Page 10 of A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows

Valerian clicked his tongue. “Then I’d say you’ve become one of my favorite people. Which”—he smirked—“was already true. So, I guess it would actually change nothing.”

I huffed a laugh. “What would you think of going on a trip with me and Temi?”

He pulled the gloves onto his hands, a tightness sweeping up around his eyes. “Is this like a sneak-out-of-the-kitchens trip?”

“No. In fact, Cyn was the one who suggested you could go to manage the horses on it. He knows Temi, and I feel comfortable with you.”

“Ack.” He jumped back into the cart, and it bounced. “Where are we going?”

“Have you ever heard of Lesbos?”

“The island?”

“Yes.”

“A strange place to need horses, I suppose.”

I shrugged. “We’ll need them on the journey down the continent and someone to mind them as we cross the water.”

He sucked in air over his teeth and skimmed his eyes over the various stalls. “Many of these horses have never been on a boat before. Some animals can be jumpy in that situation.”

“And that’s the perfect reason for you to come. You’ll know which ones we should take.”

He tossed me a smile that glittered through my nerves. “You act as though this is a choice for me.”

“Well, it is.”

“If Cyn wants me to accompany you, that’s as good as an order. And, besides…” He smiled again, long lines pressing into his cheeks. “I would hate to miss the adventure. So, yes, I’ll go. When do we leave?”

“Possibly in the next few days.”

He bobbed his head. “Then I’d better help get as much of this done as I can before then.” He shifted back to the cart and lifted another bundle of hay.

I froze for a moment. His rough work tunic clung to the muscles of his shoulders, the material draping and allowing peeks of the sweat shimmering over his skin. “All right,” I said, my voice coming higher than I intended it. “I’ll tell Temi.”

He glanced over his shoulder, sending me a look that heated me all the way to my toes. “See you soon.”

“Yeah,” I breathed the words as I turned and walked out of the stable.

My stomach still fluttered as I meandered back through the gardens where the feather-like petals of Dahlia trembled in the breeze, tangling up alongside the fluorescently bright Celosia. I snapped a bloom of the latter and twirled it between my fingers where it tapped against Gale’s letter.

Guilt gnawed at me, but this trip provided another opportunity as well. A chance to put off Galeson’s talks of visiting that he kept bringing up in his letters. As soon as I spoke to Temi, I’d write to him and let him know about my plans.

Farther in the gardens near the edge of the wall where the mountains and lakes in the distance shimmered like magic draped in fog, Temi sat on a bench, her knife in hand, drawing the blade down a whetstone, her gaze distant. Her dark skin shimmered in the sunlight, her expression so noble it reminded me of how I used to think she had to be as divine as her brother. And it turned out that might actually be true.

“Hey.” I dropped beside her.

She lifted her chin and returned to the scraping motion of sharpening the knife. “I’m glad you want to go with me.”

I was happy to hear that. I wasn’t certain if I had butted in on her trip. But Temi wasn’t likely to falsely say she wanted me to join her. “Are you worried about it?”

“What part?”

“Sappho being known as a witch.” If I were honest, it did concern me a bit. But not enough to keep me home.

She scoffed. “That? No. I’ve spent my entire life around gods. The legends of someone and their reality are two different things.”

“So, you don’t believe she’s an actual witch?”