He'd said the words, but it was Raven who reacted to them, looking as downcast by them as he felt for a second, having lost his best friend to the Artifex's machinations.

Lost, but not gone. Not for good. Maybe. He hoped, anyway. He was hardly in a position to prove Thomas was still alive like this, and from the way Raven quieted and lowered her eyes, he could only guess she'd lost somebody, too, or held someone close in her thoughts. Not knowing if they'd ever live long enough to see their loved ones again was a constant pall.

Shaking off the moment, he straightened up from the door. "'Things'," he repeated. "Should we be worried you're building bombs in your bedroom?"