Angelique kept her expression benign. “I wouldn’t find amusement in something that embarrassed youso.”
“Youwould!” Roland’s voice was almost a hiss. “You absolutely would! You are the hoodlum who uses chickens and fashion as weapons! Of courseyouwould find amusement in mydesolation!”
Angelique laughed but tried to cover it by pressing her palm to hermouth.
This only seemed to egg the irate cat on. “How can you laugh when the world was denied the wonder of my voice and knowledgeable opinions for so long? Ingrate! I have lived with peasants—peasants!Children stuff me in boots and doll clothes, and Gabrielle insists on calling mePuss! As if I were a common cat! Thehorror!”
Angelique curled over, she was laughing sohard.
“Why, when I traveled through Baris, an innkeeper tried to give me adead mousehis cat had caught because he felt pity for me and thought I was too stupid to catch anything!” Pusscomplained.
Angelique, finally having caught onto the cat’s attempt to put her in a better humor, paused. She lifted Roland higher so she could press her face into his black fur. “Thank you,Roland.”
Roland responded with a deep, rumbling purr that made his chestvibrate.
Angelique took a deep breath and finally set him down. “So…Gabrielle?”
Roland sat down and curled his tail around his feet, then studiously looked away from her. “She’s a peasant,” he said in a voice that was…warm. “Or rather, she was. She’s brave and filled with more courage than a person has any right to have, and she was rotting in her home village, slowly smothered to death by her desire for more in a place where everyone expected her to be a cog in awheel.”
Angelique brushed a black hair off her skirt.Why does it seem like he’s talking about more than justGabrielle?
“She eventually pulled off my collar. I decided she would make a fine pack mule, so I goaded her into a promise of adventure if she traveled with me as I continued to search for a mage,” Rolandsaid.
Angelique heard the clear lie in his voice. “What you mean to say is…you couldn’t leave herthere.”
Roland was silent for several long moments before he finally said, “No. I couldn’t. She reminded me too much ofmyself.”
Angelique pressed her lips together as she played with the hem of her dress. “Were you unhappy living with Evariste andme?”
“No,” Roland said. “But I had regrets. I wished for the courage to travel with you. I wanted to see more than the familiar corners of the workshop and Evariste’s home. But I never regretted the times I spent with you—though that became less and less frequent as Evariste took you trotting across the continent for your studies andpractice.”
Angelique stared at Roland, feeling as if the world had taken an unpleasanttwist.
I never knew. I considered Roland my closest friend—after…whatever it is I have with Evariste—but I never knew he was unhappy.“I’m sorry,” she said, her voicesoft.
“None of it was your doing, Angelique.” Roland finally met her gaze. “It was my own actions Iregret.”
Angelique studied him, her heart sinking. “You’re going to stay with her, aren’tyou?”
The cat hesitated for a moment. “Yes. Though you will be forever my friend,Gabrielle…”
Angelique nodded and leaned back so she could peer up at the afternoon sky. “A lot has happened. A lot has changed. Iunderstand.”
And she did, though she was still sad about it.But Roland is my friend, which means I need to be happy for him instead of thrusting my sadness uponhim.
She cleared her throat, strengthening it, then found herself strong enough to look at Roland again. “I’m happy you found your place,Roland.”
Roland purred and rubbed his head against her knee. “You’ll find your place too, Angelique,” hepromised.
“I already have—I’m an Enchantress-in-Training.”
“No.” Roland twitched his whiskers. “That is your role, but not your place. The Veneno Conclave has done its best to box you in. But really, with Evariste gone, you are under no one’s thumb.Thisis your chance toreach.”
Angelique quirked a smile. “Are you becoming poetic in your oldage?”
“Old age?” Rolandhissed.
Angelique laughed as she stood and brushed her skirts off. “I’m sorry to say it, but I think we’ll have to camp here for the night.” She glanced at the sky, which was starting to show deeper shades of blue. “I’m not particularly skilled at healing magic, so taking care of you took quite a bit out of me. And Pegasus and I ran into goblins on our way here. I hit my head pretty hard. Honestly, I don’t know that I could hold onto him for the rideback.”
