The directness of his question caught her off-guard. "I... I don't know."
It was the truth. In Vykengard, everything had seemed simpler. They'd been strangers in a strange land, finding comfort in each other's arms. But now, with Calypso's divine claim staked and Ashley's transformation complicating everything further...
"I want things to make sense," she admitted finally. "I want to know where I stand."
Xavier ran a hand through his hair. "I can't give you that. Not yet."
"Because of Calypso?"
"Because of everything." He gestured broadly at their surroundings. "We're wearing bodies that aren't ours, fighting a war we barely understand, in a world we never asked to join. And yes, because I have feelings for both of you, and I don't know what to do about that."
Margaret quietly excused herself, taking the dishes to the small stream nearby to wash them. Naomi barely noticed her go.
