and extracted the scroll. “Dmitri. I’ve been invited to attend the University of V ü ndtgen.”
He paused. “You mean in Häffstrom?”
She nodded.
To her astonishment, an enormous grin dominated his features. “That’s wonderful,” he exclaimed. “Congratulations! Such a prestigious institution, too! Why, they’ll be fortunate to have your scholarship among—”
“Heaven’s sake, Mit, don’t you understand?” she blurted, her tears finally spilling forth. “If I go, you’ll die!” She had only just realized it herself, and the dilemma pelted her like a hailstorm. Her lifelong dream to leave Wintersea, to journey far and away to build her future, clashed dreadfully with the prospect of leaving Mit behind to perish. “I can’t go. I must take care of you…find a way to get you out of here.”
“Pavola Ward.” His abrupt growl was so fearsome, she wouldn’t have believed it was his voice, had they not been the only two in the room. “You will go to V ü ndtgen, and I will hear no argument.”
She gaped at him through her tears. “Are you insane?”
“Not as insane as you would be to pass this up.”
“Listen, Mit. I heard the soldiers talking.” She clasped the bars of his door urgently. “They spoke of bringing your skeleton back to your father. They want to mount your skull on a spear!”
“Let them,” he said hotly. “I should rather die knowing you got away. I could never live with myself, knowing I was the one keeping you holed up here. The world is waiting on you, Pavola; you cannot reject it for the sake of one man.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you think me inhuman?” she sputtered. “How could I leave you to rot?”
“You aren’t leaving me to rot,” he insisted. “I do more than just write up here, Pavi, you follow? D’you think I haven’t been formulating an escape all this while? I’ve some plans I’ve been working on, and….” He replaced his spectacles over his nose. “Well, I daresay they’re coming along rather nicely. So, you oughtn’t to worry, truly. For I suspect I might break myself out of here soon enough.”
Pavi was surprised. Mit had been plotting an escape? Why hadn’t he told her? She could’ve helped. She dragged her forearm across her eyes. “Oh.” She sniffled. “Well, I didn’t realize that you….”
“So you see, I’ll be fine . ” He smiled warmly. “Just fine. And so will you. When do you leave?”
Her chin rose slightly. “A few weeks.”
He brought his hands together. “Delightful.”
“Mit?” She took a breath. “Promise you’ll be all right?”
For a moment, she thought she detected the faintest shadow in his features. But it was gone before she could be sure. “Yes, Pavola,” he answered kindly. “I promise.”
THEY APPROACHED THE TOWN LIMITS of Belbarc, the old village bordering Wintersea. A briny mist claimed the air, carrying echoes of the proximate Ekianic Ocean, as busy villagers bustled past.
Geo’s ankle had been restored to full health, and Lucie was livened by the renewal of determination in his eyes. She wouldn’t deny feeling immensely nervous about conspiring to execute the King of Llewes—what if the assassin turned them in upon their proposal?—but took heart in Geo’s confidence. She would simply borrow from his strength. Thus far, he’d accomplished everything he had set out to do.
They bided their time in a murky tavern, waiting until after sundown to seek their destination. Lucie stuck close to the prince’s side as he strode silently down the foggy lanes. She coughed, unused to inhaling so much moisture in the air.
“You remember the address?” she murmured, as a shady bloke in a black cloak meandered by.
Geo nodded.
A dim glare of red lanterns materialized down the way. Lucie squinted. As they neared the spectacle, her nose wrinkled upon discovering exactly what sort of establishment it was.
The red lanterns illuminated a narrow stone building, and runes on
He paused. “You mean in Häffstrom?”
She nodded.
To her astonishment, an enormous grin dominated his features. “That’s wonderful,” he exclaimed. “Congratulations! Such a prestigious institution, too! Why, they’ll be fortunate to have your scholarship among—”
“Heaven’s sake, Mit, don’t you understand?” she blurted, her tears finally spilling forth. “If I go, you’ll die!” She had only just realized it herself, and the dilemma pelted her like a hailstorm. Her lifelong dream to leave Wintersea, to journey far and away to build her future, clashed dreadfully with the prospect of leaving Mit behind to perish. “I can’t go. I must take care of you…find a way to get you out of here.”
“Pavola Ward.” His abrupt growl was so fearsome, she wouldn’t have believed it was his voice, had they not been the only two in the room. “You will go to V ü ndtgen, and I will hear no argument.”
She gaped at him through her tears. “Are you insane?”
“Not as insane as you would be to pass this up.”
“Listen, Mit. I heard the soldiers talking.” She clasped the bars of his door urgently. “They spoke of bringing your skeleton back to your father. They want to mount your skull on a spear!”
“Let them,” he said hotly. “I should rather die knowing you got away. I could never live with myself, knowing I was the one keeping you holed up here. The world is waiting on you, Pavola; you cannot reject it for the sake of one man.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you think me inhuman?” she sputtered. “How could I leave you to rot?”
“You aren’t leaving me to rot,” he insisted. “I do more than just write up here, Pavi, you follow? D’you think I haven’t been formulating an escape all this while? I’ve some plans I’ve been working on, and….” He replaced his spectacles over his nose. “Well, I daresay they’re coming along rather nicely. So, you oughtn’t to worry, truly. For I suspect I might break myself out of here soon enough.”
Pavi was surprised. Mit had been plotting an escape? Why hadn’t he told her? She could’ve helped. She dragged her forearm across her eyes. “Oh.” She sniffled. “Well, I didn’t realize that you….”
“So you see, I’ll be fine . ” He smiled warmly. “Just fine. And so will you. When do you leave?”
Her chin rose slightly. “A few weeks.”
He brought his hands together. “Delightful.”
“Mit?” She took a breath. “Promise you’ll be all right?”
For a moment, she thought she detected the faintest shadow in his features. But it was gone before she could be sure. “Yes, Pavola,” he answered kindly. “I promise.”
THEY APPROACHED THE TOWN LIMITS of Belbarc, the old village bordering Wintersea. A briny mist claimed the air, carrying echoes of the proximate Ekianic Ocean, as busy villagers bustled past.
Geo’s ankle had been restored to full health, and Lucie was livened by the renewal of determination in his eyes. She wouldn’t deny feeling immensely nervous about conspiring to execute the King of Llewes—what if the assassin turned them in upon their proposal?—but took heart in Geo’s confidence. She would simply borrow from his strength. Thus far, he’d accomplished everything he had set out to do.
They bided their time in a murky tavern, waiting until after sundown to seek their destination. Lucie stuck close to the prince’s side as he strode silently down the foggy lanes. She coughed, unused to inhaling so much moisture in the air.
“You remember the address?” she murmured, as a shady bloke in a black cloak meandered by.
Geo nodded.
A dim glare of red lanterns materialized down the way. Lucie squinted. As they neared the spectacle, her nose wrinkled upon discovering exactly what sort of establishment it was.
The red lanterns illuminated a narrow stone building, and runes on
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