The thought made me smile.
Thoma nodded enthusiastically. “I should be able to bring Reimond’s family around to the idea. They aren’t as keen on how things are run as they used to be.”
I’d have been more surprised if they were still fully invested in the Bone Men’s ideals after losing their son and being forced to watch him butchered in the town square.
“We should have everyone over for dinner,” Penny suggested, “so we can talk. Plan what we’re going to do.” The last word came out on a cough and was chased by a hacking fit that nearly pitched him out of his chair.
I steadied him by the shoulders until he quieted again, breathing hard and looking more exhausted than before.
“Just, maybe not tonight,” he rasped.
“Definitely not tonight,” I agreed.
Thoma rose from his chair and set his empty coffee mug in the sink. “I should be going, and you sound like you need rest.” The smile he turned on Penny and me was borderline joyful. “I’m glad you’re both okay. Feel better, Penny. And Kit, if you need me to pick you up anything in the market…”
I met his smile with a slightly wearier one. “I appreciate it. I think we’re all right for now, but I’ll let you know.”
We left Penny at the table while I walked Thoma to the door and saw him out. With the lock engaged behind him, I returned to the kitchen and ducked under Penny’s arm to heft him out of his chair.
“Time for you to get back to bed.”
He let me take most of his weight and shuffled along beside me. “You’ll stay with me?”
I nodded. “Until you’re sick of me.”
“I’ll never be sick of you,” he insisted as I sat him down on the edge of the bed.
I stood before him, near enough that his knees pressed into mine, and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes slid closed as he relaxed.
“Good thing then.” I leaned in to kiss the top of his head. “Because I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”
19
Penny
Ispent the week after our return from Wendwood in our room, in bed, clinging onto whatever part of Kit I could grab and dozing the days away. After Thoma’s visit, Rosie came by and returned Ember and Nutmeg. She also brought news about Anders.
It seemed Levitt had succeeded in getting the lumberman to confess tosomething, because Anders had been barred from completing his Oaths. He was jailed in the Ossuary even now, and I didn’t hate the idea that he might be in the same cell I was trapped in, and that he would stay there for the next six months.
Between bouts of rest and nursing the fever, chills, and relentless cough, I spent a bit of time thinking.
We weren’t alone in this.
The goal of sabotaging the Bone Men was more attainable than ever. We had solid support, and it would only continue to grow. Rosie was spreading the word through her bakery stand, and it was becoming clear that Kit and I were not the only ones who wanted to see the end of this place.
Another thing I thought about and asked Rosie to help me with was inviting the closest of our newfound allies to ameeting. A dinner at the house where we could discuss our mutual goals and share plans and strategy. Anticipation of such real, measurable progress after months of biding our time was enough to lure me out of bed and into the kitchen, where I tore into the pile of groceries Kit had brought home the day before.
The afternoon was spent bustling around the stove and sink, prepping a turkey large enough to feed a crowd, stewed potatoes with onion, and a loaf of seeded bread. Since Kit was busy with his first day back at the smithy, Rosie came over early and got to work tidying and arranging the house to accommodate our guests. She anticipated at least eight attendees including herself, which would pack the two-bedroom cottage to bursting.
Just after sunset, people began to arrive. Rosie’s family came first. Her father and mother greeted me with warm hugs and smiles, and we exchanged pleasantries until Thoma arrived with Reimond’s parents and siblings. I hadn’t spoken to them much during my time in Ashpoint, and it was jarring to see Reimond’s younger brother, especially. The boy was barely in his teen years, but he looked to be a duplicate of Reimond. Same auburn hair and gangly build, even the same smile when I clasped his hand and gave it a shake.
Thoma was encircled by the lot of them, or perhaps guarded. Reimond’s mother kept a guiding hand on Thoma’s arm as they found seats in the living area, and I wondered if her hold on him was a kind of tether to the child she’d lost.
It was a sobering thought.
Eight guests left me scrambling to find chairs for everyone. Reimond’s sister and lookalike brother remained standing, as did Rosie and I, while the others engaged in lively chatter. It made the room feel impossibly full, but in the best way. It was alive and vibrant. Hopeful. We all were.
I brewed coffee and passed out drinks, waiting to begin the real discussion until Kit got home. This washisdream, first andforemost. His wish to rectify the sins that had been committed in this place and to save whoever we could from the damnation the Bone Men were working to bring upon the world. He deserved to speak his piece before anyone else.
