‘Thank you, Mistress for your gift.’ ‘Good boy.’ She patted him on the ass and placed a kiss on his cheek. ‘Relax, sweetie. You’ll do fine... If you need to, why don’t you get some sleep, or you can start on your research,’ she smiled. ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I’m going to take a nap.’ ‘Why can’t I sleep with you?’ He really didn’t like the idea of her sleeping with Jamie while he was left on the couch. ‘One, I told you already, and two, because I said so.’ She began to walk away. ‘And don’t go. "That didn't sound promising ... guess I'd heard "we can always be friends" often enough to be a cynic when I heard a girl say something like that.She guessed my thoughts. "Let me ask you a question, Pete ... remember you know a secret I don't want to ever get out, so you can trust me."I nodded."Do you masturbate a lot?"I colored, I'm sure. "Yeah, I guess I do." How often and how old were you when you started?" Ummmm..."She leaned over and kissed me. "I was seven when I started. And I do it 2. *Not this one, she is us,* the first voice again. Calmer now, perhapstinged with a hint of wary relief that they were no longer alone.*Yes we are one. We are the same.* M'Tehr thought soothingly at themfeeling the link between her and her Grove swell as the colony backthere sent the full weight of their shared connection to infuse theirconfused terrified drowning sisters with that reassurance.*Others! Not the same! Pain! Find the fire starter! Punish! Hide!* Thesecond voice's desires were. I hope to see you tonight.She sighed and stretched. She could admit she had been looking forward to waking up together but knew Nathaniel would be eager to report back to Cailan. It left her with a day to herself – a rare luxury – and she was determined not to waste it. She jumped up and dressed quickly, eating a brief meal of rations from her pack. There was still a small pile of ale-soaked clothing in the corner, and she gathered it up with a wrinkled nose.Nathaniel’s tent had been.