Chapter 54: Sarah

I allow myself to be ever so slightly smug about it when Tony also gives Tim a reaming over having taken Aiden off to the valley. Most of the attention is on Aiden, though, and he is embarrassed and a little shy about that. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of who should or should not have done what, the outcome of Aiden’s success is that nobody doubts him any more. He is enfolded into the family, and any further questions are for understanding, not for proof of his intentions. The kids don’t have nearly long enough with their new brother to satisfy them before they are packed off to school, from their point of view. From the adult’s side of things, it is plenty long enough to be watching the twins with hawk-like eyes, to be sure neither of them try to use Aiden’s new tokens.

He asks, rather hesitantly, if he might leave his sword and shield here at Blackmarsh, because he doesn’t think the security at his apartment is good enough. The rest of us all look at each other, and