Page 106 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

A low wooden table with folding legs leans against the wall next to the rack of bedding. Stavros and I set it up on the floor, and we sit around it while Ivy lays out the spread she brought us. Rheave returns, his curls damp and his eyes gleaming eagerly, just as she’s setting down the last of her scavenging and shopping.

“We found some frost berries in the woods,” he announces. He draws a bundle of the dimpled purple fruit from his discarded cloak, sets them on the table with the rest, and peers at Stavros with a flicker of uncertainty. “You said you like those?”

Stavros blinks at him and then smiles crookedly. “I think everyone should like them. One of Prospira’s few winter blessings. If you haven’t tried them before, they’re a treat.”

Ivy plucks up one of the plump dumplings that form the center of her spread and aims a teasing grin at all of us. “I got these mostly for me, but I’m happy to share.” She taps my knee with an extended foot. “I think the round ones have duck in them, so you should definitely try one of those.”

My mouth is watering just at the word “duck.” We haven’t eaten any meat other than campfire-cooked rabbit and wild birds in over a week.

I haven’t tasted my favorite fowl since we left the college.

I take one of the dumplings she indicated and nudge the cluster of roasted velvor nuts toward Alek. “And I see you were able to find our scholar’s favorite snack.” He practically swooned when we brought a bag of them back to the apartment in Pima.

Alek pops one into his mouth and closes his eyes with a blissful expression before rolling a sugared apricot toward Rheave. “And extra-sweetened fruit. Even the daimon will be happy.”

“I’m glad just to have so much to fill my stomach with,” Rheave says, but his eyes widen when he bites into the apricot. “Oh. That’s very good.”

Stavros pops a few frostberries into his mouth and grabs a dumpling for himself. Ivy takes out one of her knives, gleaming from its own washing, and starts slicing a hunk of cheese into equal pieces so we can all enjoy it.

For a few minutes, we’re totally immersed in soothing our long-empty guts.

As I relish a third duck dumpling, the rich gravy flooding my mouth, my gaze drifts around the table. A warmth far deeper than the temple’s heating system can offer rises up inside me.

We’re in an unfamiliar room with few possessions to call our own other than the clothes we’ve worn ragged, but there’s a glow of happiness in the air all the same. For what we do have. For making it this far.

And for having each other.

The stress of our journey could have put us at each other’s throats, but instead we’ve only grown closer. I couldn’t imagine men much more different from me than the three sharing this table, and yet I also can’t imagine anyone I’d rather share this moment with.

Ivy hums contentedly as she nibbles at her portion of cheese and tips her head toward Stavros. “Did you find out anything at all useful from your scouting?”

He pauses to swallow a bite of dumpling. “I could see the troops here are sparse on the ground. I assume some were sent up to Eppun, but I’d still have expected more.”

Alek frowns. “That’s bad news if the scourge sorcerers are arriving tomorrow evening.”

Rheave echoes his expression. “I told the men to warn the king.”

Ivy reaches over to pat the daimon’s arm reassuringly. “They must have passed on some kind of message. Just before I left the town, I overheard a couple of soldiers discussing the uprising. They mentioned the claim that the conspirators were sending an army this way… and laughed about it. It sounded as if they decided it must have been a lie to distract the patrols from hunting us.”

“Naturally,” Stavros mutters, and shakes his head. “I have a few ideas, but I don’t think I’m in a good state to make a wise decision right now. Once I’ve slept on it, we can put some kind of plan into motion in the morning.”

Even though he’s talking about taking action soon, a shadow crosses Ivy’s face. Something I see her gird herself against a moment later to put on an unflappable front with the rest of us.

What else is bothering her that she doesn’t want us to see?

As we clean up the remains of our dinner, I consider the best approach. It may be difficult to encourage her to open up even with the three of us who’ve been with her from the start. I’m not sure how much she’ll want to reveal to Rheave as well, especially given how extreme his reactions can be to anything that distresses her.

As Stavros and Ivy start laying out the sleeping mats, I turn to the daimon. “For extra security, I’m thinking we should have someone on watch just outside the door, to let us know if any other visitors arrive. Are you up to taking the first shift?”

Rheave draws his posture straighter with a flash of determination in his eyes. “Of course. No one will get past that door.”

He hurries over without any further discussion. I certainly can’t fault his dedication.

Alek watches him go. “Do you really think we have reason to worry? You said the temple should be secure.”

“After what we’ve already been through, I don’t think we should skimp on precautions,” I say, and grab a couple of blankets from a shelf.

I lay mine out on the unrolled mat next to Ivy’s and reach over to rub her shoulder. “How are you holding up, Kindness? You’ve had to stretch your talents more than any of the rest of us.”

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