Lith brought Kamila up to speed with a mind link, leaving her stunned. She didn’t know what to say without sounding corny or stupid, so she just brought warm blankets for everyone and lit the fireplace.

The Mansion was always warm thanks to its enchantments, but there was something about the popping of a natural fire that soothed even the most restless spirit.

***

Meanwhile, in the Infirmary, Quylla performed the sixth full scan of Protector and explained the readings line by line in terms that a very young layman, not very bright at that, could understand.

“As I said multiple times before, Ryman is fine.” Quylla said with a soothing, motherly voice. “Yes, taking so many wounds and suffering severe mana abuse did a number on his body, but he was lucky.

“The fight didn’t last long, and the intervention of Slash and Crash saved him from the worst. They shielded the kids with their bodies, so Ryman only sustained injuries from their self-harm.

“It’s the only reason his cracked life force didn’t bleed, and he hasn’t lost more of his lifespan.” Thanks to her twins, Quylla had developed a tremendous patience in dealing with unreasonable individuals prone to emotional outbursts.