Lifting my lantern, I reached for the door handle, only to find it locked. Did he expect me to break in? Maybe climb the trellis to an open second-story window? My hands fisted on my hips as I searched the wide wraparound porch and found a rock perched on the wooden rail. A piece of paper was trapped underneath, the edges fluttering softly in the night air.
Another note. We were making a habit of shorthand correspondence.
I unfolded the paper and found a small metal object tucked between the page.
In case you make it home before I do, I made you a key.
-Gav
I held the key in my palm, warming the metal against my skin. Gavin had used copper wire to create an intricate cage around a piece of sea glass, then tied the wire to a leather cord he’d looped through the top of the key. Smiling softly, I ran my finger along the wire, tracing it to the smooth edge of the glass.
Home.
I read the note again, trying to ignore the pang of longing and the flutter of want inside my chest. How could something as simple as a key feel like the world’s greatest treasure?
A metal more precious than gold.
But that was fanciful thinking. This was a gift of practicality wrapped with a teasing bow to spare me from breaking a window. I squared my shoulders. This washishome. Not ours, certainly not mine.
“Oh, he’s good. A key strung with sea glass? Bold move. The man thinks he has me in checkmate. A charmed Marin is a less deadly Marin,” I said to the bags of gear at my feet as if they were eager and willing to take my side. Considering Gavin’s money had purchased them, it was a long shot.
Still, I pressed the key against my heart and released a tight breath.Maybe I’ll just pretend I’m home for a little while, so long as no one is here to see it.
The key slid soundlessly into the lock, and I pushed open the door. A warm, salty breeze, touched with the faint scent of wild sea lavender, followed me inside. The lantern glowed over the polished wood floors in the grand foyer. I struck my flint and lit the tallow candles sitting in the wall sconces until the entire hall was bathed in a steady amber glow.
Amazing how the years hadn’t dimmed the magic of this place as if it were steeped into the foundation. A few pieces of furniture still wore faded dust cloths, draped like ghosts ofthe past. The grand curved staircase leading to the second floor needed new carpet, but the broken spokes in the hand-carved railing had been replaced, and the whole thing stained a deep reddish-brown.
I explored some of the rooms, drifting my fingers over the stone hearth in the living room, and peeking into the surprisingly clean kitchen. Resting my lantern on the counter, I wandered to the sink and lifted the lever, giving the pump a few strong pulls until fresh water gurgled from the spout.
It still worked! Though Gavin’s handicraft was evident. He’d switched the pump handle with something sturdier and more practical. That didn’t surprise me. He’d always been the one to check my gear, upgrading items whenever we stopped at trading posts. I wondered what else he’d changed, making it better, applying his own personal touches.
I used to think he was incapable of settling down and staying in one place. That he was always chasing something just out of reach. Yet, here he was. And he was surprisingly good at fixing things.
The thief who could mend houses.
Collecting a stream of water in my palms, I drank some of the cool liquid, then filled each of the water skins I’d purchased. I set one of the leather flasks aside, along with a few days' worth of food rations: apples, crusty bread, and strips of dried meat. It wasn’t hearty or home-cooked, but it would last Gavin until Cass came to set him free.
Nerves stirred in my stomach. My plan was solid and fair. I wasn’t leaving him without food or water. If anything, I was doing him a favor, saving him from a long, grueling trek through an unfamiliar realm where either of us, or both, could end up dead.
He should thank me.
And yet, my nerves only churned harder, laced with guilt, of all things.
But I had nothing to feel guilty about.
He’d admitted it himself. Gavin was using me, exploiting my mission to line his already deep pockets. That was the difference between us. He wanted something. I was trying to save something.
We werenotpartners.
And Cass was being ridiculous. A head start? I wanted to laugh. Gavin and I had been challenging each other since the day we met. Sure, he’d be angry that I bested him, who wouldn’t be? And he’d hate the restraints. But he wasn’t going to chase me down.
My hands stilled on the countertop.
A memory flashed.Gavin in the alcove, eyes glittering behind his mask with something dark and possessive. Something that made my pulse race.
I swallowed hard.
No.He wouldn’t chase me. Once I was gone, he’d go right back to his life. Out of sight. Out of mind.
