"I won't, either." It needs to be said, this much. Athessa has shared much more with her than Laura would want others to know--and she promises to keep Laura's story quiet too readily for Laura to think she'd like her own past told. She knows how to keep secrets, and this is one she's determined to hold tight to her chest.

And then they can talk about Matthias without concern.

"I know," she says, and when she's all huddled up now, it's in the interest of curling around a secret--a pleasant one. "I made him tell me how he felt. And then I kissed him."