"Another universe is the shortest answer I can give. He got caught in... some kind of disaster, in a place between places, and got thrown into ours. I can't send him back, but I could send him here."

He closes his eyes as strange unpleasant lightning travels through him. It's not physical. It's almost like a magical splintering as his will to hold himself here starts losing ground to the bedrock of Avalir.

Regardless, his reaction through Neal's body looks like pain.

"I'm... stuck. On another plane. Doesn't matter right now."

How can I protect him?

Evandrin meets Zerxus's eyes, bone deep affection making him ache in a very different way. "Be yourself. It's all that kind of thing has ever taken."