"I was being an ass, or I wouldn't have let things get out of hand," Marcello replied. "Love, you're not a nuisance. And maybe if you told me more often, things would start bothering you less."

"It's not your job alone to keep things from getting out of hand," she said darkly. "And most of the things that bother me really aren't that important. Really. I'm not saying it because I don't want to talk about them; they're really not. And if I think about them they just go on and on and bother me more, and if I'm too bothered then people start to notice and make a fuss o'er me when I'd really just rather be left alone. It's easier to just put them away and go on."

Marcello nodded, quiet. "But you said you're not all right," he said. "To me, that is important. It seems important, anyway."

Niabheara bit her lip. "Well," she said slowly, "now I am worried about Acorn, of course. And Meg. I've . . . I've ne'er seen her like this before. Anything that's terrible enough to really upset Meg means that somewhere the world's been pushed off-kilter, obviously." She tried to smile, but it faded quickly. "And I know, I know I shouldn't talk about it, I know I shouldn't be thinking about it, but . . . this is all too much like what happened to Tristan. And . . . and that's when I have to stop myself from thinking about it at all."

Marcello gave her an affectionate look, and held his arms out to her. "Come here," he said quietly. "You need a hug."

"I don't need a hug," she protested, even as she crawled into his arms. "I need to put a knife in Duncan Oisin."

"First you need a hug," Marcello replied, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Then you can stab people. And we will get Acorn back. Do you want to wager me that she's fine?" he asked. "Unhurt? Would it help?"

She curled against him and nodded. "Aye, it would, at that. I will wager you a kiss that she is alive and unharmed."

He shut his eyes and covered them with her hair. "She has a scraped knee, a splinter, and a hangnail that's getting swollen around the edges," he answered.

Niabheara pushed herself away from him, mouth open. "You're making that up!" Quickly she leaned up to kiss him before a headache set in. "I didn't know you could tell that sort of thing! Only yes or no!"