"Hello," she said as he came to a stop a few steps above her. "I was hoping to see you before you left, Evan."

He eyed her wearily. Remaining silent, he decided to let her speak first.

Tabetha smiled at his silence, curling a stray hair over her ear. Her features hardened when she spoke. "I wanted to say that... that I know about your... your ability."

He kept his expression neutral, though his heart began to race.

"I know it's not an easy thing to talk about. And it's not easy to explain how I know, but..." She swallowed, looking away and taking some time to collect her words. "When my mother was sick, she said she could see things. We did not make sense of it at first, and we think it part of her illness. But we later saw that my mother was speaking of things that had not yet happened. Or were happening far away. Like... the things you see. Yes?"

Evan's stomach tightened. He tried to gage how much she knew and how much she suspected. "I am sorry to hear of your mother's pain. I am afraid, however, that I do not understand what you mean."

Tabetha's mouth thinned. "Seeing the future is a rare gift that passed down my mother's family line. It is a gift that the Red Monks of old were thought to have. When I was younger, I would put on robes and pretend I was a Monk. The women in my family do not do well in old age. Like my meia suffers now. I have seen enough of this gift, or curse, and have felt it enough to know what it is like in another."

Evan idly focussed on the sceptre on his belt. He could no longer look at the eyes that reminded him so much of Reisa. He doubted he could lie to her if he spoke, and so he remained silent.

"Now, I don't think I have an ability like my mother," Tabetha went on. "But, I have these feelings, sometimes, that come to me. I deny it for so long now." Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. "But I have realised–recently, in fact–that it is not something I should be ashamed of. I think... I think that if I embrace it, I will be stronger for it. And I have a feeling that you will be the same too."

She held her gaze on him. Evan knew she would remain silent this time.

He shook his head, finding it hard to speak. "It is called the Glow." He paused. He had never spoken that word out loud before. "That is the name I was told it had. It is also known as the Way of the Sight. I can see... a... light around people. It shows me what they are truly feeling. Sometimes, I can hear their thoughts. Or get an idea, a feeling, of their true words and thoughts. I have never considered it a gift. It is something I have had for a long time. Something I have also denied, for too long."

Tabetha moved onto the first step, inching closer to him. The action startled Evan, but her slow and controlled movements told him she meant no ill will.

"You cannot live a lie for too long, Evan," she said softly. "It will eat at you. Destroy you. Until nothing of you remains. I've finally accepted it. Can you?"

Evan fell into thought, becoming lost a moment. She made it sound so easy. He was trembling when he finally shook his head, not knowing what to tell her. His heart sank when he looked into her eyes. "Reisa..." the name left him in a whimper. He hardly realised he had said it.

To his surprise, Tabetha nodded, as if understanding. Understanding something that he could not even comprehend. She wrapped her arms around him.

The embrace brought tears to Evan. In his mind he was hugging Reisa once again. He held her tighter. After all these years, he could finally hold her again. His aches and tension left him as the warm, soothing power of her embrace flowed through him.

When they released, the sheath on his back clanged against the stair wall, startling them both.

"Thank you for listening," Tabetha said, keeping a hand on his shoulder and giving him a sincere smile.

This time when her heavy, sleepy lids reminded him of Reisa, Evan drew strength from it. It urged him to move forward. To be a stronger person. A person that Reisa would have been proud of. He was thankful for this opportunity of seeing another person with her eyes. A sad smile twisted his face.

"Several days ago I was transported across the galaxy by one of my gods, sent to find a great hero that could help me restore peace to my land. I was taken to three gods made of light, who named my saviour as James Island. And now I have seen that they must have been in error, as James is far from equipped to help me. I know I have a long way to go, and a great many struggles to overcome. But I do know this. I will never again meet a soul like yours, Tabetha. I am glad to have met you."

"I am glad to have met you too. You're a good person, Evan. I just wanted you to remember that." She nodded towards the door behind her. "We should get you going."

You are one of the good ones, Evan. The memory of Reisa's last words to him tightened his chest.

Evan rubbed the remaining moisture from his eyes and nodded. He followed Tabetha out.

Sam and James remained in the kitchen where they had left them. Their low talk stopped when they saw Tabetha and Evan.

"How are my boys?" Tabetha asked cheerily.

"How can we not be good in your company?" Sam said with a smile.

Evan noticed Sam watching him, though the Oneron was careful not to let his gaze linger.

"Great to hear," Tabetha said. "Oh, and you have your cloaks on a chair in the other room."

Sam went into the other room, and returned with three long brown cloaks. He handed one to James and Evan. "Desert cloaks," Sam said. "They'll help us blend in while we travel to Riondon."

Evan at first had trouble with his cloak, before realising that there was a hole he had to put his head through, and the rest fell over him, covering his body. The opening was large enough that it comfortably fit the sword on his back.

"Good thing you just happened to have these," James said with a raised brow.

"Sam placed an order when we met earlier," Tabetha said.

Sam spread his arms out towards her. "Time for us to go, Tabs. Come here." He pulled her into a hug. They held each other for a time, the room becoming silent, before he looked at her and said, "Thank you for everything. You should be ascended."

Tabetha rolled her eyes. "Maybe one day." She went to James and hugged him. "It was so good to meet you, James. Thank you for allowing me to dance."

Sam's brows rose, and he shared a bemused look with Evan.

"Thank you," James told her, sincerity softening his voice. "For everything. And, for the magic book."

Tabetha rubbed his arm. "Oh, it was the least I could do for friends, new and old."

She stepped to Evan and embraced him. "And you, little man. I'm glad we had the chance to meet. Take care of yourself."

Evan took in the sweet swells of her hair once more. "God's be blessed by your presence, Tabetha."

"Oh," she said, her brows furrowing with emotion. "You boys are too much. Okay, go now, you have a lot to do. Don't let me keep you." She shooed them away with both hands.

As they made their way to the front door, Tabetha added, "And please watch yourselves around this man, Higero Jaxx. He is more dangerous than you may think. And remember, you are on a lot of people's... how you say, radar?"

"That's right," Sam said. "And thanks to you we know to keep an extra low profile now."

James opened the front door and they stepped out in the cool early morning air.

"Take care of Hettie," Sam said, turning back to her. "Tell her we said bye."

"Will do." Tabetha's voice had taken a gravelly undertone as she regarded them. Evan could sense the emotions surging through her, and the strength in the small smile she wore.

They gave her a final goodbye and turned down the path leading back to the main road.

Evan had to look back one last time. To see Reisa's eyes one last time. He couldn't help another tear fall down his cheek. It felt as though he were saying goodbye to Reisa one more time. At least, he was thankful, that this time she was able to acknowledge his final goodbye. Tabetha gave him a sad smile, remaining motionless by the doorway.

The night sky was lightening around them, the darkness slowly fading.