Page 26

Chapter 26

Avery

W ith Elliot’s disappearance, the crowd calmed enough for the mayor to lead Avery and Mattie to the inn. A buzz still filled the air, and everywhere groups of people stood in excited conversation, their eyes constantly turning toward the manor. Avery had expected the townsfolk to be enthusiastic about finally receiving the lamp, but the lamp seemed to have taken a secondary role in the celebratory atmosphere that pervaded Bolivere.

“So Elliot is the son of the late lord?” Mattie asked the man leading their horses alongside them.

He sucked in a breath, giving her a disapproving look.

“They don’t talk about their lord’s death openly,” Avery muttered to Mattie, who raised her brows.

“But surely it can’t be kept a secret now that the son has returned,” she said. She looked innocently at the mayor. “That was the reason it was secret, right?”

Avery frowned, but from the expression of both the mayor and the man with their horses, Mattie was right. She had once again seen straight to the heart of the issue while Avery had been left in the dark. And she prided herself on reading people well.

Looking back, there had been more than enough clues. She should have guessed the truth given everything Elliot had told her about his past, including the timing of his father’s death and the way he reacted to any mention of Bolivere.

The only conclusion was that it had been willful blindness. She had closed her eyes to any suggestion that Elliot had a home and a reason why he couldn’t live a nomadic life. Even when she had wanted to distance herself after his reaction to their kiss, she hadn’t really meant it. On a deeper level she had trusted that whatever was wrong with Elliot, it wasn’t about her or even them. Because Elliot was tied to her.

It didn’t matter if there was a temporary misunderstanding. She had been secure in the knowledge that the two of them would have time to sort it out. Even if he wanted to walk away, he couldn’t.

Except he just had. She had made the fatal mistake of forgetting that Elliot wasn’t tied to her but to the lamp she carried, and from the moment they arrived in Bolivere, the lamp was no longer hers. Elliot wasn’t tied to her any longer. The lamp was in Bolivere and so was he—and apparently Bolivere was where he belonged. He could remain here forever, without need of her assistance. There was nothing stopping them from becoming strangers again.

The idea was incomprehensible, and it shook Avery’s self-confidence in a way that not even her abduction had. Elliot had just walked away, and though she would presumably see him again the next day, her mind couldn’t shake the image of his retreating form as he walked away and left her behind.

Logically, she knew that when their true parting came, it would be her walking away while Elliot stayed behind. But that knowledge didn’t change the image that replayed over and over in her head.

She wanted to tell herself that Elliot would stay by her side, but she wasn’t delusional. He was the missing heir. Even if he was willing to consider leaving, she couldn’t ask it of him.

So where did that leave her? Could she bear to stay in Bolivere?

Avery lay on her bed in the inn, her mind whirling as she considered the question. She had never once considered settling down before—not seriously. Even when her aunt and uncle had bought their house and invited her to join them, she hadn’t hesitated. She liked her life. She loved to travel—to meet new people and see new places. And even more she loved the satisfaction of matching people with the right item for them—the item that could change their life for the better.

Could she give that up for the mundanity of seeing the same people and doing the same thing day after day? Would she end up taking up running like her uncle only to one day keep going and never come back?

The idea scared her almost as much as agreeing to settle in Bolivere. Her parents had taught her that her word was her bond. If roving merchants weren’t trustworthy, they would soon find they were no longer welcomed in their travels. Avery refused to stay in Bolivere if it meant she might one day walk away from the people who loved and needed her, like Elliot’s mother had done.

Knowing that, could she risk committing in the first place? She wanted to say no, but every time she did, she saw Elliot walking away from her. She had traveled alone for two years and never been lonely, but lying alone in her room at the inn, she had never felt so isolated. Staying in Bolivere felt impossible, but she had grown used to having Elliot beside her. She liked feeling part of a team with him, and returning to a solitary life seemed even more difficult to imagine than staying in Bolivere.

Eventually, she tossed and turned her way to sleep. She had fruitlessly hoped Elliot would reappear that evening, but she would definitely see him in the morning, and hopefully the sight of him would bring clarity. Even if he wanted to avoid her, he couldn’t because he had to stay near the lamp, and the lamp was going with the expedition to the cave. As long as Avery was there at mid-morning when they departed, she would have a chance to speak to him and find out his plans.

D espite her late night, Avery woke early. From the look of the light outside her window, it was barely dawn. But her disrupted mind and heart made returning to sleep impossible.

She rose instead, dressing for the day and heading down to the inn’s dining room in hope of food. She would arrive at the square early so she wouldn’t be caught in the crowds that would surely gather to see the warriors off.

No other guests had descended at such an early hour, but several of the inn’s staff were bustling about. Avery wasn’t surprised to note an extra buzz in the air. The whole town had to be eager to see the beast that had been terrorizing them vanquished. And anyone who had relatives among the warriors going to face him had to be anxious as well.

“Do you know anyone going to the cave?” she asked the serving girl who brought her a steaming mug.

“Yes, my older brother!” The girl clasped her hands together, her face strained. “I don’t think I’ll have a peaceful moment until I see him come back unharmed.”

“I’m sure they’ll succeed this time,” Avery said as reassuringly as she could. “Will you be going to see them off from the square?”

“Oh, but they’ve already left,” the girl said, making Avery’s hand jerk so badly she dropped the mug.

Hot liquid spilled over the table, and she jumped to her feet.

“Oh dear!” The girl began wiping it up, the mess distracting her from Avery’s response.

“Sorry about the drink,” Avery said quickly. “But what did you say? They’ve already gone? I thought they were leaving mid-morning?”

“They were.” The girl continued to mop up the spill. “But last night word came from the manor that they were leaving at dawn instead.” She finally realized what she was saying and looked guiltily up at Avery, the overly full cloth in her hand dripping steadily back onto the table. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything, though. Corbett asked it to be kept quiet. You won’t mention it to anyone? They’re hoping that when everyone gathers in the square later, they’ll discover they’re welcoming the fighters home instead of seeing them off.”

“The fighters have already left?” Avery asked, her numb lips making the words feel strange in her mouth. “You’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. I saw my brother leave with my own eyes.” The girl gave Avery a strange look. “Are you all right?”

Avery didn’t answer. She’d barely even heard the girl’s final words. Abandoning her untouched breakfast, she ran straight out of the inn.