“I assure you, it would not,” said Taivus, dryly.
“And you really think the risk of this is better than just paying what they’re asking?” Tandri crossed her arms, her expression severe.
Viv thought about that for a moment. “I don’t think it’s better.” She sighed. “But I feel like I’ve cut all the tethers to the old Viv but one. And I can’t bring myself to cut that last rope. I’m just… not ready yet.”
Tandri’s mouth tightened, but she said nothing further. There was a long and uncomfortable silence.
It was broken suddenly when Roon shot up from the bench. “What in the hells is that!” he exclaimed.
The dire-cat had appeared and circled behind them. She rubbed along the bench, purring like an earthquake.
“That’s Amity,” said Viv, with a relieved grin. She glanced over at Tandri, grateful that the tension was broken, or at least deferred.
“Why d’you needuswhen you’ve got a damned hell-beast on staff?” Roon cried.
“Awww, you’re just a sweetie, aren’t you?” cooed Gallina, scratching Amity’s back vigorously with both hands. She could have easily ridden the dire-cat.
“She’s a fair-weather watchcat.” Viv chuckled. “Shows up when she feels like it.”
“She’s hungry, too,” observed Gallina, offering the enormous creature a roll. Amity swallowed it whole.
After that, the conversation moved on to other, less delicate matters, and Viv brought out more drinks while Roon polished off the remaining baked goods.
* * *
Dusk waslong past when they finally filtered out the door, leaving Viv and Tandri behind to close up shop.
They quietly cleaned together, scrubbing and wiping and sweeping. As Viv dried her hands and turned to the front of the shop, Tandri was standing in the entry with an unreadable expression on her face.
“I’m sorry,” the woman suddenly said.
“For what?”
“It wasn’t my place to say those things. To speak for you. So, I apologize.”
Viv frowned and looked down at her hands for a moment.
“No, you were right. You were right about how itshouldbe. How I think I want it to be. I don’t know if I can do that yet. But–” She looked back at Tandri. “I hope that someday, I can. So. Thank you.”
“Oh.” Tandri made a small nod. “That’s all right, then. Good night, Viv.”
She quietly left the shop.
“Good night, Tandri,” Viv said to the closed door.
17
Viv and Tandri worked quietly and companionably, with no mention of the prior evening. Viv worried it might become tense between the two of them, but it hadn’t. The morning was calm and easy, and she allowed herself not to think about the Madrigal or the end of the month or how it would feel to take Blackblood in hand and cut any brewing problems off at the knee.
It was nice.
Pendry showed up again around midday, lute at the ready, and with less cringing dread about him, Viv thought. She jerked her head toward the dining area with a smile, and he shuffled around the corner. A slightly more energetic, but still folksy ballad arose shortly after, twinned with Pendry’s sweet, earnest voice.
Even nicer.
* * *
Later,Tandri nudged her and murmured, “He’s back.”
