+ When she stepped inside the lighthouse, Remiel barely had time to take in the sight of her real father, let alone decide how she ought to react. Marcus swooped in and wrapped her in an embrace. “Oh, Remy, I missed you so much!” She hugged him back. Something about the feel of him, even the familiar smell of pipe tobacco, reached deep inside her. Her eyes filled, and then the tears spilled over. When they finally drew apart, Remiel took a proper look at him. Her father seemed somehow more compact than she remembered. Then she realized she had been only five the last time she saw him. She had grown into a near giantess since then. Marcus looked at her with an expression that was equal parts love and apprehension. “You are entitled to an explanation, I know.”