The old woman drew her glasses off her nose and let them dangle on the necklace chain. She drummed her wizened fingers on the messy kitchen table. Then she stopped and caught Cassia in her clear blue gaze.
Aevrin didn’t have blue eyes like that. His were dark, and cuttingly sharp, but somehow still nice to look at, which was the oddest thing to be running through her head.
“Are you aiming to bring trouble down on this house?” Prisca asked.
Cassia blinked at her, and slowly set down her fork. Her bruised hand ached as it uncurled. She settled her palms on her lap and gulped.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever aimed to bring trouble anywhere, ma’am,” Cassia informed her. She drew a deep breath. “But that’s not to say it won’t follow me.”
“I’m not asking about the man that did this to you, girl. I’m–”
“Nobody did this to–”
“I was still talking,” Gramma Prisca cut her off coolly. “I’m asking whetheryou, Cassia Clarek, are going to make trouble. Are you gonna steal from me, or bring drugs into this home, or lead my boys off the path I’ve got them set on.”
A desperate, aching part of her wanted to find her brother again. But she had to accept that Rylan had made his choice. And Cassia was entirely alone in the world, for the first time. So no, she wasn’t going to bring Rylan here. And without Rylan, there was no ounce of trouble in Cassia’s bones.
“No, ma’am,” Cassia answered quietly. “I have no intention of doing any of those things.”
“Good.” Gramma Prisca leaned back in her chair. “Now, so long as you don’t invite any troublemaking assholes onto my property, we’re square. And if they come anyways, well, we can handle that. We get manticore and hydras in these parts. Dealing with a dangerous man is even easier.” When Cassia frowned in puzzlement, Gramma Prisca gave her a fierce smile and a sharp nod. “Feel bad shooting a beast that’s just what it’s made to be, s’pecially one as pretty as those. But a man gone wrong, well, he had a choice and he took it.”
“Shoot…?” Cassia whispered, eyes wide. For a moment she worried over the idea of Rylan bleeding out on the front porch. But Rylan wouldn’t come looking for her. So it didn’t matter. “Well, I’m sure there’s no need for… in any case, ma’am…” she sputtered.
“My name’s Gramma Prisca.”
“Gramma Prisca,” Cassia said. “I won’t be any trouble at all, because I’ll be on my way as soon as I’ve had a nap.”
“That so.” Gramma Prisca took a slow sip of her cold tea, eyes narrowed.
“Yes, Ma’am. Gramma Prisca. I don’t mean to be a burden.”
“Who said anything about burden?”
“I won’t be relying on your charity.”
“Who said anything about charity? In this house, Miss Cassia, unless you’re pregnant, sick, or hurting, we all work for our keep. Right about now you look like you’re hurting pretty bad. But when you’re back on your feet, you’ll work like the rest of us until you have somewhere better to be.”
“That’s not—I’d be imposing.”
She didn’t belong out in the West. Shebelongedback at the heart of Thronden, in the hot kitchens hid beneath glittering ballrooms, churning out platters of hundreds of identical, perfect canapes and feasts inhaled one perfect bite at a time between whirling dances while the rains poured outside.
Gramma Prisca snorted. “Not if I say you won’t. We’re short handed right about now, and you don’t look like you have anywhere better to go.”
“I have places,” Cassia said defensively.
Nevermind she had no way togetto those places, or to pay for room and board until she picked a new employer. No matter how in demand Cassia was, she’d need to find a new house after leaving the last one without notice to chase after Rylan.
“Yeah, places they treat you like that?” Aevrin’s grandma took another gulp of her grallo and thunked the empty mug back down on the table so hard the crumbs jumped.
Cassia couldn’t recall seeing any kitchen as direly in need of a deep clean as this one.
“I fell,” she insisted again.
“I’ve seen my share of beatings, Miss Cassia, and you’ll want to think twice before you lie to me again. Now finish your lunch so you can get off to bed.”
Cassia slowly took another bite of carrot, feeling a little overwhelmed. The last thing she’d been expecting when Aevrin insisted she come with him was a job and a roof over her head. Her head screamed not to take it. Being in debt was bad. That was how Rylan had gotten mixed up with Zey’s band in the first place. One debt owed, then two, and suddenly a drug-running cutthroat owned your life. Surely she could find a way to pay Aevrin back thatdidn'trequire settling down on his land.
Still. If Cassia was honest with herself, she knew her idea of walking to the next town over was pure stupidity. She was injured and unarmed. And the stern old woman in front of her didn’t look like much of an outlaw, just a rancher in a desolate, burning land.
