Chapter 671

• "Jeffrey didn’t ask you to be a shield, Thomas," Albert said softly. "He asked you to be a compass. You’ve guided Master Tedmond through storms that would have swallowed lesser men. You haven’t failed. You are the reason he still knows which way is home."
• Albert’s gaze drifted toward the monitors humming in the distance.
• "We are the pillars of a house under siege. We cannot crumble, for if we do, the roof falls on them. Master Tedmond knows you worry. That is why he mocks you, it’s the only way he knows how to acknowledge that he needs you."