Katelina stared at Verchiel, her eyes wide. "What - what are you talking about?" Then, for good measure she added, "And what are you doing here?"

"Just passing through. I saw all the lights and wondered what was going on, and there you and our cheerful Jorick were, smack dab in the middle of it all." He dropped his hand from her shoulder to her arm. "So, let's go."

Her mother stepped out onto the porch and squinted into the shadows. "Who is that?"

Katelina was at ...