And I did. I explained how I was on a run, and how I found the mushrooms, and how I woke up in Velline's clinic. And how Shade was locked up, but somehow, he had found me and saved my life.
Fiella’s jaw hung slack. “Shit,” she murmured eventually.
I nodded. “Shit, indeed.”
“So, he saved you?”
“Apparently.”
“And they still have him locked up?”
“You saw those missives from the King. Everyone is suspicious.”
“Rightly so,” she conceded. “But still.”
“It’s not right.”
“What should we do, bust him out of there?” Fiella asked.
“That's crazy.”
“You didn’t say no.”
I sighed heavily. “Let’s consult with the others. There’s got to be something we can do. Meet at my pub in an hour.”
It turned out that the group of usreallyliked to argue.
“So, it’s settled, then?” Fiella asked. “We’ll bust him out and then flee into the woods. We can stab him if he ends up being evil.”
“It’s absolutelynotsettled! I don’t trust that guy,” Kizzi grumbled. “There’s a dark energy about him. He feels wrong.”
“And you’vefelthim, huh?” Tandor asked as he lifted a heavy brow.
She shot him a glare. “You know what I mean. His energy is menacing.”
“But does that mean he’s evil? He did save Ginger’s life,” Redd interjected.
“He could have saved her for nefarious reasons,” Kizzi argued.
“Or to be nice!” Fiella shouted.
“He didn’t want me to die,” I said quietly.
The bickering stopped immediately.
Heat rose to my cheeks.
“What, Ginger?” Fiella asked.
I shrugged as I nursed a cup of tea. “He didn’t want me to die out there in the woods,” I explained.
“He told you that?” Kizzi asked.
“He did.”
“And what else did he say?” she prodded.
An unwanted flush rose to my face. I prayed that nobody noticed. “Not much else. Truly. Just that he found me in the woods, carried me to Velline, and then was locked up. He demanded to speak to me, to know that I was alive.” I set the mug of tea down with a clank. “And then I left.”
