"I'm not, but people do funny things when they're hurt," Anders said bluntly. "But Carys is the important thing. Not -- anything between the two of us."

He was hurt, and angry, and bitter, and one other thing: frightened that Kathy was going to turn into another loss in a life that already seemed too full of them. But it didn't seem like any of that was going to sway Kathy, so he didn't go through it again. (And, if he let him be more fair than he felt like being: Why should it make a difference? What was a lover balanced against an entire city she loved?)

He stood, dusted himself off, and turned to head back to the room.