"We will find a way," Verchiel said firmly, hands once again on her shoulders. "We will-"
With a huff of annoyance, she pushed him away. "We will do nothing, my pale angel. I have been summoned. Not you."
And so she thought to protect him, to save him from her evil father. The sentiment washed over Verchiel like a warm wave, but he couldn't allow her to follow through. "No, my love. If you must go, then so will I."
Kateesha stopped her frantic work to throw up her hands. She spun around, her countenance warring between fake patience and exasperation. He felt her in his mind, the spark of her presence as she looked through his thoughts. Here, she might see that he truly loved her, that he was willing to sacrifice everything, and at last-
She broke into laughter. "Oh, my sweetling, my si
