That earned a bright smile from her. "You should have said something! I thought you were still half-oblivious. And I'll have you know, I do not like being forgotten." She waved an index finger at him in mock-scolding, but sobered again quickly, her voice taking on a lost tone.

"I don't like this, you know. He's much harder to deal with than Xem was. I'm worried about what he'll do to you, and to Lilith..."