Katelina woke before the others. The first thing she did was check the cargo pocket of her jeans. She felt the hilt of the dagger and relaxed. Sorino hadn't robbed her while she slept.

A pale strip of sunlight leaked around the edges of the door. An unnatural compulsion to approach it grew until she couldn't shake it off. She slipped from the safety of Jorick's embrace and tiptoed across the room.

She stopped just short of the door, her shoes at the edge of the light. ...