“Oh, yes. Your face is puffy and red. How about me?”
“You’re lucky,” she grumbled. “You look as fresh as a daisy.”
He laughed. It was good to hear that laugh again. It was good to be home. And it was unexpectedly wonderful to have found a kindred spirit in Effrax. Was that a horrible thing to think? The experiences that had led them to reconcile their differences were unbearably tragic; did she deserve to find a silver lining in the dark clouds of guilt that hung over the two of them?
Effrax deserves it, she thought. He did what he did for the right reasons. He deserves to find peace after what he’s suffered.
“Onwards,” said Effrax. “The night is not young. Kzar Ilkhar is holding a war council tomorrow morning, and we’ll both need to be sharp for that.”
They set off—he clunking along
