And then—“You’re welcome for the assist,” Fenric mutters behind me.
The spell is broken and reality crashes back in.
For all the Elemental gods and back!
I recoil so fast I nearly lose my footing, gripping the salves like it might shield me from the sheer, overwhelmingmortificationnow blooming in every part of my body.
I can’t even look at Thane. Not when I justmeltedagainst him like a lovesick idiot. Not when I’m still burning from the way he didn’t move, didn’t pull away, and didn’t let go.
And not when some foolish, traitorous part of medidn’t want him to.
I stumble backwards, words tumbling from my mouth in a panicked rush—“Sorry, I—sorry—gods, I didn’t—”
My boot catches on something—a foot—and suddenly the ground isn’t beneath me anymore.
I’mfalling.
Time seems to slow.
My bundle flies from my hands, flipping over my head in a graceful arc, jars cartwheeling like exclamation points to my humiliation. I watch them sail over me like I’m outside my own body, helpless to do anything but witness the unfolding disaster.
No, no, no—
And then—
Splat.
I landhardon my backside. In something soft. Mushy.
There’s a beat of stunned silence.
Then thesmellhits me.
“Oh no,” I whisper, wide-eyed.
Horse manure.Horse manure!
For all the Elements and every last forsaken god above and below,I landed in a giant pile of horse shit!
A muffled gasp comes from somewhere to my left. Fenric lets out a strangled noise. Darius isn’t even pretending—he’s wheezing, doubled over in restrained laughter. I hear someone mutter, “By the gods . . . ”
And I just sit there.
Frozen.
In the middle of the street.
In horse shit.
And of course it’s warm.
Stunned—barely breathing—the stench hits me full force. Slowly—so slowly—I turn my head and glance over my shoulder. An older man is leading a horse down the road. It lifts its tail and expels more shit. Another steaming pile lands with a wet, echoing plop. They continue down the road without pause or shame.
Fenric wheezes, “Is it still warm?” before collapsing against Darius, who is shaking with laughter, tears in the corners of his eyes.
I lift my hands from where they landed on the cobblestones and whisper, “Because, fucking, of course.”
“Oh, Amara, dear,” Darius says between guffaws, managing to pull himself together just enough to step forward. He reaches a hand down to me, eyes still shining with amusement but laced with sympathy now.
