He stopped mid-step, forcing her to halt. “Vivs, it’s the middle of September.”
The words hit her like a bucket of cold water. Vivienne stiffened, her breath catching as she stared at him. Had it really been that long? She quickly did the math in her head, calculating the months over and over, but each time, she arrived at the same number.Ten months. Ten.Her parents had been delayed on previous expeditions before, but three, almost four months overdue was unlike them.
She resumed walking, her movements mechanical. “Oh, you know my parents,” she said lightly, though her voice wavered. “They probably found some ancient temple or a new species of iguana and decided it was worth taking their sweet time to document it.”
Lewis raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. “Discovery or not, shouldn’t they have sent…somethingby now? A letter? A message? Anything?”
The knot in Vivienne’s stomach twisted tighter. She felt a cold prickle creeping across her skin, a dread she didn’t want to name. “They’ve never felt the need to explain themselves before. Why would they start now?” she snapped, her voice cutting through the stillness.
Lewis flinched slightly, his lips pressing into a thin line as he slid his hands into the pockets of his navy trousers. He didn’t argue—he knew better. Vivienne’s tone left no room for debate, and he’d learned long ago that when she was in this mood, pushing her only made things worse.
Vivienne stared straight ahead, pretending not to notice the weight of Lewis’s gaze on her. Her chest felt tight, her thoughts circling like a predator around her rising anxiety. She wanted to end this conversation before her spiraling thoughts filled in the blanks her mind had drawn.
Lewis finally broke the silence, his voice hesitant but steady. “You’re worried, aren’t you?”
Vivienne stopped again, turning to face him. Her expression softened for a fraction of a second before she steeled herself. “I’m fine,” she said, too quickly. “They’re fine.”
Lewis tilted his head, clearly unconvinced. He let out a quiet sigh and gave a small nod. “Alright, Viv. If you say so.”
The tension between them hung in the air as they walked on, the light from the lighthouse sweeping over them in regular intervals, casting long shadows against the backdrop of the city.
The silence stretched between them, broken only by the rhythmic tap of their boots on the cobblestones until Lewis finally spoke, changing the topic.
“So…” He drew out the word, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. “Are you taking anyonespecialto the Harvest Moon Festival?”
Vivienne blinked. The festival. She had completely forgotten it was this weekend.
“I don’t think so,” she said, rolling her shoulders. “Briar gets back Saturday, so I’m not sure we’ll even go.”
Lewis' lips twitched into a smirk. “Don’t youhaveto go? You know, as the reigning Lady of the Corn Cobs?”
Vivienne groaned.Gods above.Of course, he’d remember that.
Every year, the festival honored Elandra, goddess of love, fertility, and harvest, and Rhuevenar, god of the wild, beasts, and the hunt. The day started with a grand procession through the streets of Vantner, led by the Lord and Lady of the Harvest. It was once a noble tradition, granted to the farmer who reaped the most bountiful crop of the season. Now, it was an embarrassing spectacle where some unfortunate soul was stuffed into an itchy, vegetable-inspired costume and paraded through the city in a rickety cart.
Last year, Vivienne had been that unfortunate soul.
The original Lady of the Harvest had found herself at the bottom of a barrel of ale before the morning bells finished ringing. By mid-morning, Vivienne’s mother hadstrongly encouraged(read:blackmailed) her into taking the woman’s place.
Vivienne raised a finger. “First, it’s Lady of the Harvest,not Lady of the Corn Cobs.”
Lewis barely held back his laughter, his shoulders shaking with effort.
She lifted a second finger. “Second, you know my mother all but forced me to do it.”
His lips pressed together in a valiant attempt to keep his amusement in check. “And third?”
Vivienne gave a saccharine smile and lifted herthirdfinger on its own.
Lewis gasped, clutching imaginary pearls at his throat. “Such behavior is most unbecoming of a Lady of the Harvest! I shall report you to the Corn Cob Court at once.”
Vivienne snorted, shaking her head. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”
Lewis flashed a wicked grin. “Not a chance.”
She huffed but couldn’t deny, despite the role she’d been forced to play, the Harvest Moon Festival was one of her favorite events of the year. By dawn, the market square would transform into a festival ground, garlands of late-summer flowers draped between merchant stalls overflowing with autumn bounty. The day was full of contests, feasting, and, as night fell, the lighting of the bonfires beneath the rising harvest moon. The storytelling circles were her favorite, offering captivating tales of ancient gods, lost lands, and heroic deeds told by flickering firelight.
As they turned the final corner toward home, Vivienne angled her head at Lewis. “What about you? Taking anyone to the festival?”
