The engineer cleared his throat. “As I was saying, Lady Mage, there’s nothing to worry about. The soil’s a bit loose, but—”
“It’s more than loose,” she cut in. “You can see where the original drainage path has been obliterated by outwash. And there.” She pointed. “Look at the foundation. See the tilting and the crack there? If you don’t address it, that wing will be lost in our lifetime.”
The man blinked at her. “You’re…not Assembly-trained, are you?”
“She doesn’t need to be to see what you have missed,” I spat. My magic flared, and my voice came out harder than I’d intended. I clenched my fists so hard that my nails broke the skin—only pain could distract the curse long enough for me to wrestle it under control.
I was already unraveling, and she’donly justarrived.
“Yes.” The engineer’s face went pale at the threat inherent in my tone. “I… I will perform another test.”
The engineer wandered off toward his assistant, leaning on his staff and muttering to himself.
Isca turned toward me then, brows slightly drawn, wind tugging at strands of her hair. “You didn’t have to bring someone in. Just because of what I said.”
“I didn’t do itjustbecause of what you said.” Even my banter was weak.
Catrin suddenly took Isca’s arm, pulling her into a quick, quiet conversation a few feet away. It looked serious. The stiffness of Isca’s nod made me wonder if I should offer my help.
“I’ll be all right,” was the last thing I heard from Isca before Catrin waved.
Catching my eye, Catrin smiled brilliantly before she covertly winked at me. Then she practically jogged away down the path, basket and leather clutched under her arms as she headed toward the nearest castle entrance.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, stepping closer.
“Everything’s fine.” Isca gave a careless wave with one hand. “She just needed to handle something indoors.”
I’d known Catrin since we were both children. That wink told me this was a setup. Still, I couldn’t leave Isca to return to the castle alone.
“The engineer can manage without my help,” I suggested carefully, “Why don’t we go back to the hall for…your delayed lunch?”
I could speak with Isca without embarrassing myself again—I hoped.
With a nod, she kept her distance, arms crossed, eyes trained on what was ahead. I could feel her thinking. And I was thinking too, but nothing useful. I couldn’t stop replaying the moment with the engineer: the surety in her voice, the calm fire in her eyes. Her natural grace and ease in the situation made her seem more at home running a household than I ever could be.
“I have a confession.” She broke the silence, swallowing like what she was about to say was difficult for her. “Catrin and I weren’t just out here for a picnic.”
“Okay…”
“I noticed something on the architecture plans,” she said. “There’s nothing fortifying the foundation where the erosion is. The engineers must’ve had a reason. I wanted to see for myself what that might be. Care to…come look with me?”
She turned her face up to mine, eyes shining with curiosity. She was so bright, in so many ways. I should’ve declined. But the thought of her wandering without a guard near that unstable, crumbling area made my stomach churn with anxiety; I could almost feel the ground giving way beneath her feet.
And despite everything, I wanted to walk beside her.
“I’ll come,” I said.
She smiled, easing a knot of anxiety in my chest.
We cut across the slope, her feet cautious on the loose stones. She nearly stumbled once, but I caught her arm just before she hit the ground. Whenshe straightened and brushed herself off instead of falling into me, I realized how disappointed I was with the loss of contact.
I chided myself. It was an absolutely ridiculous thought to have. She wasn’t a delicate flower; she could handle herself.
The castle loomed beside us, a hulking white-gray shadow, and below, the grass sloped toward the sea beyond. The wind carried the sharp tang of sea salt up here, mixing with the damp, earthy scent of the soil, promising more rain.
But every time I got close to her, the only thing I smelled was flowers.
“How did you damage the roof there?” Isca asked lightly, bringing up the bit of truth I’d revealed more than a month before. She nodded toward the high gable at the west end.
