Chills raced up my arms at that and I internally cursed that she’d used my full name. I had wanted to keep that from Avis or be the one to tell her myself.
Avis nodded casually. “Couple days a week.”
So she knew, she knew I was a Bane and didn’t care. Bless her.
The queen stepped closer to the counter. “You heard about the Nightling attack?”
Avis nodded, “Tragic. Two students dead. Their families must be distraught.”
Queen Solana bristled. “They are. They want to know how the Nightlings got in here and why.”
Avis gave the queen a consoling look, but didn’t speak, no doubt waiting for what else she was going to say. Clearly, she wanted something. “Well,” the queen went on, “you got more of our mother’s magic, so I was wondering if you felt anything off about the girl. Fallon.”
Our mother.
Chills rushed up my spine. Avis was Solana’s sister? Or half-sister, otherwise Avis would probably be living in the palace. The revelation shocked me, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it because I wondered what Avis would say. She had to tread carefully here; she had sensed before the queen even entered the shop that Solana didn’t like me. I didn’t want any harm to come to her.
“I met her mother, Marissa, a few times when she was a student at The Academy, she was a liar, conniving, and always saw the bad in people. She was primed for going dark,” Avis said, and Solana nodded in agreement.
This definitely confirmed that the entire time she’d known I was the daughter of Marissa Bane.
Avis then reached out and grasped Solana’s hand lightly, which made the queen bristle. “But Fallon is nothing like that. She has one of the brightest lights inside of her that I’ve ever seen. It’s like…she’s incapable of hatred. I don’t see her going fully dark.Ever.”
I gasped at the declaration and then put a hand over my mouth.
Solana pulled her fingers from Avis’s. “You can’t know that,” she growled as if disappointed with the assessment.
Avis shrugged. “You asked for my opinion. That is my assessment based on what I’ve seen of Fallon.”
“Maybe you haven’t known her long enough.” The queen tipped her chin up haughtily.
Avis casually rearranged some tinctures. “Maybe. How long did it take Mother to get a read on someone?”
Solana pursed her lips at that. “Well, I won’t keep you from your little work.” She gestured around the store as if it were beneath her.
Avis gave her a small smile. “Good to see you, Solana. It’s been a long time.” She sounded a bit sad.
Solana looked forlorn for a moment. “Yes, well, I’ve been busy ruling a kingdom.”
“Of course,” Avis agreed.
Solana glanced around the store. “I’ll take ten of yourYouthful Glowtinctures. My girlfriends love them as gifts.”
Avis smiled at her sister. “That’s very kind of you. I’ll give you a bulk discount.”
“No need.” Solana pulled out a small stack of gold coins while Avis wrapped up the order. “Keep the change,” Solana said and laid the stack on the counter.
Avis’s eyes bulged at the amount of coin. “I couldn’t.”
“Oh, stop it. We all know you give your remedies away to the poor and will barely manage to retire one day,” Solana scolded her.
Avis chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. “What can I say, I got my father’s soft heart.”
Solana grinned at the dig. “And I got my father’s cold one?”
Avis returned the smile. “You said it, not me.”
Solana and Avis beamed at each other as they bantered back and forth, but there was a sadness there, like they hadn’t seen each other in a long time and knew they wouldn’t again for even longer.
