Even hated when they came over all reasonable just when he was building up steam.

"It doesn't strike me that we have much of a choice regarding his presence. As for tolerating him..." Privately, he wasn't sure he could face Lea in combat if he wanted to: he was -- more capable, at least, of handling allies' fire magic, most of the time, but Lea was his own category. And that turned against him... Not for the first time, Even regretted having a heart again. It was occasionally counterproductive in the extreme.

"Very well. I'm hardly going to seek him out."