For now, he leaned in and caught her frowning mouth in a slow, warm kiss and decided to keep kissing her until he could think of a better way of handling her fear.

And it actually seemed to work.

Epilogue

Magnus returned to Sanctuary with a brooding step to match his austere frown. No one approached him, and no one said a word while he was present. Speculation and gossip, however, would continue as soon as his office doors closed behind him.

Especially when he refused a temporary handmaiden to replace Karri.

No, Magnus thought darkly. When he chose another handmaiden, it would be very, very different. There would be no one else involved in his choice this time. No committee of approval, no suggestions from others. He was wise enough to realize, however, that Karri had not been some evil entity, spoiled from the very start. That would be too easy an explanation for too complicated a tragedy. In fact, it was her kindness and her sensitivity that had left her open to the manipulations of some deceptive bituth amec within the walls of his church.

Church and state.

Sanctuary and Senate.

It unnerved and disturbed him to know this taint had touched both crucial strongholds of their society. He knew it was affecting Tristan and Malaya as well. They would need his guidance now more than ever.

The question was, how could he overcome such a deep betrayal in order to preach hope and faith to them once again? How and who could he trust in his very own home after discovering his most trusted companion was as treacherous as the winter night was long?

He also wanted to know just how much of what was happening would turn out to be his fault.