Her eyes go wide when she sees us in the doorway, and she lets out a long breath of relief. Then her expression morphs to livid—a look not unlike my mother’s when I’ve done something less than brilliant. “Where have you been!”
“I found them,” the constable says dryly, feeling the need to interrupt. He then promptly holds up his hands in surrender when Adeline whips back to him, ready to rip him to shreds.
“Adeline,” Sebastian begins, setting his hands gently on her shoulders to keep her from maiming the leader of the local law authority.
She turns on him. “I haven’t even started with you yet! Do you have any idea…”
Avery leans close and murmurs in my ear as Adeline carries on, “What do you think? Should we sneak out while they aren’t looking?”
The nearness makes my nerves sing, and my brilliant plan floats into the forefront of my mind. I’m going to kiss him. Not here—not now. Probably not even today.
But soon.
I give him a subtle nod and collect Flink while Adeline hollers at both the constable and Sebastian. We slip out the front entrance, closing the door behind us. Flink lets out a horrified squeal when I force him to step into the snow.
“Really?” I ask him, growing exasperated with this whole day.
He stares back at me, his topaz eyes wide, and then collapses against me, just like he used to do when he was young and lovable.
“Oh,” I murmur as I stroke his head, right between his two little horns. “I missed you, too.”
“I missed him as well,” Avery unexpectedly chimes in.
I look at him, incredulous. “You did?”
“If he’d been with us, he could have nullified Ivan’s lovely spell.”
“Are you very upset about the money?” I ask the captain, knowing how perturbed he was when he found out about Mueller charging both him and Sebastian for my dragon.
Under his cloak, Avery slips his hands into his jacket pockets. “I am…irritated…with myself because I didn’t sense it.” His eyes wander to me, locking on mine in a way that makes my breath catch in my throat. “But it could have been worse. You are far more precious than money, and you seem well enough.”
In love with the captain? No, not me.
My heart’s all warm and squishy, but that could mean all kinds of things. Like I contracted a malignant disease at Ivan’s humble abode, and now I’m dying. Yes, that’s it. Dying is preferable to love, isn’t it?
I gulp, hoping my thoughts aren’t displayed for him to see, and then I show him my hand. “Well. My finger’s a little tingly.”
His lips quirk to the side in a half-smile. Very serious, he says, “Is that so?”
He inches closer in the snowy, not-so-scenic Fermall street and grazes his fingers over my palm, making my senses spark.
I cannot help it; I stare at our hands, barely breathing.
He slowly traces my fingers with his, making my skin tingle. In a husky whisper, he asks, “Better?”
“Hmmm?” I look up, distracted. There’s a smile in his eyes, a rotten smugness that betrays that he knows exactly what he does to me. I snatch my hand away. “Oh, I suppose. A little.”
Before he can answer, the door flies open, and Adeline storms out, a vision with her curls flying. She tugs on her soft kidskin gloves, glaring at the snow as if it floated from the sky just to ruin her afternoon.
Sebastian trails after her, looking vexed. “I’ve had about enough of Fermall. I think it’s high time we return to Teirn.”
We all agree and make the short walk to the stables. Unfortunately, once we arrive, we find a few things missing.
Namely, our carriage, driver, and horses.
Avery, who’s quite livid at this point, finds the stable boy. “Where is my carriage?”
The boy’s eyes go large, and he looks from Avery to the rest of our party. “You…you came for it yesterday,” he stammers, clearly terrified.
Slowly—too slowly—Avery takes a careful step back, probably trying to calm the anger flashing in his eyes. “What do you mean I collected it yesterday?”
“You, My Lord…you came for it?” The boy shakes his head, probably fearing a beating is in his future. “You were in a hurry, and you had that birdcage—”
“No,” I groan as I let my head fall back. Staring at the pigeon family in the rafters, I say, “Ivan.”
“Ivan,” Avery repeats, his tone murderous. He clenches his fist, takes a long, deep breath, and then, with considerable control, exhales. “Fine. It’s fine.”
The captain clears his throat, but he still looks like he wants to punch something. Adeline watches him with wide eyes. We’ve never seen him like this.
Without looking at me, Avery says, “Lucia, seeing as how you have no more cats to barter, do you suppose you could pay for carriage fare? It looks as if we’ll be taking public transport back to Teirn.”
“Mmmhmmm,” I say brightly, hoping to diffuse the situation even if only a little. “I sure can.”
“Good.” He takes another deep breath. “Perfect.”
He then turns on his heel and strides out of the stables.
“I think he handled that rather well,” Adeline says, and then she and I promptly burst into quiet, horrified laughter.
***
The man next to me smells like week-old bread. It’s a curious fragrance for a human instead of, say, a bakery. And though it’s intriguing, as I would like to know why he carries that particular fragrance, it’s odd enough I am slightly repulsed.
Adeline, the lucky goose, has the good seat, right between Avery and Sebastian, while I’m squished between Sir Smells-Like-Old-Baguettes and a vertically-challenged man who, I swear, scoots closer to me with every bump we hit. And this road is a bit rutted. Public transportation isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Note to self: purchase a horse.
The carriage begins to slow as we near our destination, and I almost fall to my knees with relief. It’s been a long week of various forms of transport. Between Elmnare Ridge and Ponta, we even rode in the back of a hay wagon. Sebastian, of course, was put out, and Adeline shivered under her cloak—scowling the entire time, but Avery sat there, happy as you please, content to watch the chilly world go by. The captain baffles me.
To many, of the two cousins, Sebastian is the mystery, a closed book—but I’ve read every page. I can anticipate his every mood, his every expression. Half the time, I even know what words he will choose. No, it’s Avery I still find an enigma. There are layers under his quick, cocky smiles.
He was born into a world I cannot fathom, and yet he relishes even the simple things—embraces them wholeheartedly. Doesn’t care if they’re considered to be beneath him.
If I were in love with him—if—then maybe, perhaps, there might be a chance for us to work. If he were to love me as well. Which he’d have to admit first.
Not, mind you, that I plan on admitting anything myself. The thought is entirely hypothetical.
The captain catches me watching him, and a ghost of a smile slides across his face, lighting his eyes before it reaches his lips. He boldly meets my gaze, his expression saying he knows he’s wearing me down.
I press my lips together to keep from smiling and pull my eyes away from his to look out the window, which is a much safer view.
We’re finally back to Teirn, and the air is warm. The storm that blew in last week is a memory, and spring is in the air. In as little as a month, the city will be hot and humid, but right now, it’s perfect.
After several more long minutes of winding through the crowded streets, our carriage stops at the stables. Even before the driver can hop down and open the door, I leap up.
Murmuring “pardon me,” I shove my way out of the carriage, tripping over Bread-man’s feet as I dart. I then stumble to the ground, delighted to be free.
Our driver looks at me as if I am an unmannered kildibeast from the western deserts, shakes his head, and then offers his hand to Adeline, who of course, is standing
demurely at the entrance, waiting patiently for assistance.
If I’d been sandwiched between Avery and Sebastian, I wouldn’t have been in a hurry either. Then I think of how uncomfortable the reality of that situation would be and decide I would have probably darted just as quickly, perhaps faster.
Avery ambles out after Adeline, the picture of masculine, long-legged perfection. We stashed our cloaks in our packs as soon as we traveled far enough south the weather warmed, and he’s now wearing a light-weight, brown leather jacket over a loose ivory shirt. His belt hangs haphazardly from his hips, boasting his dagger and sword. He looks like an adventurer instead of a sea captain—a well-to-do one, of course, and he carries an air of roguish nonchalance about him.
“Yes?” he asks with bright eyes when he catches me, yet again, staring at him.
I gesture to his clothing, attempting to play it cool. “That’s a good look for you, Captain.”
He clears his throat in a coy way, giving me a wicked half-smile, and leans close so only I will hear his next words. “You are welcome to take a closer look, Adventuress.”
Unable to help myself—which is not at all my fault considering he smells dark and delicious and entirely too enticing—I turn my head so my lips brush his ear. Lowering my voice, purposely a touch breathy, I say, “I thought we decided you were to call me Lucia.”
Desired effect achieved.
Avery shivers involuntarily and steps away, biting back a grin and shaking his head. He flashes me a look that tells me I’m playing with fire, and I raise an innocent, questioning eyebrow even as my stomach flutters.
Sebastian is the last one out of the carriage, and he scowls at Avery and me, probably irritated that Adeline is still being short with him. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on between them, but it’s certainly tense.
Flink growls out a groan as I pull him from the luggage rack. Because it’s a public carriage, there was simply no way he could ride at our feet, as he did on the way to Fermall. But he seems to have fared well enough.
He stretches his wings, which are too small to be of actual use, and each scaly leg. Then he rolls his head, leans down in a bowing dog stretch, and then scratches an itch on his flank.
“Are you ready?” I ask him wryly once I’m quite sure he’s finished.
The dragon yawns once, letting out a cloud of sparkling flame, and then stands, ready to walk. We make our way down the streets of Teirn, enjoying the warm weather. And we are not the only ones. The walkways are packed today with people strolling about the shoppes.
Delicious smells waft from nearby restaurants, and Flink constantly stops to stick his snout in the air. I’m just giving him another tug when I notice an especially tight knot of people ahead of us.
“What is it, do you think?” Adeline asks, standing on her toes in an attempt to see over the crowd.
Avery pushes his way forward, through the throng. Sebastian stays with us, frowning at the pandemonium. Avery returns in a few moments, shaking his head. “There’s been another robbery.”
I glance ahead. “Another supply shoppe?”
Avery nods, and I charge forward, shoving Flink’s lead into Adeline’s hands.
“Lucia, no. Wait—” The captain tries to pull me back, but I slip from his grasp.
I push through people, needing to see it myself. When I reach the front of the crowd, I nudge a man aside and then come to an abrupt stop.
It’s Dante’s shoppe, just as I feared. The windows are broken, and inside, items of varying value are strewn about and trampled. Thousands and thousands of denat’s worth of ingredients are ruined. It’s obvious the thieves were looking for something in particular, and I am willing to bet good money I know what it was.
I’m just shaking my head, sickened by the amount of waste, when several somber-looking guards emerge from the doorway, carrying a large bundle between them. But it’s not a bundle under that thin white cloth.
It’s a man.
Sebastian reaches me before Avery, and he sets a hand on my shoulder as soon as he sees the source of my distress. “Oh, Lucia.”
“It’s Dante,” I whisper. “Isn’t it?”
Avery comes up from behind me and wraps his arm around my back, pulling me close.
Still in shock, Sebastian nods. “I’m afraid so.”
My stomach writhes, making me feel as if I’m going to be sick. Numb, I let Avery lead me away.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Three Seconds Should Be Enough
We arrive back to find the castle in a tizzy. News of Dante’s death has spread like wildfire, and there is no escaping the gossip. People, no matter their station—courtiers, maids, serving men—speak of the increasing danger in Teirn.
And though I didn’t know Dante well, I am ill. Who could do this? And why?
A knock sounds on my door, startling me from my thoughts. I open it, fully expecting Avery. Much to my surprise, I find Sebastian instead.
He stands in the hall, pressed and polished in his long black jacket. His hair is just a touch wet, and his eyes are startlingly green in the dim light of the setting sun that shines in through a western window down the way.
My heart does a fleeting extra thump in memory, and that familiar sadness cloaks my shoulders. There was a time when I would have done anything for this man.
“I think we should go home,” he says instead of a greeting.
I lean against the door frame and cross my arms, startled. “To Reginae? But we haven’t finished the job.”
“This is more than a scouting job, Lucia. There’s a snake’s nest at the center of it, and the more I think about it, the more I believe we are in over our heads. We’re not sleuths or guards—we don’t work for the king. We’re scouts, and right now, you’re a little too popular around here for my liking.”
I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off, continuing, “The Adventuress, The Siren Slayer—that’s what they’re calling you. They don’t even use your name. And the truth has morphed into myth. People speak of you as if you’re some sort of witch, capable of finding anything, able to take on any creature without harm. Harold mentioned there was a man asking about you while we were gone. Lucia, whoever is stealing these butterflies—eventually, they’re going to want you, just like Serena wanted you. And I’m afraid that if you don’t go with them freely…”
Almost smiling—but not quite because I’m actually a little spooked—I say, “Sebastian, are you trying to say you’re afraid I’m going to be kidnapped? Held hostage like a truffle-sniffing pig and let out of my cage only on occasion to magically track down elemental butterflies?”
He shifts, obviously thinking it’s a bit ridiculous as well. “I know it sounds—”
“No, I do see your logic, mad as it might be.” I’ve seen the way people look at me, even if it’s beyond bizarre. “I’m just having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I’m the woman you’re speaking of. I’m not a myth—I’m just…me.”
“Yes, I agree. You’re not nearly as wonderful as they say,” he says, flashing me a quick, unexpected grin.
Oh, I’ve missed that smile. Every single one you get is special because they are so rare, and you usually have to work hard for them.
I raise an eyebrow. “Feel better? Been trapping that inside for months, have you?”
He steps closer, a bit too close considering I decided to keep things platonic between us, and leans close to my ear. “You have no idea.”
I wait for the butterflies, wait for my pulse to quicken. For a moment, I will it to. Sebastian’s already broken my heart. It would be easy to admire him in a resentful sort of way, licking my wounds in silence. It’s better than getting rejected twice, by two different men, in under one year.
But nothing.
“We need to talk, Lucia,” he says, his voice low.
I meet his dark green eyes. His gaze is intent and serious, and it takes me by surprise. “Sebastian…”
“I need to tell you somethin
g, something important. After the soirée, Grandfather said—”
“Nothing good ever starts with those words, remember? We’ve discussed this.”
He smiles. “He gave us his blessing. Granted, it was given grudgingly, but it happened all the same.”
My chest tightens. “What do you mean?”
“We can be together, Lucia. Nothing is keeping us apart.”
How I would have rejoiced at this news at the beginning of autumn. It would have changed my world, made my dreams come true. But now…
I can’t look at him, so I stare at the buttons on his doublet.
“But you love the captain.” His voice is surprisingly even—only a trace of bitterness laces the words.
“Love is…let’s not say love.” I wrinkle my nose. “Besides, what about Adeline?”
Sebastian’s jaw twitches, so I know I’ve hit a nerve. “What about Adeline?”
“Don’t be obtuse—you like her. Just admit it.”
“Everyone likes Adeline.” His eyes shine. “She’s far less prickly than you.”
He won’t tell me, but it’s there. I know it is. Though he’s still clinging to a future we both thought might eventually come to pass, he’s ready to move on. He just needs a shove.
I poke him in the stomach for the comment, making him groan. As he doubles over, putting a little more emphasis into it than I think is necessary, his forehead brushes mine, and his short hair tickles my skin. The strands are cool, still the slightest bit damp. I laugh, about to push him away, when a familiar someone clears his throat from the hall.
Sebastian, who’s still entirely too close, steps nearer, almost pressing himself flush against me. “Do you need something, Captain? We’re a bit busy right now. Perhaps you could come back. Or not—that’s entirely up to you.”
Startled by the wicked look on Sebastian’s face, I shove him away. He backs off, chuckling under his breath, quite happy to have ruffled Avery’s feathers. “No matter. Lucia and I are finished, and I was about to leave anyway.” He turns back to me, his face suddenly serious. “We’re all right, aren’t we?”
I smile and nod. We’re probably better than we’ve been in a long time.
Wildwood Larkwing (Silver and Orchids Book 3) Page 14