I wanted to stay a little longer chatting with Tessia, but I realized I'd left Sember and Remi alone with a bunch of strangers. Tessia had some more things to think about (I couldn't imagine why she wouldn't share them with me, but oh well), so I made my way back to Camp alone.

Upon arrival, I found an annoyed-looking Sember standing with a less-annoyed Remi. Both of their arms were crossed.

"How long do we have to stand around here by ourselves?" I heard her ask. "I feel stupid!"

Sember never did like waiting around. Or feeling stupid. I felt like such a bad friend. She'd come all this way because she was worried about me, and I'd stormed off like a child with a tantrum.

"Hey," I said sheepishly as I approached.

They both turned.

"There you are!" Sember's green eyes blazed. "I was thinking we'd have to track you down again."

"I'm know. I'm sorry. I was just—" Just what? So many things tumbled through my head. Fen, my mother, her disapproval of us, of me. I shook my head, my tongue unable to decide on words.

The furrow between Sember's brows eased. "You, at a loss for words? You must really have a lot on your mind." She stepped closer, placing a hand on my arm. "Are you okay?"

I loved that Sember's temper could dissipate at the thought of her friend in trouble. Loyalty was one of her finer qualities.

Why couldn't my mother see my finer qualities?

The thought shot out of nowhere, but I couldn't stop the avalanche. Corin had seen what was good about me instantly. Or maybe he didn't need to. Maybe he just loved me regardless, because isn't that what a parent is supposed to do? Did Niralessa really dislike me that much?

"Nirrin?"

I blinked away the spiraling thoughts. "Yeah. I'm okay. More or less."

Remi tilted his head. "What does 'more or less' mean?"

Sember retracted her hand. "Yeah, you don't say things like that. You usually spend half a day recounting every detail."

I sighed. At this moment, I missed Tessia's ability to just know every painful detail. It saved me the ache of having to repeat them. "It means it's complicated."

Two sets of eyebrows went up.

They were right, though. My days in Foresthome were filled with endless narrations of things I did that day. Of what other people did. With embellishments, if I deemed them necessary.

It suddenly occurred to me how uncomplicated my life in Foresthome had been. I'd called it boring, but right now, I could do with a little boring. Boring meant no pain.

"Let's go home," I blurted.

Their eyebrows rose even higher.

"What about the dinner?" Remi inclined his head toward the green woman arranging wood for a campfire. "Would it be rude to leave?"

Ah, Remi, thoughtful as ever. But he didn't know Niralessa. Didn't know that everything she did had an ulterior motive.

I was about to tell him so when my eye snagged on Fen, deep in discussion with Minocken. They stood at the far edge of Camp, their expressions serious.

Then, as if sensing my eyes on him, Fen caught my gaze. And smiled.

My heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't a forced smile, or even a sad smile. It was a genuine smile that lit up his entire face because he was happy to see me.

I suddenly wasn't so eager to leave.

"I guess we should stay for dinner," I murmured. "Wouldn't want to offend anyone."

Sember and Remi followed my gaze. Sember scratched her head. "You're going to have to tell me how that happened."

"Oh, I will," I promised.

You bet she will! (And I bet you'll vote! Maybe?)