Sitting in a corner, Mind-Teller watched Sandry and Lark talking.  He could not hear their voices, but he could read their thoughts. Lark was smiling.

She approved, then. He wanted to tell her he knew she did.

Standing, he walked up to them, wrapping his arms around Sandry. He kissed the top of her head and placed his chin there.  "Did I do well after all, Lark?"

She smiled at him and said, "Of course you did, my boy."

Mind-Teller then dug around in his pocket, pulling out a gold ring with different colored crystals embedded in it.  He sat beside Sandry and took her hand, placing the ring on her finger.  "Now it is official."

"Oh Mind-Teller! Thank you!" Sandry cried, "It's beautiful!"

Suddenly, they heard fierce coughing and Mind-Teller went white.

Jumping up, they ran to Leo's side.  Lark held him up while he coughed mercilessly. Sandry brought a glass of water and tried to get him to drink. Mind-Teller grabbed her hand and grasped it tightly.

Leo and Mind-Teller went limp at the same moment.

Sandry shook Mind-Teller's shoulders.  "Lark!" she squeaked, "Lark!"

Lark said nothing, but laid the boy back down and walked, grey-faced, back to the table.

Sandry took Mind-Teller's limp hand in hers, stroked it lovingly, and placed it against her cheek.  Her eyes were burning but she wouldn't cry.  He couldn't be dead, he was just talking to her.  She fingered the ring he had given her. 

He knew, she realized suddenly.  He knew he was going to die.

She looked over at Leo.  Seeing the small boy lying there made her upset.  "You tried to tell me, didn't you Leonardo!  Didn't you!" She started to weep finally, angry at herself for no listening.  She stood, giving his body a half-hearted kick.

Lark rose and embraced her, letting her sob into her shoulder. 

"Sandry!" Lark whispered eagerly, "Look!"

She turned to see Mind-Teller glow bright with magic.  Sandry gasped as the glow strengthened, stretching toward Leo.

Mind-Teller was lifted off the ground by some unseen force.

His body was dropped to the ground with a thud and both he and the boy coughed, the bright magic returning to its rightful place deep inside each of them.

Mind-Teller sat up, coughing and gasping for air to fill his empty lungs.  Leo crawled off the pallet and into Mind-Teller's lap.

"Oh Leo!" he cried, "I love you so much!"

Sandry cam over an knelt beside them both, stroking Leo's blonde head.

Catching her eye, Mind-Teller said, "She was there! She told me she was sorry for what she had one, saying it was not our time to die!  And she released me!  I no longer feel his pain."  He looked down at the boy.  "I love you Leo."

"I wuv you too Papa. 'Wady Sandry, Leo hungry!" he said, giving Mind-Teller another squeeze. 

They stood up together and walked to the table where Lark sat, almost as if nothing had happened at all.

"I thought I was a goner too, Lark."  He touched her shoulder lightly, then went to sit next to Leo and Sandry.

--

Later, they all went to the baths together.  Upon returning, Sandry and Mind-Teller put Leo to bed.  After he had gone to sleep, the two stepped quietly into the hall. 

"Good night, my lady," Mind-Teller said, sweeping the cape that he wore once again.  He had not worn it since the battle on the wall.

"Good night, Mind-Teller," Sandry replied.

He began to walk toward his room, the white stripe on the bottom of his cape glowed, creating light around his feet.

He turned back suddenly, embracing her and pulling her face into his hands, kissed her.  Then he turned and stalked off to his room.

"I love you, Leonardo," she whispered after he had gone, and turned to go to her own room.