Page 17 of Garlands and Gauntlets

From the beginning, he looked at me and saw a mark; an easy target.

And the worst part?

He was right.

I stop on the edge of the Market Square, my breath fogging in the cold air. Across the street, kids are playing in the snow, shrieks of laughter echoing through town. The lanterns sway in the breeze, casting warm light over garlands of holly.

It’s beautiful.

It’s festive.

It feels like it’s mocking me.

I shove my hands deep into my pockets, and my fingers brush against something small and smooth. When I pull it out, the little wooden fox Vaelin bought for me stares back, its carved eyes wide and playful.

The memory stings more than it should.

He didn’t have to buy it. He didn’t have to take me to visit his family, let me sit at their table while his mother smiled at me like I belonged there. He didn’t have to get me the information I needed…

…he didn’t have to kiss me.

Because now, I’m not only left with nothing–I lost the thing I thought I gained tonight. A friend, maybe more.

And he was right about one other thing: I can’t afford another night in a tavern.

The city feels like it’s closing in around me, twisting streets a maze I can’t seem to escape. I grip the wooden fox tightly, the tail pressing a divot in my palm.

Then my feet start moving before I even realize where I’m going.

This might be a horrible idea…but it’s the only choice I’ve got.

The warm glow from Golden Crust Bakery already feels like it’s welcoming me in as I come closer, trying to peer through the windows to see if Vaelin’s family is still up. It’s late and I don’t want to wake them, but with the snow and my empty pockets, I have no other choice. I hesitate for a moment, my hand hovering over the door…

…but before I can knock, it swings open.

I have to look down below waist-level to see the man greeting me.

“Well, look who it is!” Merrick grins. “Come on in, lad, you’ll freeze out there.”

I step inside, the heat from the ovens warming me up right away. The smell of cinnamon and baked apples fills the air, and my stomach rumbles–again.

“You hungry?” Merrick asks. “Me and Calliope were just putting an apple tart into the oven. Come in, come in!”

I follow him, finding Alessia doing needlework in the sitting room. She looks up at me, smiles–then she frowns when she realizes what’s missing. “Where’s Vaelin?”

“We um…” I trail off, unsure of what I’m supposed to say. “We got into a bit of a disagreement.”

Alessia frowns but doesn’t press. Instead, she waves me to sit down on that tiny sofa again. “Sit. You look like you’ve had a rough night.”

I sink onto the couch, collapsing into a puddle of melted snow and despair. Alessia reaches out and pats my knee–and it just makes me feel worse because it reminds me of Vaelin doing the same thing when we were at Garnok’s cottage.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she says. “You look like you’ve had a rough night.”

I nod. “I’m sorry I came back without him, I just…I’m broke and I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Well, like we said, you’re always welcome here,” Alessia says.

“Are Theo and Vaelin back?” a voice calls from the kitchen. Definitely Calliope, with that sing-song voice.

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