Much to the dismay of some members of his little family, Ameretat had discovered that he had more powers than simply soaking up languages like a sponge. It had been his unfortunate chance to discover it when Jenner had dropped in, raving like a madwoman and bleeding from no visible wound. She'd blamed Ambrus for whatever had happened and gone for his throat, swearing she'd kill him.

She lost all desire to do that when Ameretat demonstrated that he could set her on fire with a thought to protect his family. That got her out of the apartment rapidly, but not before the fire had caught and spread. Ambrus had been too hurt, and Ameretat too confused, to do anything but grab Anahita and get out of there with the rest of the building's startled inhabitants.

"Good thing I didn't keep anything I liked in there," Ambrus had said when the firefighters began arriving.

Lost in all the chaos, two-thirds of the little family had somehow managed to get themselves away from the ash and smoke, down to the park nearest their former apartment in the slummy part of Barton. Now they were settled against a tree beneath a battered black suitcoat, Ameretat with one wing around his little sister and Anahita fast asleep with one thumb in her mouth.

For the first time in his very short life, the little Tale felt cold.