“That’s...” I tried to find the right word. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s also incredibly inconvenient,” Frost said dryly. “I’d rather not face the risk.”
“Why a risk?”
“Being separated from your bondmate is… excruciating,” he said.
My heart fell for him. “Oh no! Have you been…”
He shook his head. “Not me. It happened to someone I’m close to. I should not like to suffer the way they have suffered.”
“Well, I still think it’s romantic. Finding someone like that.” I sighed dreamily, wishing I had one of those magical well thingies. Perhaps then, Aeldryc and I could… No. Nope. That was far too much to let myself hope for. After all, he was busy searching the realm for a way to bring me back home.
A loud banging on the workshop door made all of us jump. It swung open to reveal a palace footman, slightly out of breath, a folded piece of paper in his hand.
“Message for Pippin Crane,” he announced, looking around the table until his eyes landed on me. “From the Grey Guard.”
I was on my feet before I’d processed the words, my heart in my throat. “They’re back? They’re here?”
“They’ll arrive by midday,” the footman said, handing me the note. “The commander sent carrier pigeon ahead.”
I took the note with hands that weren’t quite steady, unfolding it to find Aeldryc’s precise, angular handwriting, legible thanks to the translation bracelet, which unscrambled the formal, unfamiliar language for me.
Returning by midday. Will find you. —A.
Six words. That was all. But it was enough to make my chest ache.
“They’re almost back,” I said to the table at large, unable to keep the smile from my face. “Aeldryc’s coming back.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lyriel said, smiling. “Don’t worry about us! You can do part two of your lesson later this week, after we’ve all had some time to practice.”
I looked down at the half-finished projects on the table, the dropped stitches, the tangled yarn. At Frost’s disastrous chain, which I’d showed him how to reshape into a wobbly square. At Grukk’s massive hands, moving with surprising delicacy as he added another row to what was shaping up to be a very small blanket.
I hesitated, torn. “I need to…” I gestured vaguely at myself. “You know. Look presentable. For when he gets back.”
“Of course.” Lyriel stood, gathering the hooks I’d set down. “We’ll keep these safe for you. And perhaps you can continue the lesson tomorrow?”
“Definitely.” I was already backing toward the door, my hands doing that thing where they couldn’t decide whether to wave or just hang there “Thank you for coming! You’re all doing great! Frost, your tension is perfect now! Marta, don’t forget to chain one at the end of the row! Grukk, that’s looking amazing! Erdryll, Rydaen, it was so nice to meet you properly!”
I was babbling. I knew I was babbling. But I couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out, couldn’t slow my heartbeat or stem the flush spreading across my cheeks. Aeldryc was coming back to me.
I made it to the door before turning back for one last thing.
“Are you all okay to practice without me?”
She laughed. “Go. We’ll make sure Lord Frost gets the hang of it.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I was out the door and halfway down the corridor before my friends had finished saying goodbye. I needed to get back to the closet in our rooms, where I’d hung the outfit I’d been working on for days. The one I’d kept hidden because I wanted to see his face when I put it on.
It was a short, pleated skirt made from fabric I’d dyed myself in Nessa’s vats, with a high waist and a flounce at the hem that would give him glimpses of the bare skin underneath. Here, in Qoksmere of all places, I finally had the full freedom to express myself with fashion.
I was already an oddity, after all. Might as well lean into it and let them stare.
Chapter 19
Aeldryc
Bramhadearnedhissugar cubes.
