Ivelyn didn’t move, but instead sighed as she watched the dancing couples. Avarick nudged her.

“What’s wrong?”

He looked at her more closely, and realized that she really did look very tired as she drew a hand across her face. “I miss Linley and Mom and dad and everyone. You see that boy there?”

Avarick saw who she was pointing at, a gangly little fellow, trying very desperately to flirt with a gaggle of girls a few years older than him, who were all giggling mercilessly. “He reminds me of youngest. He was always hopeless with girls. He looks like that boy, stumbling over his feet and his words.”

Avarick wasn’t quite sure what to say – what could he say? This was all his fault – and yet she hadn’t said it. It was hanging in the air, but she was ignoring the words. Avarick was suddenly very grateful. He found her hand and gave it a squeeze. Ivleyn was quiet for a moment, and then pushed on, in a voice that was a little forcibly cheery.

“What about you? Do you miss your family?”

He shrugged, watching the dancers. They seemed as though they’d dropped out of another world.” I haven’t really thought about it. We never spent much time together.” That was a jarring idea indeed, that he didn’t miss them and didn’t care for them. He supposed that the only person he really missed was advisor, although – thinking back on it – he supposed it was a very slim chance that advisor missed him at all. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters to miss.

“What about your parents?”

He thought of their cozy little family circle. He thought of the way she’d touched rose-lily’s hair that evening, just a quite pushing of the bangs out of her face so they wouldn’t fall in her soup. There was nothing he could say that could compare.

“Did you go to many dances? Back when you were human, I mean.” Avarick thought of the flash of elegant gowns and huge orchestras, the musicians of the palace kept there all the year round, and shook his head.

“I’ve never been to one like this before.”

“Where are you from?”

He shrugged.

Ivelyn gave an irritated sigh, and stood with a jerk, slipping her hand from his. He looked up, startled. “Alright, fine – don’t tell me anything about yourself. You’ve wiggled your way out of every question I’ve asked you tonight. If it’s a secret you can just say so and I’ll drop it.”

“It’s not really a secret, per se, there’s just not that much to tell,” he half-lied, but she was in no mood to join him in pretending that he was telling the truth. In the few seconds it took her to smooth out her skirts and fluff out her hair, Avarick hadn’t found his mouth, and before he knew it she’d grabbed her skirts and had been immediately asked to dance.

Fae came back down, carrying beer.

“Why is that –

“No.”

“No?”

“Don’t ask me, please. You humans just confuse me.”