My mouth opened and shut twice before I could decide what to say. “Do you still work for me?”
He glanced up and met my eyes for a moment before returning to a stack of parchment. “Of course.”
“Oh. Two jobs?”
“Many jobs.”
“Oh,” I repeated, dumbfounded. “You must be rather busy,”
“The town needs me,” he said matter-of-factly.
I held back a laugh. Based on the look of things, he was creating more of a mess than he was cleaning up. Same as with the pub. He meant well, but he wasn’t the best worker.
I kept that thought to myself. “I’ll just wait, then,” I murmured as I drifted to the window, content to watch the townsfolk pass by.
“Suit yourself.”
I caught a glimpse of darkness around the corner, drifting into an alleyway.
An involuntary smile pulled at my mouth. Shade.
He crouched down, fumbling with something I could not see. He lingered for a moment, one knee to the ground, head bent low.
And then he stood. Shoved his hands into the pockets of his cloak. And strode away from the alley.
A cluster of three littles ran out of the alley a few moments later. The young folk giggled and squealed, waving their closed fists around excitedly. I squinted to get a better look.
One of the little humans opened her palm, showing off a shiny blue marble to her mother.
My smile felt suddenly brittle.
Tommins broke me from my eavesdropping. “Ginger!” he said, voice shockingly loud in the quiet room. “It’s good to see you! Did we have an appointment?”
I reluctantly pulled my eyes from the window and turned, taking in the gryphon. He looked frazzled, though that wasn’t necessarily out of the norm. “No, no appointment. I was just curious if you’ve heard from the King’s men.”
His brow pinched in something that looked like sympathy. “No. Not since the initial missive, informing me that a squad of knights was on the way. Why do you ask?”
I swallowed past the uncomfortable thickness in my throat. “Just curious.”
He nodded. His eyes scanned over my face a little too intensely. “It is discomforting, the entire situation.”
“It is,” I agreed. “Very.”
“It’s difficult, knowing they’re coming for Shade.”
I nodded, agreeing again. “Sodifficult. What do you think they’re going to do to him?”
“Whatcanthey do to him? He’s a god, for fate’s sake.”
I shivered. “Who knows what the King is capable of.”
“And you're concerned,” he mused.
“Concerned? No! I?—”
“You don’t need to explain yourself, Ginny.” He nodded sharply. “I’ll send word when I hear any news. Or when theknights arrive, whichever comes first. If the gossip chain doesn’t beat me to it,” he finished under his breath.
“Thank you.” I turned back as I reached the door. “Tommins?”
