Back in Daine's room
"Come on, Numair, let's play a game of chess to distract ourselves," said Daine, croaking.
"No!" Numair exclaimed.
"Numair? What's the matter with you?" Daine shook. The pattering on the window continued.
"Don't you get it, Daine?"
"Get what? Numair, what are you talking about?" Now the croaking didn't mask the trembling in Daine's voice. She felt cold; the gloomy spirit of the outside world crawled into her like a magic spell.
Numair shook his head, as if he didn't know how to say whatever it was he wanted to say. His eyebrows drew down. He seemed to grow tense. "You're holding me back, Veralidaine Sarrasri!"
Now Daine didn't understand anything. She was very confused. He hadn't been like this just forty-five minutes ago! What had happened to make him act so? Then she remembered the tiny roll of his eyes that she had seen earlier. Chagrin crept through her. She felt like the truth would soon come out, though. "Since when do you call me Veralidaine Sarrasri! What's going on! How am I holding you back from anything! Explain, Numair!" Daine was starting to get angry. Angry and very cold. Numair was acting nothing like himself.
Numair stood up from the chair he had been sitting on. His lips thinned. "You, you give me no freedom! You hold me back from my destiny; from my future; from my progress! With you I remain in the same horrible spot that I have been in! And then you say you are better than Varice! Varice would never act like you have! Varice is not so self-assured! Varice encourages me to become greater!" His voice was filled with scorn. He spat out the words.
"So now you're comparing me to Varice." Daine stood up from her own chair. She felt horribly empty, as if her feelings were nonexistent now. "Fine. I'll just leave you to Varice." With that she walked out, croaking one last time. Numair stood there, silent. He felt utterly empty, too. The kidnapping of Kalasin had been totally forgotten.