Page 69 of The Immortal Covenant

“Until we meet again,” he said as together they stepped into the rift.

Epilogue

Silas fixed the obstinatemerchant with a grin as he raked a hand through his blond bangs and fluttered his eyelashes in a way he knew most people found irresistible. “Are youcertainyou don’t have fresher strawberries in stock? I’m willing to negotiate a fair price.”

Unfortunately, Gloria wasn’tmost people.

She snorted, the bangles in her long hair jingling as she shook her head. “Your charm won’t work on me, Silas. We both know who you’ve got waiting for you at home…and what they’d do to anyone foolish enough to flirt back.”

His grin widened as he pressed a hand over his heart. “Why, Gloria! I would neverdreamof flirting over some fruit! I’m merely engaging in the well-known art of haggling.”

“Of course,” Gloria said dryly. “Then, why don’t youhaggleyour way over to someone else’s booth to bother them?” Her gnarled hand nudged the box of strawberries that sat on the stallbetween them. “Unless you’re a paying customer, I don’t have time for your nonsense today.”

His smile dimmed. “How’s James doing?”

“Better. That Khordanite priest looked at his leg and did what he could. Gave us some kind of ointment he said would help the bone mend properly. I’m sure James will be up and about, hobbling and complaining in no time.”

Despite her words, Silas sensed her underlying worry. He picked up the box of strawberries and dropped a few coins in its place. “On second thought, these seem plenty ripe.”

Gloria narrowed her eyes on the coins. “This is more than I asked for.”

He shrugged, hefting the strawberries in a kind of salute. “Consider it a tax for me taking up your time.”

“James and I don’t need anyone’s charity.” She shoved two of the coins back across the counter to him. The metal scraped against the wood. “We get by just fine.”

“Of course you do. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be easier if we all looked out for one another when we can.”

Gloria hesitated, her uncertain gaze darting between him and the coins as she bit her lip.

He made a show of perusing her other wares, then pointed. “Tell you what—how about you toss in one of those persimmons and we’ll call it even. Deal?”

“Fine,” Gloria grunted after a moment’s consideration. “But you’ll have to let James and me treat you boys to dinner once he’s better. I know your shared birthday is coming up.”

“Of course,” he said with a grin. “As if I’d miss a chance to gorge myself on your fresh bread and world-renowned fruit jam.”

Gloria gave him a rare smile that quickly vanished beneath a scowl as she glanced past him. “Now get! You’ll scare off the other customers.”

With a wink and a parting wave, Silas sauntered off with his prize of fruit, adding it to the satchel slung over his shoulder. Saturday was market day in Menderen, and he made it a point to come whenever he wasn’t overwhelmed by lesson prep and grading.

As one of the village’s two teachers, he often had his hands full, especially with his own scholarly research added in. Still, there was something about the market, with its eclectic mix of goods and people, that he adored.

There were the regulars, of course—the local merchants like Gloria, the parents and children he recognized from school. But every week, the market also received its odd mix of visitors from the surrounding towns. Menderen might be small on its own, but it was less than a day’s travel from the major Sanjarkan port of Reeth, so they got all sorts passing through.

Winding his way past the horse-drawn carts and carriages, he eventually stopped before one such traveler. The bard had erected a makeshift stage for himself and his personal orchestra of instruments. Silas spotted drums, a flute, and a harp, along with several more exotic varieties he hadn’t seen before, including something that appeared like a modified lyre.

A small crowd had gathered to watch the bard perform, and Silas clapped along with them as the bard darted between the instruments, playing each with expert ease. It wasn’t until the bard reached the third instrument that Silas realized those he’d already left had continued to play on their own, repeating the melody he’d created. By the final instrument, the area was awash with a beautiful symphony fit for any king’s court.

Then, stepping into the center of the stage, the bard began to sing. His voice was haunting, though he seemed to be speaking a language Silas couldn’t understand. Even if Silas didn’t know the words, the emotion bled through. It was a song of love lostand then found—of despair and, when all seemed bleak, the first weak seeds of sprouting hope.

By the end, wetness streaked Silas’ face. From what he could see of the others gathered around him, he wasn’t the only one. Thunderous applause split the air even as the bard’s last poignant note hung there. Beaming, the bard took a bow as a wide-brimmed hat floated off the stage and made its way around the edges of the crowd to collect coins.

After it had finished its rounds, the hat returned to the bard, who flipped it over onto his head. A few startled gasps rang out from the crowd, and Silas found himself leaning in, awaiting the clink of falling coins. Yet, none came.

The bard feigned confusion, raising his hat to scratch his head. As he did, he made sure to turn it so that the gathered crowd could see it was now empty. More scattered applause came, along with a fair amount of laughter.

Grinning, Silas settled in to watch the rest of the show. The bard performed for over an hour—everything from music to humorous little skits to demonstrations of his particular brand of arcane magic. At one point, the bard conjured little illusory animals to chase each other around the stage, and Silas found himself unconsciously mimicking the bard’s hand gestures.

For a moment, the movements felt almost familiar, as if he’d made similar motions before. The faintest hint ofsomethingtwinged within him, but it faded before he could tell if it was real or imagined.

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