Bryant paced the riverside where Kaye said she would meet him. He'd hid in a tree from dusk until just after nightfall. It was not yet mid-night, but if she wasn't here by now, he didn't think she would come.

That was for the best, really. Despite his brave talk earlier, travelling between the Faye-lands and Gaerlom was dangerous. He could fly away if someone found them, but she could not. And if they caught her with a Faye man Bryant wasn't sure what they would do. They wouldn't believe she was a silkie anymore.

He heard footsteps in the woods and turned, but it wasn't Kaye. It was Timin, his face changing from shock to anger. “What are you doing here?”

"What are you doing here?" Bryant crossed his arms.

"I kept my promise," Timin spat. "And so has Kaye. So how about this—you gave me a chance to leave; I'll give you a chance too. If I ever see you this close to the coast again, I'll cut your wings off." He drew the dagger from his belt and pointed it at Bryant, but Bryant was bigger than Timin by half and he spread his wings.

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"Is that supposed to scare me?" Timin laughed. "I know you can't harm me. It's not sanctioned by your Goddess."

"She will forgive me this time, I'm sure." Bryant had no idea how he could possibly hurt Timin, but he was willing to try. He was saved from that course of action by Kaye, who ran crashing through the woods.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” She stopped as she saw them—Bryant's wings out, Timin's dagger. She frowned in disgust. "What in Aleda is going on?"

Timin pointed his dagger at Bryant. "I'm banishing him from Gaerlom. Just as he banished you."

"And I am considering feeding the Tarrin to Mountain."

"Oh shut up," Kaye snapped. "Both of you.” She hitched her bag further on her shoulder as she looked from one to the other, trying to decide what to do. After a moment she turned to Bryant. “You can go home." At Timin's smug look she turned on him. "You too. Home."

Bryant drew himself up as Timin's dagger dipped. "Kaye…”

"No." She turned a face on him that he had never seen before. It wasn't Kaye the lost girl, or Kaye the sweet friend. It was Kaye with the mantle of the Goddess on her shoulders. "I am a priestess, and I will celebrate the birth of my Goddess alone. Now leave, both of you."

Bryant grew up surrounded by the Daughters of Aleda and he knew better than to disobey. He gave a crisp bow, wings up in salute. The only thing that made him feel better as he left was Kaye's voice dismissing Timin.

"Go home. I don't want to see you right now."