Kaye sat cross-legged before Timin, his spear draped across her legs. Most of the Faye had left and the others were speaking in hushed voices nearby, debating what to do with the Tarrin.

Timin’s head was in his hands, looking miserable. Kaye didn't feel much better—it was her fault Timin was here, and she didn't know what the Faye would do to them.

"I wish you had been sneaking out to see a man," Timin said without lifting his head.

The corners of her mouth twitched up. "I do too. It would have been much more exciting than what I was actually doing."

He finally looked at her. "Are they going to feed me to Mountain? Or make me Faye?"

"They don't feed people to Mountain, and you’re already Faye."

"But I don't have wings. Are they going to make me grow wings, like you?"

Kaye’s laugh was humorless. "They didn't make me grow wings; I was born with them. The Obsidians cut them off and the Faye are helping me grow them back. That's why I was coming here."

"Not for Bryant?"

She shrugged. "Bryant's never liked me much."

A staccato "ha!" escaped Timin and the Faye turned to look before going back to their meeting. "Trust me," he said, "Bryant likes you. Much."

Kaye enjoyed hearing that, but it didn't make her feel better. "Not after this, he won't."

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Timin shrugged and looked towards the group. "What are they going to do to me?"

"I don't know," Kaye admitted. "They can't keep you here because you don’t have wings. They can't kill you, because it's against their nature and they have no weapons."

"What about you?" He whispered.

The nausea in Kaye's stomach rose in pitch. "I don't know what they'll do to me. I was told—over and over—to never let anyone follow me here. I'm lucky it was only you."

"For Awena, Kaye, I'm sorry." Timin touched her hand. "I was worried for you, and jealous, and when I saw you in that man's arms, I let it get the better of me."

“Jealous? What about Misha?”

He looked down, but didn’t release her hand. “I don’t think things are going to work out with Misha. Everything changed when Cass died, and then you showed up…”

“I’m not staying in Gaerlom, Timin. I have to go home once the snow melts. I have to warn my tribe about the Obsidians.”

He looked into her eyes. “You could come back after you warn them.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. If she was never going to be confirmed as a priestess, there was nothing keeping her in Fie Eoin except Kindra. But she couldn’t live in Gaerlom as a Faye, and she wasn’t sure she could leave Kindra again.

The delegation of Faye broke up and Bryant walked over, face stern. Timin let go of Kaye's hand as they stood. Bryant looked at him first, his face as cold as the mountain behind them.

"You will go home under binding oath to tell no one what you saw. If you do, Mountain can do whatever he pleases to you. If you ever return to our land, I will personally break my pledge to the Goddess to never hurt another human being."

Timin nodded and Bryant turned to Kaye, his features softening only slightly.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He held her gaze, but it looked like it pained him to do so.

"Celeste is bringing down the balm for your wings." He sighed. "I am sorry, Kaye. You cannot return."

She nodded as tears filled her eyes. "I should have listened to you."

"There is nothing to be done now. Aleda protect you. I truly hope things work out in Fie Eoin." He stared at her for a moment too long before he turned and walked away.

Nausea bordering on pain crept through her core as she watched him go.