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Galen inhaled sharply. It was as bad as he’d imagined. “And you assumed it was me?”
Azriel shrugged, sinking down beside Galen. “If it were not for Madam Langley, any one of us would be seeking shelter under this bridge.”
“You speak of her as if she’s a saint,” Galen bit out, not understanding where his frustration was coming from. “You live in a bawdy house, and gentlemen exchange money for your services. You cannot deny that you are a whore, same as me.”
“I am. But I like to think that is only one aspect of me.” Azriel dipped his head, his cheeks even redder, and Galen felt guilty for lashing out. And just as he was about to say as much, Azriel’s eyes flashed. “None of us are there against our will, as you are well aware.”
Galen screwed his eyes shut…because he was right. They were making an honest living, same as Galen. And Madam Langley was offering them a roof above their heads. She might’ve offered him one too if he’d shown a bit more humility.
“I’m sorry,” Galen said. “The weather must be getting to me.”
“I don’t need an apology,” Azriel said quietly. “You’re trying to survive in difficult circumstances. I’m only glad to see you’re all right.”
Galen’s chest tightened with an emotion he couldn’t explain.
Gratitude, affection, regret?
“I never stole anything from that man. He was not being honest.” If Galen hadn’t gotten away, this time the man might’ve taken his very soul. “But I’ve been accused of thievery before. I once stole food from the market when my aunt and uncle didn’t have enough to feed me. It’s the reason I fled my village in the first place.” Galen didn’t know the reason for his admission, except that Azriel was easy to talk to and he didn’t know if he’d get another opportunity. “But I vowed never to steal again, no matter how desperate I became.”
“I believe you.” Azriel applied pressure to his shoulder, and Galen’s stomach warmed. “You’re a good person. If a stubborn one.”
Galen’s immediate reaction was to scoff. But then he shook his head. “I cannot deny it.”
They shared another smile, then grew silent, Azriel seeming to take in their surroundings. Many were still asleep in the dawn hours, including Agnes, and Galen was still experiencing moments of disbelief that Azriel was there at all.
“Before I forget,” Azriel said, removing something from his coat. As soon as the smell hit his nostrils, Galen nearly moaned aloud. It was Miss Celestine’s morning biscuits from Moon Flower.
“Thank you,” he said, accepting the offering gratefully. “I wasn’t certain I would be able to go into town. That man might still be looking for me.”
Azriel winced. “What exactly transpired?”
“It was the same man who hurt me before,” he replied, and heard Azriel’s faint gasp. “He tried to have his way again, but I was able to escape his grasp. Obviously, he was not happy.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Azriel said in barely a whisper as their eyes met, and Galen felt so much longing, he didn’t know what to do with himself.
They were interrupted by a coughing spell from Agnes, who’d begun to stir. It was loud enough to wake some of the others as well.
“Is she not well?” Azriel muttered.
“She claims it’s the seasons changing, but it’s been persistent, and I don’t know what to make of it.”
Azriel leaned closer and listened attentively as she had another fit. “I’ll consult Madam Langley upon my return. We can create an elixir to soothe her throat and quell her cough.”
Galen sat up. “You would do that?”
“Of course. But I warn you, it may not work.”
“What do you mean?”
Azriel lowered his voice as he said, “We’ve heard of a new sickness spreading through Etria, though not yet in Lunar’s Reach, as far as we know. But if she’s suffering from it, the elixir might not be strong enough to ward it off.”
Galen had seen illnesses befall his village—from dysentery to influenzas—and he’d been unwell himself from one condition or another. But Azriel’s aura had turned a darker shade of green, and that was when Galen knew this was serious, that this talk of a sickness worried Azriel deeply, and Madam Langley as well, he imagined, given their hushed conversations before he left.
Azriel suddenly stood up as if he were on a mission—and Galen supposed he was—and bid him farewell, promising to return by nightfall.
After he departed, Galen questioned whether Azriel had even been there at all. But then he remembered the food he’d brought, and he crouched near Agnes to share it with her and tell her of Azriel’s plan. This time she didn’t argue about her cough or tell him he was fussing too much, and he realized things were getting worse.
Galen pretended not to count the minutes until Azriel’s arrival that evening. Instead, he took advantage of the break in the rain and went for a walk in the fields beyond the mill to consider his options. His gut churned as he thought about the path he would need to take to move on to a new town. Perhaps there would be better opportunities for work somewhere else. But first he needed to make sure Agnes was safe, or at least as safe as could be expected, given their circumstances.
