Page 85 of Reap & Sow

Eda bit her lip. “Good night, Kit’rath.”

She forced herself not to look back as she disappeared into the cabin. Felt his eyes upon her all the same.

Twenty-three

“Are you angry?”

Meeting Ben’s incredulous glare over the table that morning was worse than she’d imagined. Lawrie had been put in Robin’s bedroom so he might rest—an unexpected kindness that made her want to squeeze the woman tight. With Robin out gathering mint for her tea and Lawrie below deck, it seemed the right time to talk.

Ben’s silence was not encouraging.

“I know it’s hard to understand, but I have to do this,” she continued.

“Why? Why, exactly, must you do it? Forget Fane, forget Lich, forget all of it. We can be on a boat and headed for the Slumbering Gulf by tonight if we leave now—”

“And what about Mr. Night? We still owe him ten years.”

His mouth snapped shut. “I’ll give him ten of my own. We just need to find him and have it done with.”

“You can’t do that, Ben.”

“But you can?” His hazel eyes flashed. “Don’t you dare, Eda. Not after what you gave up.” He glanced toward the cabin door, where Kit was lurking somewhere beyond. At least he’d granted them the illusion of privacy.

“Look. Severin Lich has contacts from here to the continent. If I don’t make good on our deal, he’ll be hunting me down like a dog after a hare. That ire might extend to you and Lawrie even after I’m gone. The sensible thing to do is get him the mirror. Once we have it, we can use it to contact Mr. Night about our debt.”

“And expose the bishop for being a demon-consorting knave like the rest of us. Right.” His fists clenched white either side of Robin’s painted teapot. “That’s sensible, is it?”

“It’s risky, but we need to fulfill our Pact. We need the mirror. If we can connect it to Fane, so much the better.”

Ben’s expression wavered. “We could still leave. Mr. Night hasn’t called on you—on any of us—since we were captured. He can’t; the Pact was Father’s. Our blood was never spilled. He can’t find us without it.”

“If Lich can track us down the old-fashioned way, you think a demon like Mr. Night can’t?” His surly glare was answer enough. “Ben, please. We aren’t safe from anyone until we fulfill the deals we’ve made. If we can make Fane pay for everything he’s done while we’re at it…we have to try.”

He shook his head. “Haven’t you learned anything? When we don’t keep our heads down and stay the course, bad things happen. Or have you forgotten our imprisonment so quickly?”

Eda clenched her teeth. “I suppose saving you will never make up for that, will it?”

“I’m not trying to shame you, Eda. You made a mistake. That I can forgive, so long as you’ve learned from it. I’m not sure you have.”

Less than a day back in his presence, and already Ben made her feel as she always had: the little sister in need of coddling. His minding chafed so badly that she’d become belligerent, foolhardy in her desperation to do something on her own terms, and she’d paid for it dearly. But Eda wasn’t being foolish now. She’d never considered anything so carefully. This was how they saved themselves. Why couldn’t he see that?

“You won’t stop me. I’m doing this for all of us, with or without your blessing. Kit and I are going back to the city.”

“You’re going to put your trust in him? Your Pact is the only reason he offers his aid. Demons don’t do anything unless it benefits themselves.”

“And up until now, neither have we.” She stood, picking up her new cloak. “He isn’t Mr. Night. I’ve learned that much.”

Ben grabbed her wrist. “I’m coming with you.”

“No. I have the mantle, and Kit can disguise himself. You’ll only make it harder for us to get around unnoticed.”

“I won’t leave you alone with him.”

“I’ve been alone with him for weeks. I’m still very much alive.” She pried his hand away. “I’m not a child, Ben.”

“I’ll stay here, then, shall I? Watch over Lawrie. One of us should.”

Eda slammed the cabin door behind her with more force than was strictly necessary. Ben was angry about the Pact she’d made. She understood. But it never occurred to her that it could make him unreasonable.