to stay,” I said seriously. “I don’t think it’ll be safe around here.”

“Are you kidding? I’m never going to find this good a deal. What’s a little death and destruction?”

“Tim-”

His face sobered. “Don’t worry, Eug. I know what you do. If things heat up, I’ll get out.”

“Did you see the living room? That’s pretty hot.”

“Yeah, but so long as the house is standing…”

“You’re more difficult than I am.” I remembered I was supposed to find a witch to boost the wards around my house. I’d forgotten. Instead, I had created some wards of my own, but they weren’t very strong, as evidenced by the recent invasion. A witch couldn’t keep everything out but would do a better job than me.

Tim grinned. “Well, let’s not get carried away. Anyway. You look like you’re in the middle of something. You want anything? Chicken soup? Foot massage?”

“You can get me a Milky Way. And see if my Def Leppard CD survived the war zone.”

“Don’t get your hopes up on that last one.” He said goodbye to the others and left.

“An odd man,” mused Maiwenn.

“You have no idea.”

Yet, while Tim and I had bantered, I’d noticed Maiwenn and Kiyo speaking quietly to each other in the corner. She had rested a hand on his arm as they talked, and there had been something almost…intimate in the way they stood together. Like they were comfortable being in each other’s personal space. Very comfortable. I remembered Kiyo’s resolute support of her, his claim that he worked with her because he believed in her cause. But was that truly it? Or was there more? She was a “good friend.” They stood apart now, but a jealous, ugly feeling kindled in my chest.

She finally turned away from him and gave me a small, tight smile. “I don’t mean to be rude, but…I’m not feeling well and must return home.”

“It’s no problem. Thanks for coming, and…thank you for healing my mother.”

Maiwenn nodded, and I could tell she really was sick. Weariness ringed those lovely eyes. “I’m happy to. And I’m glad we were able to talk. You have no idea how relieved I am to see where you stand. I’ll do what I can to keep others from trying to…take liberties with you.”

Kiyo’s fingertips brushed her arm to stop her, and I watched that contact with a critical eye. “Wait for me outside.”

She nodded and then swept out of the room in all her golden beauty. Kiyo walked over to my bed and sat down, running a hand along my cheek.

“I’m glad you’re okay. When I walked in…I thought you were dead.”

“I’m hard to kill,” I said lightly.

He smiled, shaking his head with exasperation. “I can believe that.”

Reaching down, he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips, eyes on mine. He lingered a moment, and my skin burned where he kissed me. Then carefully, gently, he laid my hand back down, lacing his fingers with mine.

“I’m going to make sure she crosses over okay, and then I’ll be back to stay with you.”

“You gonna take care of me? Massage my feet and feed me chicken soup?”

“Anything you want,” he promised. “That’s what friends do.” He kissed my hand again and then stood up. “Be back in a few minutes.”

I could still feel where he’d kissed me, but for once, my infatuation with him went on hold. I was thinking about the conversation I’d just had. It still bothered me, but I’d meant what I said. Learning gentry magic was about the scariest thing-other than rape by a mud elemental-that I could imagine right now. Yet, I wanted no more storms in my living room, no storms anywhere that I was incapable of controlling.

And for what it was worth, that meant getting a grip on my power. I knew whom I had to go to for that control, and it held its own set of terrors. Necessary evils, though. I had no choice.

So while I waited for Kiyo’s return, I began a mental to-do list. Summon Volusian. Plot strategy. Buy high-heeled shoes…

I slept the rest of the day and most of the following one as well. Only the essentials got me out of bed-food, the bathroom, one phone call, and a meeting with Volusian after Kiyo had to leave for Phoenix.

I was dozing around dinnertime that second day when Tim’s angry voice in the living room woke me up.

“No! I don’t care. She needs to sleep, okay? I’ll give her the message, but stop calling.”

I’d heard Tim use that tone only on a few people, so I had a good idea whom he spoke to. For whatever reason, despite having never met, he and Lara hated each other. Throwing on my robe, I shuffled out to the living room and saw him talking on my cell phone. The only progress we’d made in cleanup thus far was to sort of clear a walking path through the debris. He pulled the receiver from his face.

“It’s that bitch secretary of yours. I wouldn’t have answered except that she keeps calling and calling. I told her you can’t take-”

I reached for the phone. “It’s fine. I need to talk to her.”

Glaring, he handed it over.

“Did your asshole roommate just call me a bitch?” demanded Lara. “He has no right-”