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Everything was so comfortable and warm, and I was very unhappy when someone forced me to open my eyes. I did not want to wake up.

I was mildly surprised to see Levent’s face hovering above me, wondering why he was still around when I had healed him so many hours ago. It occurred to me that he should not be waking me up, and I was about to ask what he was doing in my house when he interrupted me.

“Naitlya,” he said, looking at my face as if I were not actually there behind it. It sounded more like a question than actually calling my name. Was that only the second time he had ever called me by it?

I smiled a little. “Hello,” I mumbled.

“You passed out,” Levent explained.

For a moment I wondered why I had passed out, then I remembered. I had not been able to completely keep my promise. “Sorry,” I said. “One got through.”

“One what?”

“One… thought,” I said quietly, as if he would not be angry if he could hardly hear what I said. His eyes widened just a little, but it was enough to send me rambling again. “More just a feeling, really. Freaked me out a bit, I guess,”

Levent shook his head a few degrees before he reached down and patted my head like he had so much in Eigiollys. “That’s alright, probably.”

“Hmm,” I said. His warm hand on my head was making it very tempting to fall asleep again, but I made my eyes flicker open. “What is this, by the way?”

The kin raised an eyebrow and looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“This,” I clarified, pointing at his hand.

“Oh. That,” Levent said, pulling it back. He looked down at his palm like he had not realized it was there, and then looked at the floor.

I tried to keep my mouth shut and wait patiently for him to finish his sentence, but I could not.

“’That?’” I prompted. Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door.

“Everyone alive in there?” Rio asked, thankfully keeping the door shut.

Levent scooted back into the wall.

“Yes we are. Give me a second,” I said as I sat up and scooted over to the door. I did not bother to try to stand as I knew my legs would not hold me. The kin took the chance to snatch up his cloak and replace it before I opened the door.