Page 61 of A Spell of Heart & Havoc

“What do you mean? You’re not making any sense.” She rubbed my upper arms like she wanted to warm me up. I felt ice cold. And I hated the comfort I got from her touch in this moment, but it very well might be the last time she touched me like this.

I had to tell her.

“I’m—I’m not who you think I am,” I said, avoiding her eyes, my voice hollow. Swallowing, I forced myself to go on.

“I’m a thief. I was sent here to get information. To help my boss—Zephyra—organize a heist. I didn’t have a choice. But now it’s all gotten out of control, and they’re here, they want to get to you for some reason, I don’t know why!”

She dropped my arms and stepped back. Something shattered in my chest. I didn’t stop her.

“I should have told you—told you as soon as we started… as I began to have feelings for you. I should have told you everything. I thought we had more time. I just thought—fuck, we can’t do this right now.” I pulled at my hair, slamming a fist against my forehead.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, love. But we need to leave. Now.”

27

DOVE

Leave?” I heard myself say faintly.

Maerryl moved as if to come toward me, but stopped as I backed away farther. Anguish tearing across her face, she said, “Dove, I know this doesn’t make any kind of sense. And I promise to explain everything. But right now, we need to get out of this manor and into the forest until these guys leave. They want something, I’m not sure what. So we’re getting you out of here. Unless you know what it is? Some family treasure you have hidden here? They might leave if we can give it to them.”

I couldn’t feel my fingers, my toes. I said through numb lips, “No, nothing like that. I don’t know. I don’t know what it could be.”

Maerryl’s face fell, but then she nodded, jumping into action. Darting into the bedroom, she grabbed a couple knit sweaters and boots for me and threw them on the sofa before running to my armoire. “Put those on, quickly. I’ll find us coats. It’s cold outside. But fast, please.”

I drifted to the sofa and began to pull the sweaters over my nightgown and robe. Mind slowly starting to process everything that Mae had said. Had confessed to. I rewound everything, churning it over and over. Through my hurt, confusion, anger, one thing stuck out.

“You said you didn’t have a choice,” I murmured as I tugged on my boots. Mae was cursing at a window, trying to undo the too-stiff lock that kept it secure. A lock I’d seen her install myself days prior. She half turned at my words, but didn’t say anything. “You were doing this for Balfie, weren’t you?”

A beat of silence, then, “Yes.”

I took a step toward her. “Would you have told me? If I hadn’t found out like this.” I searched her face, willing the words I needed to hear. She looked miserably back at me.

“I think so. I wanted to. But I guess we can’t know now,” she said.

With a wrench, she lifted the window and peered out, then gestured to me. “We have to go. C’mon, Dove.”

A fist pounded on the door once, then again, making us both jump.

“Last chance, ladies,” a deep voice said.

Mae waved me over frantically. I scurried to her side and slipped into the coat she held out for me. One foot on the window seat, about to pull myself up and out the open window, before a terrified shriek sounded from the hall.

I froze.

Muffled voices through the door, heated and loud. Another gasping shriek came, and we heard, “Stop, you’re hurting me!”

Mae’s shocked eyes found mine. “Petra,” I whispered. “They’ve got Petra.”

I turned and shot to the door, with Mae’s “Dove, wait!” behind me, but before she could reach me, I slammed a palm to the wood and released the charm.

It unsealed, and the knob turned.

I backed, stumbling, into Mae’s arms as a hulking green orc stepped inside, forcing us back toward the fireplace.

“Where is she?! You better not have hurt her!” I yelled, trying to inject ferocity into my quavering voice. The orc just crossed his arms, ignoring me. And following him through the door, looking the picture of health…

Petra.