Shadow put his hand over Valyn's and squeezed it. He knew the elf was trying and it was enough to snap him out of whatever was rushing through his head. "Don't, Val. I know. I'm not jealous... not really. It's just... "

He looked over at Valyn and suddenly everything he had wanted to say came pouring out in one heated rush. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to confront your father? You just disappeared and suddenly, out of nowhere, there was an explosion and you... you vanished. I couldn't feel you anymore. You were just gone. I know you say you didn't die but that wasn't what it felt like. That wasn't what it looked like either. There was nothing left. And then to have to hear it from Zed that you left to see Dyran... You didn't even tell me goodbye."

Shadow's voice broke and he had to look away. They were on a bus surrounded by strangers and he was on the verge of crying. Ancestors he needed to pull it together. "And now it's business as usual and you're talking about marrying Shana to create a strong bond between halfbloods. Well, I hate to tell you that it will be much harder then you think. She's been exiled from the Citadel. The elves want her dead. Even if we do go back... we're outsiders again."