"Will you let me urinate?" Kaina asked bluntly, when Lochlan returned to the room.

"Oh. Of course." He noisily unchained her, grateful the temple walls were so thick. Kaina lurched to her feet and stood for a moment, trying to convince her blood to flow again; then let herself out of the room and down the hall. Lochlan waited in the doorway for her to return.

As Kaina walked past Cuchulainn and Brighid's room, she heard their voices filtering through the crack of the partially open door. "I cannot wait until we get back to MacCallan Castle. I really wanted to give that thing a chance, because it's…you know, my niece."

Kaina withdrew in shock.

"Cuchulainn, remember; all your Fomorian friends were mad once."

"I don't have Fomorian friends!"

"Fine, your New Fomorian friends."

"And none of them, even when they were mad, killed someone I love. A regular day? It would have been terrible. But during a funeral for a High Priestess!"

"She couldn't help it."

"Yes she could. She absolutely could have; she didn't try hard enough. You've seen Elphame do it over and over and over again." There came the distinct sound of an empty wine glass being set down. "Am I wrong to be angry with her?"

"No, maybe not. Of course, if it had been my mother—"

"No. No. Am I wrong, to be angry with Elphame? For marrying Lochlan, who was mad at the time, even though she knew of the slaughter."

Brighid's silence chilled Kaina.

The silence was broken by the sound of the wine glass being filled again. "If she hadn't, Brenna would have lived a much longer life. You can't deny it, Brighid; everything Elphame did has led right up to Arianrhod! And when she was there, bleeding in my arms. Her skin all blue. All I could think about was Brenna."

"Well, as you know, she was on my mind before the funeral. Speaking of, I never did find her mirror image in the Spirit Realm. All I got was Niam, telling me I needed this."

"Ah, makes sense."

"Yes, I suppose it does. Brianna told me about visiting her own world from Partholon. She described a tunnel of fire."

Cuchulainn slapped the table. "She experienced the Magic Sleep?" he exclaimed. "Why didn't she tell me? We were betrothed—oh," he caught himself. "Right."

"Well, the point is, I'm going to try again to find her world. When we return home," she added. "Tonight, my attention is on you."

Kaina lurched away as she heard their kiss stifle his chuckle. Astonished by the revelation, she hurried on her way to answer nature's call.