Page 64

James narrowed his eyes. “What do you know?”

“I know… I know that the stories they told of the Rogue in school included break-ins like this.”

“Yes. I know that.” Her answer seemed to relieve him. He thought she understood.

“But I also know that those stories weren’t true.”

James’s eyes latched onto hers, eyes vibrant. “What?”

She nodded. “The Rogue, the original one. He never did that.”

“Of course he did. He broke into nearly every home in the square.”

“Yes, but he only took a few things. He didn’t destroy everything in sight.”

James glared at her. “And where would you have heard that version of events?”

Grace pursed her lips. Why was he getting angry at her? Did he seriously think this was the way to go about helping the town? “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that behavior like this cannot be the way the Rogue acts. That can’t be what he stands for.”

“You are on dangerous ground, Miss Robbins.” He looked around anxiously. “If you talk like that when others can hear you… people will think you support the Rogue, even if you don’t understand what he is.”

Grace huffed. She had been the one trying to explain tohimhow dangerous anything surrounding the Rogue could be, but he’d gone ahead and kept about it. And now he was warning her! “You don’t need to point that out to me. I’m well aware of the dangers. But if we don’t talk now, when? Where?”

“That’s enough. We will not discuss this.”

James turned on his heel and marched away.

Frustration spiking, Grace clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

Stubborn, self-righteous idiot.

Hewasthe one breaking into the homes. Her heart ached. How could he do this? How could he insist on hurting the people he claimed to want to protect? Sure, there were some gentry supporting the mayor, but what did this give back to the people who needed it? Nothing but fear.

As James faded into the distance, Grace felt loneliness closing in on her. She hadn’t realized how much she’d begun to care for James. No, she didn’t care for James. She cared for the Rogue. He’d been right: the curt, angry man she’d just talked to was not the same man she’d been flirting with in the maple grove. She didn’t know him at all.

Chapter 16

Grace gratefully accepted the ice-chilled wet rag Russell handed her, removed her hat, and wiped at her forehead and neck, sighing at the temporary relief from the hot sun. Russell shifted beside her, the ice crackling in the basket he carried. The sound of the ice urged her more than any words could to finish her break.

The ice, a non-mystic kind bought in the winter and stored in dirt pits for the summer, wouldn’t last in this sun. Already, water dripped through the small seams in the wicker basket. Everyone needed relief, and after a week of harvesting, the city’s store of ice was dwindling. Mother had bought another bag of sun-impervious Nix ice, but they couldn’t risk using it in towel baskets. They needed the ice’s time dilation magic at hand in case of a Zerudorn gold emergency.

Replacing her hat, Grace tossed the used rag to her brother. “Thanks, Russell.”

She expected him to stuff it into the pouch hanging from his hip and head off to the next worker, but instead, he hovered, legs tapping a nervous, fidgety dance.

Grace sighed and looked at her brother. “You need something?”

He took a few seconds to answer, eyes darting, looking at everything but Grace. “I just… Why…” He squinted.

“Russell. I’ve got a lot to do, spit it out.”

“Why aren’t you happy the Rogue is back?” he blurted.

Grace paled, scanning frantically. “Rot and rust, Russell. You’ve got to whisper.”

He rolled his eyes. “Why? He’s helping us. We all know it.”

Another chastisement hung on Grace’s lips, but she looked at her brother’s furtive, sincere expression and softened. He always sounded flippant, but maybe he truly wanted to know. There had been a time when Grace had felt much as he did. Who was she kidding? She still felt like that, she just knew the answer.