Kit melted back into the bed and Jate put his sword away. “Thank you, Avinia!” Kit shouted, looking out the window. The last splinters of daylight illuminated the sky. Her commander had returned in time.

Jate was already getting dressed. She watched as he pulled on his trousers and located his tunic and jerkin. “Must you leave?” she asked, reaching for him as he sat on the bed to put his boots on.

“I assumed you’d want to speak to them,” he said, turning to smile at her.

“I do want to speak to Seph, but... we didn’t even have a chance to reacquaint ourselves with each other.”

With a...