"The barrier will fall," he says with iron conviction. "So will Aster. He will pay for what he has done. But I cannot accept the loss of you, Fever, as a trade for having it done sooner."

He reaches for her hand.

"I'm sorry he made such suggestion to you. I suspect he knew exactly what he was doing. But if he is asking for powerful people to guard him, then it does make me wonder if we have him worried."