I had to be alone for a little while, but I'm okay now." "All right. But next time, don't go where I can't find you.

Well, have you ever thought of bathing?' I asked, turning away. 'No one wants to hire a wizard who smells worse than their outhouse. And who knows what creatures are living in that hair?

I was just an okay person.

Seeing that my words had done absolutely nothing to pull North from whatever depths he was clinging to, Owain did what came naturally. He smacked North upside the head hard enough to send him sprawling into the window. And when it seemed that North would turn around and return the favor, Owain hit him again, harder.

I had to be alone for a little while, but I'm okay now." "All right. But next time, don't go where I can't find you.

Maybe we had just gotten too used to being alone-- and maybe that needed to change.

I pulled myself from his mind, day by day, piece by piece, memory by memory, until there was nothing of Ruby left to weigh him down or keep him bound to my side.