“Are you sure we can’t talk you out of it?”
She shook her head. “This is something I have to do, Teca. I’ve told Gray—I have to make sure that he’s okay. I have to see him, touch him, talk to him. That’s the only way I can be sure. I keep telling him that he doesn’t have to come with me, but—”
“He wants to, Aoife. He wants to be with you and we’ll be okay until you guys get back. Kes and Wat and Elton and I can hold it together. We’ll keep an eye out for anything weird and stay inside as much as we can. Everything will be okay. We’re more worried about you.”
“I don’t like leaving you guys, you know that, right?”
Teca gave her a brave smile and nodded. “I know that. I’ve been trying to help you convince Gray that you two going is a good thing. I know that just looking at your brother in the glass hasn’t been enough. I don’t think it would be enough for me, either, not after what we saw him go through. Just be careful on the road. I’ll scry on you when I can. Is that okay?”
Aoife nodded. “Yeah. I think feeling the gaze would make me feel better—knowing that you’re keeping an eye on us.”
Teca hugged her tightly. “Be careful, okay? I want to see you come back here sometime in the next few months.”
“Before summer’s ended, unless something changes,” Aoife promised. “And if something changes, you’ll know. I’ll make sure you know. I can feel it when you’re watching.”
Teca smiled. “I know you can. Take care of Gray, okay?”
“He’ll be taking care of me.” Aoife squeezed her hands. “Be safe, Teca. Be careful.”
The other woman nodded, giving her a brave smile. “Always, Aoife. Always.”
