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She had seen him before. He was famous throughout the kingdom—a commander who had deserted the land years ago.
“This is Roman,” Mios said.
“I know of you.” Violet said.
Roman tipped his head as he walked into the house, glancing around with a frown. “I see some trouble found you…”
“Julius Coventry and two bounty hunters, to be exact. You have a way out of this place?”
“I do, and I need some crew members. We are headed for The Gray Island, which is protected by treaties and difficult to find for the Society of Crows’ scrying mirrors. I leave in two days, before sunrise. You’re both welcome to join us. You will have to work to pay for your spot and food.” Roman met Gavin’s gaze as her husband walked into the middle of the room.
“Commander.”
“Gavin Luna. I never expected to see you here.” A smile lifted Roman’s lips, and they shook hands like they were long-lost friends. “You’re expected to do physical work… Have you ever done anything like that?”
A laugh bubbled out of Violet’s lips. Oh, she already liked this man. Of course they knew each other. Gavin’s rich network of connections never ceased to amaze her.
Gavin leveled her with a glare. “I can tell a mediocre joke and cook a half-decent meal if forced. Otherwise, I am pretty useless. But we can discuss payment for my services since I can heal people, perhaps?”
Roman pressed his lips together, hiding a smile. His eyes were calculating, like he knew well enough how rare the gift of a healer was. “I should have known the son of a rich merchant would know how to negotiate. A shark is always able to spot blood in the water.”
“Indeed.” Gavin’s wide smile brought out those dimples she loved.
Gavin looked across Roman’s shoulders at her, nodding almost imperceptibly. A man to trust, perhaps? She pushed away the instant urge to question it. Her old mistrust had crippled her and destroyed her life.
She could do this.
“So Mios said you killed Julius? It was about time someone did. Had they had not forced me to leave the way I did, I would have done it myself at some point.”
She didn’t want to talk about this. Not so soon. The ache in her jaw intensified, and she felt like her heart was breaking all over again. Tears pricked her eyes, and her strength to suppress them was wavering with every passing second. She gulped in air and looked away from the others. “Leaving in the morning is rather fast. My mother is badly hurt… I don’t know if we can leave so soon.”
“The place is crawling with bounty hunters. We saw at least three more by the docks,” Mios said. “We weren’t followed, and we can stay here with you for the time being. But more will come this way.”
Whatever peace had come to her was already being dashed. “But…”
“Where is the rest of your family?” Ellie asked, her brows dipping as she sniffed the air. “It smells like old death here.”
“Thalea is gone.” Violet straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. If only their expressions of pity would go away.
She dug out the stone from her pocket and walked toward Mios, handing it to him.
“This thing is cursed,” she warned, blinking tears out of her eyes. “Thanks to it, two of my family members are gone. Are you sure you want it?”
His golden cat irises widened when she revealed the shiny god stone in the center of her palm. His lips parted, then snapped shut again. He didn’t reach for the stone. “What about you?” he asked instead. “Don’t you also need it?”
“Not anymore.”
“Is that why your sister is gone?”
Violet nodded, and Mios’ lips pursed. For a moment, he hesitated. It really would be much better if he didn’t take it—the thing would only bring him trouble.
But he did, and as soon as he took it, her magic buzzed freely through her body once again.
A moan came from her mother’s room, and Gavin rushed down the corridor. Violet followed. Her mother was thrashing about on the furs, her skin shining with sweat as she cried, stuck in a nightmare of memories and pain.
The moment Gavin’s hand settled on her mother’s forehead, she stopped moving altogether. While her face gained some peace, Gavin’s lost color.
“This would be much easier with all of my potions. I’m tired, and healing drains me.”
