Eric appreciated Vala's honesty, and he looked at her with concern when he felt her shudder. "What happened, my lover?" he asked softly, reaching up to touch her face and run the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. He'd been asleep when she'd been in the castle with Lucy, so he hadn't felt her emotions at the time. He was awake now, however, and he could feel the echo of her unease.