“Geralt, this is a serious matter. The girl is an exceptionally powerful medium. I don’t know what or who she is contacting, but I think there are no limits to her connection. Something wants to take possession of her. Something which is too powerful for me. I am afraid for her. Another trance could end in mental illness. I have no control over it, don’t know how to, can’t… If it proved necessary, I would not be able to block or suppress her powers; I would not even be capable, if there were no other option, of permanently extinguishing them. You have to get help from another magician. A more gifted one. More experienced. You know who I’m talking about.”
“I do.” He turned his head away, clenched his lips.
“Don’t resist. Don’t defend yourself. I can guess why you turned to me rather than her. Overcome your pride, crush your rancour and obstinacy. There is no point to it, you’ll torture yourself to death. And you are risking Ciri’s health and life in the process. Another trance is liable to be more dangerous to her than the Trial of Grasses. Ask Yennefer for help, Geralt.”
“And you, Triss?”
“What about me?” She swallowed with difficulty.
“I’m not important. I let you down. I let you down… in everything. I was… I was your mistake. Nothing more.”
“Mistakes,” he said with effort,
“are also important to me. I don’t cross them out of my life, or memory. And I never blame others for them. You are important to me, Triss, and always will be. You never let me down. Never. Believe me.”
She remained silent a long while.
“I will stay until spring,” she said finally, struggling against her shaking voice.
“I will stay with Ciri… I will watch over her. Day and night. I will be with her day and night. And when spring is here… when spring is here we will take her to Melitele’s Temple in Ellander. The thing that wants to possess her might not be able to reach her in the temple. And then you will ask Yennefer for help.”
“All right, Triss. Thank you.”
“Geralt?”
“Yes.”
“Ciri said something else, didn’t she? Something only you heard. Tell me what it was.”
“No,” he protested and his voice quivered.
“No, Triss.”
“Please.”
“She wasn’t speaking to me.”
“I know. She was speaking to me. Tell me, please.”
“After coming to… When I picked her up… She whispered: ‘Forget about him. Don’t torture him.’”
“I won’t,” she said quietly.
“But I can’t forget. Forgive me.”
“I am the one who ought to be asking for forgiveness. And not only asking you.”
“You love her that much,” she stated, not asking.
“That much,” he admitted in a whisper after a long moment of silence.
“Geralt.”
“Yes, Triss?”
“Stay with me tonight.”
“Triss…”
“Only stay.”
“All right.”
