Page 17 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

He winced, and a momentary flash of guilt lit his eyes.

Every muscle in her body clenched. “So it’s true. You’re looking into me, simply because I gave a logical solution that everyone else was too stupid to come up with. Just because I know such a solution is possible doesn’t mean I know how to do it, or even that I have the power to make it happen!”

“If you could, would you?” he asked quietly, his eyes boring into her.

Her knees felt weak at his gaze, but she stood her ground. “Of course I would! If I had the ability, I’d have already done it—silently under the cover of darkness so no one would ever know. The invasion of red pandas would never have gotten this bad if I had the capacity to stop it.”

Herrick nodded slowly. “I believe you.”

Zorina scoffed. “If only you realized I couldn’t do it before you told the duke about what I said. That’s why you’re really in the shop, isn’t it? To see if you can cajole magic out of me, to determine whether I have any or not? Regardless of the consequences to my life if you pry where you aren’t wanted?”

“I was only trying to help,” he said, stepping back against the wall and putting his hands in the air.

“If you want to be helpful, Guard,” she needled, “then do your job and keep Anala from getting in the shop. It shouldn’t be that hard, seeing as she sneaks in when customers open the door…”

Herrick took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, as if trying to remain calm. Maybe he’d been as affected by their proximity as she had.

Maybe what she really needed was a barrier against him.

“I’ll tell them you can’t do magic. Unless…you can?”

Zorina shook her head, muttering to herself. “I need to leave. I can’t stay here under this scrutiny.” She wrapped her arms around her torso. “But I have nowhere else to go…”

Both of his large hands landed on her shoulders. “Then stay.”

Chapter six

Attempted Flirtations

Zorina

Zorina stared up at Herrick in shock. Had he just asked her to stay? After how brutally rude she’d been to him?

Granted, he’d been horrifically rude to her, too, but…could he really want her to stay in Adael? Did he realize that’s the kind of leaving she’d referred to?

Was it even safe for her to stay here now? If anyone even suspected she had magic, her past could easily resurface in the worst possible ways. Her mother or her conspirators could find her, and then—

“I don’t care if you have magic or not,” he said, interrupting her internal monologue. The man stood entirely too close to her, hands still on her shoulders, his gaze far too warm and understanding. “No one does, really—not if you can’t put up a magical barrier and drive off the red pandas. As long as you don’t use magic to hurt anyone, no one needs to know.”

“I never said I had magic,” she rebuffed, though it sounded weak even to her own ears.

One corner of his mouth quirked up with a slight huff. “The hold you have on me says otherwise.”

Her face heated as his meaning sank in. “You—flirt! That can’t possibly be true.”

Absolutely not. The very idea was ridiculous.

Herrick merely shrugged in response, which only confused her more.

He’s clearly trying to get a confession out of me, for me to confirm whether I’m a mage or not. Well, he’ll get nothing of the sort!

Before Zorina could ask anything else, the door opened, Herrick dropped his hands to his side, and Madame Giry entered. “Hello, Zorina. I’m here to check on the duke’s commission. Has Jurian finished the initial design?”

“I believe so. I’ll go check and let him know you’re here,” Zorina said with a forced smile before heading into the workshop, more than happy for an excuse to get out of Herrick’s perplexing presence.

Jurian sat at his pottery wheel, shaping a cylindrical vase into being. The process was both soothing and fascinating to watch under the master potter’s skillful hands. After letting herself observe for a few moments, she spoke. “Jurian? Madame Giry is here to assess the duke’s order.”

He nodded and said, “I’ll be with her in a few minutes.”