I glared at him. “You know you’re too young to be this smart, don’t you?”

Piaras flashed a smile that was probably making the coeds swoon. “It’s a burden I bear.”

“I’m sure I don’t want to know, but where are they sending you?”

“Here.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Sir Vegard ordered me to take his place as your bodyguard—”

As my bodyguard, Vegard Rolfgar had been shot, tortured, and attacked by demons; damned near dying from all of the above. He’d wanted to go with us to Regor, but Mychael had made him acting paladin instead and put him in charge of the evacuation.

With a life of their own, my fists went to my hips. “You are not going to Regor. I don’t care who—”

Piaras grinned and held up a hand. “Vegard wants me to see you safely to the mirror room and then report back to him.” He stopped and half winced, the sudden embarrassment in his big eyes making him look like that awkward twelve-year-old again. “He ordered me to do one other thing.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what is that?” Vegard was about to get more trouble from me than he’d have from any invading goblin army.

Piaras stepped forward. “Uh… he told me to give you this.”

Piaras hugged me. Hard. My feet left the floor somewhere in the process. I should’ve been grateful that Vegard had Piaras stand in for him; a hug like that from Vegard probably would’ve cracked a couple of my ribs. When Piaras showed no signs of letting go, I suddenly realized that hug wasn’t just from Vegard. I wrapped my arms around Piaras’s neck; my face buried against his shoulder and fiercely returned his hug. If I didn’t make it back, this could be the last time I’d ever see him. My eyes swam with sudden tears.