Page 15

Chapter 15

Avery

T hey retrieved Nutmeg and the cart—thankfully still where Avery had abandoned them—and stayed for two nights with the herbalist and his family. She knew she shouldn’t have let anything distract her from getting to Bolivere, but after more than six months, it was hard to believe that two more nights would make a difference. And she couldn’t bring herself to leave until they knew the last of the fire was out.

Elliot helped the man and his daughter examine the house, salvaging as much as possible while Avery played with the children. Elliot had insisted she take the job of occupying the children, staying away from the burned building. He seemed to feel guilty for something, although she couldn’t imagine what. His help had been necessary and invaluable in stopping the fire.

His fear had made him gruff in the moment, but with the immediate danger past, he returned to his usual friendly cheer. The family all took to him immediately, especially the older girl. She followed him around with stars in her eyes, something Avery found amusing and Elliot awkward.

“Where’s your devotee?” she asked him when he came down to the lake to collect water with her on the third day. “I can barely recognize you without your loyal duckling.”

He gave her an unimpressed look that made her laugh.

“I don’t know what your issue is,” she said. “You make a charming mother duck.”

“Watch out,” he said with a playful growl, “or I’ll throw you in, and we can see which of us is more akin to a waterfowl.”

Avery skipped away from him, her eyes gleaming. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Just try me.” He stalked toward her.

She laughed, retreating further back. Her heart rate picked up—at the prospect of being dunked in the cold water, of course—but she was still laughing.

“You’re not a mother duck,” she said placatingly. “I don’t know how I ever saw the resemblance.” She grinned cheekily. “You’re clearly a mother goose. Those creatures are vicious.”

Growling again, he lunged forward and caught her around the waist, swinging her closer to him. She giggled and tried to pull free, and his hold tightened.

He pulled her all the way to him, stopping when she was only inches from him and looking down at her with a threatening frown and laughing eyes.

But Avery’s laugh fell away, her breath catching. He had caught her around the waist like that during the fire as well, but she had been focused on finding the missing grandfather and had only been thinking of breaking free and continuing her search. Now she could feel burning warmth where his hands touched her—and this time it had nothing to do with actual flames.

“I should have caught you as soon as you tried to run into the fire and thrown you in the lake then,” he said, showing his mind had gone to the same place as hers.

Avery wanted to remind him of the good they’d done putting out the fire, but her throat had stopped working. She could barely breathe, let alone speak.

Elliot’s hands shifted, moving from her sides around to her back, and she was certain he was about to pull her all the way to him, closing the gap between them.

“Elliot!” The youthful voice called from the other side of the house. Her second call sounded closer. “Elliot?”

Avery and Elliot sprang apart as if they were once again fleeing flames. Avery’s abrupt retreat sent her stumbling into the shallow water on the edge of the lake, soaking her boots. She gasped and tried to jump out of the water, only succeeding in losing her balance.

She grasped fruitlessly at the empty air around her as she tipped backward. But just as she was past the point of no return, Elliot’s hand shot out and clasped her wrist, stopping her fall.

She hung there, her body angled precariously backward as their eyes locked, both of their chests heaving.

“Did you save her from falling in?” the girl asked from right beside Elliot, her voice almost a squeal as she gazed at him adoringly. “How romantic!”

At her final word, Elliot flinched, his whole body recoiling. His fingers slipped off her wrist, and with a wild scream, Avery resumed her fall.

She landed in the water with a splash, the shock of the sudden cold robbing her of breath. She sat on the shallow lake bed, both hands braced behind her.

“You!” She glared up at Elliot.

His eyes widened, and he looked down at his hand, as if unable to believe it had let go.

“Sorry?” he gasped.

The girl wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think it’s supposed to be a question.”

Avery rose to her feet, the shock giving way to amusement.

“Look at that! Your duckling is all grown up,” she said to Elliot.

“Huh?” The girl looked between them.

Elliot turned firmly away from Avery. “You’re right,” he said gravely to the girl. “Apologies shouldn’t be questions.”

She nodded, her eyes gleaming at him again.

Avery snorted. “And she’s back,” she muttered.

Elliot gave her another stern look, but she refused to be reprimanded by someone who had just dumped her in the lake.

“I’m getting into dry clothes,” she said. “But then we should think about getting back on the road.”

“Leaving!” the girl cried, dismayed. “You’re leaving?”

Avery didn’t wait around to see Elliot smoothing her ruffled feathers. The family had gathered everything they could salvage from the house and would be leaving soon to stay temporarily with relatives. They didn’t need Avery and Elliot anymore, and Avery was getting jittery. She wanted to be back in the relative privacy and solitude of the road.

It wasn’t anything to do with wanting Elliot all to herself, she told herself as she trudged toward her pack, her boots squelching with each step. She wasn’t the type to be jealous of attention and time given to ducklings.

“ M y granddaughter tells me you’re leaving.” The herbalist joined Avery at her cart where she had been busy checking everything over, ready for their departure.

“I think it’s time,” she said with a smile. “I believe you’ll be off yourselves soon?”

He nodded. “We’ve just finished packing everything we can salvage.” He paused, and she watched him patiently. Was there something else he wanted to ask of them? If so, he seemed unsure about making the request.

“Is there something else you need?” she asked, giving him some encouragement.

“No, I’m already in your debt,” he said quickly. “In fact, that’s why I want to give you this.” He held out a bundle wrapped in soft leather.

Avery took it from him with eager curiosity. She made it her mission to seek out interesting and useful items across the kingdoms, but she had learned that many of the most precious items weren’t for sale—they only fell into her hands if someone chose to gift them to her.

Unwrapping the leather, she stared down at a small pile of carefully crafted miniature daggers, each in their own scabbard. They were beautiful pieces and so tiny she would be able to slide one into her boot, which was an advantage. But that also meant they were too small to present much of a threat.

She looked questioningly up at him, wondering what had inspired him to gift her daggers of all things—and more than one, too.

“Officially I shouldn’t be giving you these,” he said quietly. “But after what you did for us, I trust you. I can’t send you away empty-handed, and they’re the only thing of value I can spare.”

Avery’s eyebrows slowly rose as a possibility occurred to her.

“You mean, these are…” She breathed the words quietly, but even so, she trailed off without actually saying it aloud.

The herbalist nodded.

“Thank you!” Avery said, still in hushed tones. “I’ll treasure them.”

“I just hope they might help you one day when you’re in dire need, as you helped us in our moment of need.”

“I’ll keep one in my boot,” Avery said. “And sleep all the better for it.”

The herbalist smiled. “Then it’s a worthwhile gift. I wish you safe travels from here.”

“And you,” she replied. “I hope you find a comfortable home with your relatives until you can return here to rebuild.”

The sound of the others approaching made her quickly wrap the scrap of soft leather back around her new possessions. Most Oakdenian herbalists used Oakden’s unique sleeping herbs to create sleeping draughts that were sold to doctors throughout the kingdoms. But some used the herbs to create a different, more potent substance—one that could be infused into the blades of weapons. Such weapons could send someone to sleep with the smallest prick, and their value was so great that Oakdenians were forbidden from trading either the substance itself or the weapons it created to outside merchants.

Once again, Avery had received a gift she could never have purchased. And she had no intention of getting her benefactor into trouble by advertising his gift.

The final goodbyes were completed quickly, and she and Elliot were soon on the road again. They didn’t hurry, taking it slowly for the final days into Ethelson. It made sense to pace themselves as they shook off the lingering effects of the smoke exposure—a fact Avery was ready to explain to Elliot when he questioned their slow pace. Except he never did. Instead, he gave every indication of being content to be back on the road and perfectly happy with their meandering progress toward the next large town.

They had fallen into such a comfortable rhythm with both the actual travel as well as setting and packing up camp that Avery sometimes forgot they hadn’t been traveling together for long. But despite the new comfort of company on the road, she was still pleased to see Ethelson appearing in front of them. It wasn’t as big as Marleston, but it was still a bustling town, nestled in the major fork of the river. And best of all, she had a friend there who would host them, which meant she and Elliot were both guaranteed a bed.

“In Ethelson, the men’s and women’s bathhouses are right next to each other,” she said enthusiastically as Nutmeg pulled them through the first streets of the town. “If we both stay on the side of the bathhouse closest to the other building, we could manage a visit. Don’t you think?”

Elliot smiled down at her with a warmth she had grown used to seeing in his eyes.

“I’m sure we could make that work.”

Avery immediately frowned. Would he tell her if it was painful, or would he suffer in silence so she could have her hot soak? She caught sight of a familiar street and shook off the worrying thought.

“It’s just down here.” She directed Nutmeg to the large house she had stayed in many times before. The owner, Lorne, had been friends with her grandparents, and her mother had grown up with regular visits to his home just as she had.

The house was a comfortable size with room around the back for both the cart and a basic shelter for Nutmeg. Avery fell silent as she made the tricky maneuver down the lane beside the house and into the enclosed space. She had no sooner come to a halt, however, than a voice called her name.

“Avery! Welcome!” A short man with snow white hair and a slightly bowed back stepped out the back door.

Despite his obvious age, he moved with vigor, and his eyes were still bright and keen. He beamed with welcome at Avery, but as his eyes fell on Elliot, his brows shot up.

“Well, well, well,” he said jovially. “Who do we—” His words cut off and his eyes closed, his chin dropping onto his chest.

Elliot stared at him as Lorne swayed slightly but remained upright. He turned concerned eyes on Avery, but his growing consternation seemed to ease when he saw she hadn’t paused in her climbing down, her smile unwavering.

“Just wait a minute,” she said as she began to unhitch Nutmeg.

“—have here?!” Lorne sputtered awake, his head jerking upward. He blinked at the sight of Avery now at Nutmeg’s head instead of up on the cart, but he didn’t miss a beat, sidling over to her and adding in an audible whisper, “He’s very good-looking, my dear. Wherever did you acquire him?”

“He’s not my latest ware, Lorne,” Avery said with a laugh. She stopped what she was doing to embrace him.

“Is he not?” Lorne asked with a wicked glint in his eye.

“I’m Elliot,” Elliot said stiffly, clearly not sure what to make of Lorne’s unconventional ways.

“Lorne.” The man extended a hand. “A pleasure to meet you. I’ve been saying for the last two years that Avery needed to find someone to travel with, so I’m most pleased to meet?—”

He once again cut off, his chin falling forward.

Elliot stood in front of Lorne, looking lost, but Avery returned to unhitching Nutmeg.

“Are you going to help?” she asked, snapping Elliot out of his confused daze.

“Is it safe to just leave him like that?” he whispered. “What if he falls and hurts himself?”

“He never does, thanks to the Legacy.” Avery detached Nutmeg and led her toward the shelter which was already piled with fresh hay. “In his younger days, he was one of those whose desire for adventure was stronger than his Legacy’s influence. He traveled the kingdoms for many years, which is how he met my grandparents. Eventually the effect got too much, and he had to settle down, but he chose Ethelson since it’s on the intersection between three kingdoms.”

“But he’s from Oakden originally, right? Now that he’s back, should he still be affected like this? I know the Oakden Legacy makes the pace of life slower here, and that Oakdenians are famous for sleeping, but this seems extreme.”

“—you!” Lorne barked as his head whisked back up. “Most pleased, young man.”

Avery turned to the older man and put her hands on her hips. “I haven’t seen you this bad for a while, Lorne, have you been across the border again?”

“Just a little trip, my dear,” he said guiltily. “You can’t expect a man to always stay in one place!”

Avery laughed. “Well, I’m certainly the last one to expect it, but your daughter might disagree.”

A crafty smile spread over Lorne’s face. “She’s in the capital at the moment. Took the whole pack of grandchildren with her too for some ball or other. So don’t you go giving me away!”

Avery turned to Elliot, who looked even more confused. “He spent so long out of the kingdom that the effects still linger when he’s back in Oakden. But they get better the longer he’s here. The only problem is that he keeps insisting on popping over the border again, which always makes the symptoms flare back up.”

“Now that my grandchildren are all grown,” Lorne said, “my daughter has been traveling more. It gives me itchy feet.”

“Why don’t you travel with her, then?” Avery asked. “I’m assuming she stays within Oakden?”

“Precisely!” Lorne cried. “And what’s the fun in that?”

Avery laughed again, while Elliot shook his head, clearly taken aback at Lorne’s eccentricity. It was rare for anyone in the kingdoms to have such a love for travel, although he had once mentioned his mother being such a one.

Avery gave him a sideways look. Was that the reason for his stiff reaction? He had seemed to resent his mother’s inclination for travel, so did he disapprove of Lorne?

Lorne’s head dropped a third time, and Avery used the chance to sidle closer to Elliot.

“He had already been traveling for twenty years before he met and married his wife. She’s passed away now, but she was a lovely woman. She traveled with him for a year or two, but as soon as she got pregnant, they moved back to Oakden and have been here ever since. He never pushed his traveling ways on his children or expected them to bear the burden of leaving their home kingdom.”

The stiffness in Elliot’s shoulders relaxed, and Avery smiled as she stepped away from him. She had guessed correctly, it seemed.

Lorne woke again with a start, helping Elliot to push the cart out of the way. Elliot tried to protest, but Lorne brushed him off with a laugh.

“I’ve still got some strength in these old arms and legs, young man,” he said. “Don’t try to consign me to a rocking chair just yet.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Elliot said, looking as awed as most people were when they first met Lorne.

Avery unloaded the packs they would need to take inside, and Lorne scooped one up, leading the way through the back door. Elliot took one on each shoulder and went to follow him, but Avery stopped him with a hand on his arm.

He stilled instantly at her touch, looking down inquiringly into her face.

“Lorne has as much experience and knowledge as a roving merchant,” she said softly. “More in some cases. If anyone might know a way to help you break your tie to the lamp, he’s a good candidate.” She hesitated. “What do you think about telling him the truth of your situation and asking for help?”

Elliot stiffened, and she held her breath, waiting for his response. After a long moment, he deflated.

“If you trust him, then I’ll trust him, too.”

Moisture pricked at Avery’s eyes at his statement of trust in her. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I know how hard it must be for you to start telling people your secret after holding onto it your whole life.”

“I’ve kept it a secret for twenty-one years and nothing ever changed,” he said. “I think the time has come to take a different approach. I’m ready to be free.”

Avery smiled and nodded, but she turned quickly to collect the remaining pack before the expression wobbled. It hurt more than she expected to hear Elliot speak of his eagerness to be free of her and their forced journey together.

Maybe she’d been selfish to travel so slowly the last few days, using the excuse of the smoke inhalation. She was losing focus on her mission, and she wasn’t doing Elliot any favors. She should have been moving northward as quickly as possible.

Lorne reappeared, but halfway through his gesture for them to come inside, his head dropped forward again, a light snore sounding. Avery stared at him, her mind whirring.

They were in Oakden! Why hadn’t she thought of it before? She hadn’t examined the reasons for their slow travel too closely because she had thought they were emotional—emotions she didn’t want to examine too closely. As a result, she hadn’t even considered the likely true reason. With the excitement of the fire, she had forgotten how easy it was to fall into the rhythm of doing everything more slowly in Oakden.

She shook her head. She hadn’t been the cause of their slow progress after all, and neither had Elliot. But she should have realized what was happening and driven them on faster. She would have to do better for the short time they had left in Oakden.

Lorne jerked awake, his smile unbroken, and insisted on taking Avery’s pack from her.

“Elliot has two, you know,” she said with a shake of her head as she relinquished it.

Lorne smiled conspiratorially at Elliot and lowered his voice as he spoke to Avery. “Yes, but he needs the chance to show off those muscles. I couldn’t deprive him of that.”

Elliot laughed and even winked at Avery, and she relaxed. Apparently he had adjusted to Lorne’s more outrageous qualities already. She wasn’t surprised. Most people liked Lorne.

She just hoped he knew something that would help Elliot. Even if Avery didn’t like the idea of breaking the tie that held them together, she couldn’t forget the promise she had made to him. Elliot’s future hung on breaking the bond with the lamp, and Avery intended to help him do it—even if that meant saying goodbye.