Page 62 of A Spell of Heart & Havoc

“Good evening, Dovey.” Her lips curved as she bobbed a curtsy in my direction.

Mae’s sharp intake of breath behind me shook my mind out of its stupor. I stepped closer back into her, and she tightened her grip on my upper arm, grounding me.

“… Petra? Are you alright?” I said.

“Marvelous.” Shoulders tense, she shifted her weight from foot to foot even as she breezily flicked her long hair over a shoulder and said, “I just need one more thing, and my night will be perfect.”

A manic laugh burbled out of my mouth. “Okay, what the fuck is happening?”

Petra’s eyebrows raised, and her smile deepened. “Oh dear. I know you’re naive and ignorant, but I didn’t realize you’re dumb too. Poor thing.”

A gasp choked in my throat, and she just tutted pityingly.

“Why—why are you working with them?” I gestured toward the orc, who now leaned against the closed door as Petra moved to cover our window exit. “Are they bribing you?”

The young woman’s peal of laughter rang around the room, her wheat-blond head tipped back. I felt Mae’s hand move slowly against my back, dropping a small weight that felt like a dagger into my coat pocket. Looking at the orc’s massive bulk and the assortment of weapons strapped to his body, I didn’t think we could fight our way out of this. But I felt better having a blade.

“Oh, no, no, no. Silly, stupid Dovey,” Petra said, my stomach twisting at her words. “I was sent on this mission. Assigned. I have been—and always will be—one of the Takers Guild.

“The months I’ve spent wasting away here though—fuck! Do you know how boring you are to be around all the time? Day in, day out. Nothing but ‘Oh what should I wear today? Ooo, can you do my hair the way I like it? Petra, want to go for a walk? Petra, shall we be bad and skip dinner with Mummy and Daddy tonight?’ The pure DRUDGERY of it all, UGHH!”

If she had reached over and clawed me across the face, it wouldn’t have hurt half as much.

Tears welling, my nose burned as I tried to force them down. I felt Mae’s angry breath on my neck. Despite myself, a couple plops of wetness streaked down my cheeks, and I brushed them away roughly.

“We were friends,” I heard myself say. “How could you—why would you do this??”

Something pained flashed across Petra’s expression for a split second before she smothered it. Scathingly, she said, “I’m doing this because I have to. It’s what I was hired for. You don’t deserve everything you have. I know it. She knows it.” She jutted her chin at Mae, eyes hardening. “Everyone sees it except for you nobles. Entitled, pompous asses. People waiting on you hand and foot, not a care in the world except your own ridiculous melodramas.”

She scoffed, taking a quick step closer to us. “Now I can finally get out of this nightmare of an assignment.”

The coldness in Petra’s eyes chilled me. I couldn’t see a hint of the sweet, kind friend I’d grown to care for at all. As if she’d never existed, and this cruel wolf of a woman had taken her place. But Mae snorted.

“This is ridiculous,” she said. “I see what’s happening here. Even I was only expected to be here a handful of weeks, and I’m very new to the guild, low-ranking. It was just a test. That I failed. Zephyra wouldn’t have sent you on this mission for months on end to play dutiful lady’s maid to an unconnected noble family, hours away from the city, if you hadn’t fucked up or pissed her off or something.”

Stiv shifted awkwardly on his feet, betraying some truth to her words. Petra scowled. She said, “I am loyal to the guild, and I will prove my worth to her again.”

“Does she even know you’re doing this tonight? Or are you—oh.” Maerryl’s face cleared, and then she whistled. “Oh, you went rogue, didn’t you? A big swing to try and win back her favor. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Petra reddened, either in fury or frustration or some combination, I couldn’t tell. But she looked about to combust, grip tight on her knife. Stiv, who seemed like he had conveniently been underinformed about tonight’s activities, was now shaking his head, meaty hands on his hips.

“Is that true?” he asked Petra. “Dammit, we gotta get out of here. Now. She is not going to be happy.”

Sidestepping carefully in front of me, Mae went on, “And I bet you wanted to hurt Dove too. Isn’t that right? Get back at her for all those months you felt stuck here? Even though it was probably your own damn fault, for whatever you did to piss Z off. But this seems personal. Taking everything she has—her family’s wealth, her own artwork, coming here to threaten her and stupidly flaunt your own betrayal. You’re out of control. And Z probably knew it.”

My breath caught at her words. My—she took my artwork too? From my studio?

I met Petra’s gaze, stricken, and saw that flash of emotion again.

“How could you?” I said.

Petra shrieked, a wild, animalistic sound, and we all startled. But I didn’t break our eye contact. She looked back, flushed and furious, and said, “You had no one. Your friends abandoned you when your family went bankrupt. Your parents are a mess. They don’t even seem to care about you. All your old servants gone, except that cook.”

She swallowed, staring fiercely at me. “I did everything for you. I was your maid, your confidante, your closest friend. I soothed your worries and kept your spirits up. Fed, clothed, cleaned you. We were inseparable for months. I thought—I thought I’d finally found someplace where I could start over. I thought you cared about me.”

“I did care about you. I do. You’re my dearest friend, Petra,” I said earnestly.

Petra just shook her head, as if she couldn’t let herself believe me. Pointing her knife at Mae, she growled, “And then suddenly she shows up one day. And it’s like I didn’t exist. Maerryl this, and Maerryl that. Before I know it, you’re spending all your time with her.”