“Theycan’tbe gone,” she choked, the words barely making it past her lips. “Theycan’tbe…”
Then, another thought struck her like lightning. She pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes wide and frantic.
“Oh my gods—what will I tell Briar?” Her breath came in short, panicked gasps. “She already lost one set of parents. She can’t—she’s only twelve.”
Lewis’ grip on her tightened. He didn’t say anything, but she felt it in the way he held her—he understood. And he knew there was nothing he could do to make it right.
They stayed that way until her sobs faded into a hopeless silence. When she finally pulled away, her face was blotchy, her eyes swollen and red.
“I need to find out what happened,” she rasped. But as she stood on her own, the dizziness returned, making her sway.
Lewis caught her elbow and guided her back to the settee. “You should eat something.” He poured a glass of water, handing it to her along with a pastry from his satchel. Then he sat on the floor in front of her, watching her closely, as if making sure she didn’t disintegrate before his eyes.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, her voice small and broken. “But Ihaveto do something. For me. And for Briar.”
Lewis hesitated. “Like what?”
She looked up, her expression hardening. “Like rescue them.”
Lewis blinked and ran a shaky hand through his hair. “Viv, you work in a library, and I negotiate withorchidsfor a living. We are theleast qualifiedpeople to stage a rescue mission.”
She scowled. “My parents have sailed around the world, andtheywork in a library.”
“Yes,” Lewis muttered, “on a royal navy ship with a full crew.”
Vivienne’s expression shifted as a new plan formed. “Why didn’t I think of it before?” Her voice steadied. “Lewis, they were on an expeditionfor the Crown. The King must already have a rescue team deployed.”
Lewis’ mouth opened and closed several times, but he didn’t respond.
“You said earlier we could speak to the King?”
He nodded. “You’d have to meet with the Chancellor first to get on the schedule.”
“Great. Let’s talk to the Chancellor.”
“At midnight?”
Vivienne blinked. “It’s midnight?!”
He huffed. “Yeah, you were out for a while.”
Vivienne took stock. She had fainted. She was still dizzy, but otherwise unharmed. Lewis must have caught her before she hit the ground. Her heart warmed at the thought. She couldn’t imagine receiving this news without her best friend to emotionally and literally catch her.
Vivienne turned her head toward him, exhaustion tugged at her limbs, but a smirk played at her lips. “Did youhaveto set me down on the least comfortable piece of furniture in the house?”
Lewis scoffed, arms crossing over his chest. “It’s not like I could just—” He waved a hand toward the narrow staircase.
Vivienne arched an eyebrow. “Put me in mybed?” Her voice was light, teasing, her eyes glinting with amusement as she shoved her grief down.
Lewis froze, his mouth opening, then shutting again. A deep flush crept up his neck. “Well—trust me—Icouldhave carried you up there,” he sputtered, “but it’s bad enough that we’re alone, in your home, at midnight.Are you trying to get me strung up in the market square?”
Vivienne chuckled, rolling her sore shoulders. “Maybe we leave a note for the Chancellor tonight…”
Lewis narrowed his eyes. “Should I take it as a bad sign that you completely ignored the part where I mentionedpublic execution?”
She exhaled sharply, the humor fading from her face as her thoughts pulled back to the matter at hand. “I can’t just stay here and do nothing.” The words came out tight, frustration curling at the edges.
Lewis studied her for a moment and sighed. “I know,Viv. But unless your plan involves a rowboat there’s nothing we can do about it tonight.”
