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“I still have one.” Lore curled her hand closed, snorted. “I have all the Mortem problems, in fact.”
Val nodded. “I wondered if you had anything to do with that.”
Her heart twisted, the worry that she’d somehow ruined her mothers’ business as well as everything else coming in a long-deferred rush. “How has that affected things here?”
Mari waved a dismissive hand. “Honestly, not much. Poison works on the Mortem within a body; people still use it for pain, for a high. You just have to take a bit more now, is all.”
Well, there was one less thing to worry about.
“I’d like to return to the question of something bad happening if you don’t leave.” Val was never one to be put off track. “We need a little more explanation than that, mouse.”
Lore sank her head into her hands, tried to find a way to put all this into simple words.
Good luck, Nyxara said, Her voice faint. Lore glanced at the one skylight set into the ceiling; dawn blushed the clouds. She wondered how long she’d slept, after stumbling here and having a breakdown on the stoop in the middle of the night.
“I don’t know how to explain,” she said finally, quietly. “I just need you to trust me. Please.”
A quick look between Val and Mari, one she remembered well. Mari nodded, sighed. “What do you need?”
Relief hit her so hard it felt like a punch. “I need to get out of Auverraine. Go somewhere that isn’t controlled by the Empire. If there’s no ships, it looks like my only choice is Caldien.”
“Hold on.” Michal held up a hand. “You need to get to Caldien? That’s at least two weeks’ journey, and only if you get a fast carriage. The cost alone—”
“Not helping, Michal,” Val said.
Michal closed his mouth and tightened his arms over his chest again.
“But he’s right.” Mari furrowed her brow. “Going overland to Caldien would take forever, and cost a fortune. The fortune part you could probably spare—the dress you’re wearing is worth a small one—but it seems like time is of the essence.”
She was so thankful for them, Val and Mari, who never wasted time trying to place blame or demand answers. There would be time for that later, they knew; they only wanted to make sure Lore had what she needed. She loved them so much it hurt.
“Thankfully, there are no restrictions on privately owned vessels, at least not yet,” Mari continued. “We own a small one. It’d be enough to get you to Caldien, and if you stayed close to the coast, you wouldn’t have to worry about Kirythean ships.”
“Too bad I can’t sail,” Lore murmured.
“I can,” Michal said with a sigh.
Her eyes jerked up, met his. “You would…”
He shrugged. “You obviously need help,” he said. “Seems selfish not to provide it, when I have the means.”
Lore chewed the inside of her cheek. “Thank you, Michal.”
He huffed a laugh. “Consider it reimbursement for all those times you got me out of paying rent.”
Mari nodded, the matter seemingly closed. “Michal will take you to Caldien in the morning, then, and you write to us from there. Tell us what you can, when you can.”
“You’re being remarkably calm about this,” Lore murmured.
Val shrugged, standing up to toss an arm over her wife’s shoulders. “We always knew things would be complicated with you, mouse. We’ve been prepared.” She gave Lore a crooked grin. “Keeps us young.”
With that, Val and Mari adjourned themselves to the office, speaking in low voices of the ship and where it was docked, of how secretive they’d need to be to get it going and who they could send to make sure it was in traveling shape. The door closed behind them, and then Michal and Lore were left alone, neither of them wanting to make eye contact.
Michal broke the awkward silence. Strange; Lore was used to being the one who had to do that. “So he wasn’t cruel to you?”
“No.” If she tried to talk about it more, she’d start crying again, and she was frankly tired of crying. Lore crossed her legs on the bed, knotted her hands together. Her engagement ring cut into her fingers; she hadn’t taken it off before she left.
“You know you could tell me, if he was.”
