They were back in Dun-Dealgan within twenty minutes, after Cathbad used some sort of magic to turn Carman's body to ash (though not before Emery retrieved her dagger). They hadn't been able to return earlier because the druid had been too afraid to move Emery. Even when he did at last wrap her in his cloak and whisk them away, he expressed far more concern than he needed to. Emery felt great other than some stiffness from spending hours on the forest floor, and she told him as much. The Dark Man's claw pressing against her seemed to have left no mark beyond the memory of it. But in spite of her relief at that, Emery's spirits were down. She dreaded telling Tess about Charlie, and she dreaded, too, a conversation with Cullen. On top of that was the message Cathbad had received about Munster. He'd said a few nights ago that they'd come for revenge, but what exactly did it mean for Dun-Dealgan? Would the people all stay inside, protected, while the Munstermen laid siege to the walls? That was just as terrifying a prospect as was the notion that the men of Dun-Dealgan would go out to fight. As conflicted as Emery had felt toward Cullen, she absolutely did not want him to die or get injured. Of that, she was sure.

When they arrived within the gates of the hillfort, the place was buzzing with action. No doubt everyone knew what she and Cathbad knew--Munster was coming.

"Emery, we must part. Please go to Tess." Cathbad appeared to want to say more but not know how to say it.

Taking his hands, Emery gave him a sad smile. "I'll tell her."

He nodded in appreciation, then tightened his hands around hers. "You are very dear to me, my friend. My Lord or I will speak to you before the day is out. Be at ease."

"I'll try."

They released one another and went their separate ways, he to find Cuchulain, and she to find Tess. As Emery hurried through the pathways of the hillfort, she received many a curious look, no doubt due to the crusted blood across her face and neck and clothing. But everyone was too busy to question her, and she was glad of that. It appeared men and women, young boys and even young girls were aiding with fortifications, taking to the walls to examine and strengthen the structure. Many were altering their clothing to include leather and metal, tying back hair and adding lyme to push it up and stiffen it. Children were penning and calming animals, horses were being led from place to place, and the sounds of clanking as well as the smithy's roaring flames indicated the readying of many weapons.

All of it worried her. This level of activity indicated the threat was serious. But before she could concern herself with any of it, she had to get to Tess.

When she reached her own roundhouse, Emery glanced up at Cullen's, wondering if he were inside. Something told her he wasn't. Surely he was in the feasting hall, meeting with the Red Branch, doing something useful. Their last encounter had been . . . fraught. She was afraid of seeing him again, unsure of the feelings either of them would have, and yet she couldn't sit around worrying about such things.

Turning to her own doorway, Emery went inside. Tess was thankfully there, lying on her bed, awake but anxious, and the minute the two saw one another, they hurried to embrace. Emery hadn't seen Tess since they'd returned from Cathair Chon-Raoí; her friend had been ill from all that had happened. "I'm so happy to see you awake and well," Emery said to Tess. "I was so worried about you."

While Tess was indeed awake and appeared physically well, Emery could tell that her friend's gentle nature had been shaken. Somehow, the warmth that seemed always to follow Tess, to radiate from her smile, had cooled. Her eyes had dulled. The last thing Emery wanted to do was tell her about Charlie, and yet, she couldn't keep such information from her friend. So, for the second time in several hours, Emery recounted all that had happened with Oongah-who-was-Carman, with Peadar, with The Dark Man. Tess clung to every word, her fearfulness as real as if all of what Emery detailed was still taking place. But when the end of the story came, when Emery described Cathbad coming to her aid, Tess sensed there was something missing, and as much as Emery was trying to avoid the topic, Tess herself brought it up:

"If Carman is dead, does that mean we'll be able to find Charlie? What did Cat say?"

The words were too difficult. Emery didn't know how to tell Tess, but her reaction was enough to do the telling for her.

"He's ok, right?" Tess's hands went to her mouth. The way she asked the question implied she knew the answer. "Oh, no! Emery, no!"

The hugs and tears that followed were hard to bear. What could words do, at that point? Tess's brother, her twin, her best friend all her life. Charlie, with his boyish charm, his friendly confidence, his (sometimes misplaced but well-meaning) chivalry—gone. And neither of the girls could bring herself to ask the worst question: how exactly had he died? Because even if there had been a way to answer it, they didn't really want to know. Emery also couldn't mention her concerns about what they'd do, now, though she'd been struggling with that thought the moment she'd heard Charlie was no longer alive. The reason they'd stayed, she'd told herself, was to find him. She'd intended to leave once they had. But if Charlie was dead, would the plans change? Should they leave, now? Before this impending battle?

But Emery didn't think she could. They'd found her in the other world, hadn't they? They'd find her again, whoever they were. The Dark Man, those brothers . . . the Gods? If she were bound in this with Cathbad and Cullen, she'd never be left alone.

Emery recognized her thoughts were selfish. Tess had lost her brother.

They passed half an hour or so comforting one another. While everything went on outside, Emery retrieved water and washed her face, changed her clothing (being careful to leave the poultice Cathbad had spread across her chest and stomach, even though it was dry and gross), and pulled a simple tunic over herself. She was unsure whether to burn the clothing she'd worn the night before or to try to clean it--that fawn's blood was all over it, and the whole event had been so sinister that Emery wondered if the blood were somehow poisoned or cursed. She'd ask Cathbad about it later. Then she brushed her hair and put it up in a messy bun, realizing she'd miss Oonagh's hairstyling abilities after all, and found something to eat. The whole while she moved about, Tess lay on her bed. Emery checked on her every few minutes, trying to be compassionate yet also anxious about everything going on beyond their roundhouse.

"Can you come here?" Tess said as Emery stoked their fire. "I need to talk to you."

Emery stopped what she was doing and went to Tess's side. She was immediately concerned by the serious tone Tess had taken on.

Sitting up so her back was against the wall, Tess wiped her cheeks and pushed back her wavy hair. The poor girl looked a mess. She'd had a difficult week between witnessing what had happened with Cú Roí and now hearing about her brother. But there was something other than suffering in Tess's eyes, at the moment. There was a sort of determination. Emery lowered her brow in curiosity.

"I want to tell you about that night."

For a flickering moment, Emery didn't connect Tess's words, but then she understood. "At the camp? When I had to leave you and Cat?"

Tess nodded solemnly, and Emery's interest piqued. She'd wanted to know what happened ever since it'd happened, what had created all the closeness and secretiveness between Tess and Cathbad.

"I don't know that I can tell you all of it because I don't even understand everything myself, but I think it will make you feel better if I tell you some."

That was so Tess--worried about how Emery felt even though she was the one to have lost her brother. "Tell me whatever you want," Emery said quietly. "If there's some you can't say, that's fine."

Tess nodded briefly, bit her lower lip for a moment, then took a deep breath. "When you left, you remember, Cat was begging someone to tie him up. He was afraid of being a danger to you and me. He's--he's so good, like that. He cares about everyone else more than himself. And I wanted to help. I--I wasn't going to leave him all alone, there. So I did what he asked, but I wasn't very good at it. I tried to take the ropes he gave me and tie him to the bedpost. But . . . but he'd been right. He . . ." Tess had to pause and take a deep breath. Emery took hold of her friend's hand. "He became very scary. He--his eyes turned--and, and he--he was like a wild animal, or a monster." She shuddered. "I don't want to say everything about it. But I was so afraid. And then he broke out of the ropes because, like I said, I did a terrible job tying him anyway. And then--it was so bad, Emery! He did try to hurt me. He was so ashamed! He still is . . . but he doesn't have to be. It wasn't his fault. I've told him a million times. And anyway, he didn't hurt me. He--he was about to, but . . . something happened. I don't exactly understand it, and I don't think he does, either. It was like, we were all of a sudden not in the cabin anymore. We were here, somewhere--I'm not sure where, exactly--and we . . ." Tess looked to Emery, her features distressed yet also resolved. "We saw ourselves. Together, Em. We saw ourselves."

Emery was just as confused as Tess apparently was herself. But she wasn't sure her questions could be answered, so she didn't ask them.

"I--I won't tell you everything about what we saw. Or what we said after, when we realized we were back in the cabin, and he was back to normal. But there's one thing that's most important, Emery, that he and I have talked and talked about." She squeezed Emery's hand. "Don't be too upset, all right? I--I'm telling you because it'll make you feel better. And I didn't say anything before because I still don't understand enough. I didn't know how to talk about something I don't understand."

"Well, what is it?" Emery was growing impatient in spite of herself.

"Em . . . I'm from here, too."

There was only silence as Emery processed her friend's words.

Tess was anxious at Emery's quiet shock. "Charlie isn't my brother! He never was! I thought he was, just like you thought your family was your family, but he wasn't. That doesn't change how sad it is that he got caught up in all this. He wasn't supposed to come here, but then that witch kidnapped him and brought him back. And it is still so, so sad that he's died. But I--I thought it might make you feel better if--if you knew it doesn't hurt me as much as you thought it might."

Emery pressed her fingers against her forehead. "Tess--Tess, wait. How long have you known?"

"Known . . . about Charlie?"

"About you being from here? Since that night at the camp? And--and you never told me?"

Tess looked about to cry. "I didn't know how. I still don't know how! I don't understand it. Cat and I have talked so much, and he isn't sure either, why I was there with you. He thinks . . . he thinks it has something to do with me and him, not that I'm mixed up in your curse. He thinks maybe . . . maybe it's some sort of time travel. Like, he sent me to be with you. To be your friend. But he isn't sure! He doesn't know how to manipulate time right now. He thinks maybe the him of the future does know, or maybe he knew in the past but forgot. Oh!" She threw up her hands. "It's so confusing! Neither of us understands it. It's why we didn't say anything. It just adds to all the confusion."

"You were together when you saw yourselves? Like, together?"

Tess blushed. Emery was happy to see the color return to her friend's cheeks. "I'm not sure you need every detail. But we were older, Em. That's why he thinks it involves time. But he won't know until time moves forward. Or maybe the future or past him did something to keep the present him in the dark. He doesn't know."

"So basically, you're like me, then? You don't know how you fit here--just that you do?"

"I know my name, Emery. That's all. When we saw ourselves, he--the older Cat--he called me Nessa."

"Nessa?"

Tess nodded gently.

"Do you want me to call you that, now?"

"No." The red reinfused her fair cheeks. "Just Cat calls me that. Sometimes, now."

Emery sat back, astounded at everything she'd heard, unsure what to make of any of it except for one thing: "This is such a relief, Tess."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first of all, I thought you and he slept together that night in the cabin, and I was worried about what that might mean for you."

"Emery!"

"I'm sorry. You were so secretive, and what was I supposed to think when you wouldn't tell me?"

"But I told you he was respectful."

"Yeah, a long time after it happened. But also, I know this is selfish, but, Tess--" Emery tried to swallow her emotion. "I am so, so glad to know you won't leave me. You won't go back to the other world, will you? You can't! You don't belong there any more than I do! You'll always stay here with me, won't you? Because I don't think I can go back, after all, and I don't want to do this by myself."

Tess threw her arms around Emery. "We're definitely in this together. I wouldn't go anywhere for anything. I'll never leave you and Cat." She backed away, her eyes watering. "We'll figure it all out together, now, ok?"

"Poor Charlie, though. I feel so terrible that he got mixed up in this. If Carman hadn't taken him, you could've left just like me, and he would've reacclimated to the other world without both of us. He wouldn't be . . . dead." She and Tess were quiet for a moment, but then Emery added, "I saw him in a dream, that first night we traveled to Munster. He told me everything would be all right; he said I'd see him again." She turned away.

"There's one thing certain, here," Tess consoled her, "and it's that the magic makes it difficult to trust anything other than each other."

Emery gave her a wry smile, but at that moment, there was a call for her from beyond the roundhouse door. It wasn't Cathbad's voice, though it was familiar. Rising from Tess's bed, Emery went and pulled back the curtain. The bright daylight was disconcerting for a moment but then she recognized the tall stature and proud features of Keltar of the Battles. She was taken aback to find him there, as she'd shared little more than a few words with him in all the time since she'd met him.

"Forgive me, Lady," Keltar spoke, his voice smooth and somewhat musical. He hardly looked at her as he addressed her, though. "We are to battle soon. Lord Cuchulain wishes to speak with you. He is in the feasting hall. Would you allow me to escort you?"

Emery turned to Tess, who encouraged her to go, and then followed Keltar, anxiety building in her with each step.