By the time Kaye was sleeping soundly, Bryant sat next to Celeste, wondering how things had come to this and silently thanking the Mother that they had. Kaye was here, and if someone from her own tribe attacked her she would never want to return home.

"Where will she stay?" he asked as Celeste put away her wing salve and tea herbs. "With you?"

Celeste stopped and looked around the small cave. There was a cot for her, a cot for Elett, and the area for her hearth fire and priestess things. There wasn't much room for another cot. "I do not know. We will find a place, I am sure."

"I have room."

"Hmmm."

His eyes narrowed. "I know what you think, but it was never safe for her to stay in Gaerlom. She should have come to live here the day the Lady brought her."

"And you were so anxious to have her around then?"

Bryant looked away, gaze travelling to Kaye. The way her hair fell around her face and the way her chest rose and fell slightly as she slept. He lowered his voice so he wouldn't wake her. "You are correct, but I want her here now."

"She has been chosen by Aleda. She will not stay long."

"She might."

Celeste sighed. "She has been Chosen, Bryant. Whatever you do cannot change that. However much she cares for you, however much it hurts to let you go, she cannot stop the will of Aleda. Something will pull her back to her people—you know that."

Her eyes were desperate for him to understand the bond between a priestess and her Mother, but Bryant could think only of the feel of Kaye in his arms, and could hear only the break in her voice as she said it was an Aledan warrior—sworn to protect her—who tried to rip off her wing. "Her own people threw her out and attacked her."

"You know it is only a test."

He shrugged and looked to Celeste. "It is not me you will have to convince. I think she has not felt the loving presence of the Mother in a long time."

Celeste looked from her basket of herbs to Kaye, then back to Bryant. "You must let her go when she does. Already she is closer to home. Already she is worried about her family. You cannot keep her here forever."

Bryant didn't reply—he could not promise what Celeste wanted. When he didn't say anything, she stood and walked to the cave opening. "I am not trying to hurt you. I only want you to know you will be hurt if you continue down this path."

Her eyes were pitying, and Bryant turned away before she did. He heard her wings as they opened and she flew out, and he knew that he had hurt his best friend, but he did not leave Kaye's side.