“Ten years.”
Serenity Righthoof’s eyes softened. “In the hard times.”
What?
“They’re different now, I think you’ll find. Took me two years to get that one calm enough to stay the night without bolting, but by Lathander’s beams, they’re settled.”
Two years?They must have run out of gold. “Where were they staying before?”
Serenity’s smile was like a drawbridge raising. “That’s not my story to tell. Ten years. So you knew them when they were in Baldur’s Gate, before it all went sour.”
“When it all went sour?” Kell managed to keep his tone curious rather than disbelieving.
But Serenity backed away from the bait. “I suppose the two of you haven’t had a chance to catch up yet. Maybe they’ll want to talk to you about their trouble, seeing as you knew each other back then. Did you know their partner?”
Jubilee’s shoulders came up. “Mum, that’s him. He’s Saeldian’s old partner.”
Serenity looked at him again, and the dough landed on the counter with a loud thump. That look made him fight to keep from explaining that he was the injured party, not Saeldian. He tried to hold still while she decided what to do about him. Him!
He didn’t have time to try to talk this entire household out of the mistake they’d made, trusting Saeldian. “It’s a long story, and too complicated to sum up. I think we both hurt each other.”
He used to lie like that all the time, and it never used to make him feel like he’d just swallowed a moldy egg.
“I don’t know exactly what happened. He’s really mad at Saeldian for whatever.”
Kell kept his teeth together. Serenity nudged the dough into a tidy ball, concentrating on making it perfect. “And how does Saeldian feel?”
“Hurt,” Jubilee said. “Spiky. Mean. Angry. Guilty.”
“Poor lamb,” Serenity said with a sigh.
Poorwhat?
She snapped a stern look back at Kell. “You secured an invitation to this house. My daughter is not a poor judge of people. But I’m watching you, young man.”
Serenity probably wasn’t even ten years older than him, but Kell ducked his head and said, “Yes, Mrs. Righthoof.”
The second loaf landed in the other basket. “That’s done. Do you know how to clean water lily buds? We eat them until we’re too sick to see another, but they’re best this early in the year.”
An escape. “I could use some instruction, Mrs. Righthoof.”
“You’ve nimble fingers. You’ll need them,” Mrs. Righthoof said. “Come along to the pump.”
Chapter Five
Beauty Rest
In Which Saeldian Remembers Decorum
Saeldian had to rest, and it wasn’t working. The circle of light on the floor of Saeldian’s bedchamber had moved two floorboards away from their bed. Half an hour, or close enough.
Saeldian let their head fall back onto the pillow and stared at the patches of pale blue and gilt that still graced the ceiling. Another section had fallen in the corner near the terrace doors. A problem for after the roof replacement, or a sign that it was getting worse?
There was no time to think about the dratted ceiling, the stupid heist, or Kell bloody Redsong! They had to relax. Not sleep, but fall into drifting, dreamlike thoughts. They had to rest. They had to—
Saeldian’s door creaked, heralding an intruder.Hags and high fey, what now?Verity? Wisdom? Jubilee, unable to stand not knowing the truth? Kell, who decided he needed a good kick in the—
A tiny, insistent meow. Snowball had broken in, butting his dense and sturdy head against the door that didn’t stay closed unless Saeldian lifted it into the strike plate. He leapt to the embroidered linen coverlet, and his meow smelled of smoked fish.
