Page 8 of Garlands and Gauntlets

Theo glances at me. “Vaelin, you really don’t have to…”

“Iwantto,” I mutter. I shift over, trying to shove him with my shoulder. He doesn’t move an inch, of course, so I just stay pressed up against him. “How much is it?”

“Just a gold piece,” she says.

I reach my hand into my pocket to pull out some money, passing over two gold pieces. “Give me the fox and…hm. The unicorn?”

She smiles. “I’ll box them up for you.”

I refuse to look at Theo as I wait for the vendor to come back, kicking myself internally. Because I started tonight convinced I was about to make a lot of money.

And now I have less than when I started.

Chapter five

Theo

Vaelin acts like hedoesn’t care, but I see right through him.

I can’t wipe the smug smile off my face as we walk away from the market stall–the wooden fox in my pocket, the unicorn in his. Lanterns twinkle all around us, fae lights zipping across the sky overhead.

“So…a unicorn?” I ask.

Vaelin looks over at me, rolling his eyes. “It’s for my kid sister,” he says. “Well…I guess she’s not really a kid anymore, but she still loves unicorns. I hadn’t gotten her a gift yet.”

“I didn’t realize you had a sister.”

“Yeah–she’s sixteen, and has a lot more halfling in her than I do,” he says. “I’m supposed to swing by and visit my family tonight, but I’m not sure if–”

“You should,” I tell him. “Family is important.”

I meet his eyes and Vaelin chews on his lip, frowning. He ignores my suggestion, changing the subject instead.

“So what’s the deal with the fox?” he asks. “Feels like there’s a story there.”

I hum, nodding. “I asked about Lady Greymarch because…well, I had one just like this back at the manor. I couldn’t find it when I left, but it’s weirdly similar.”

“So it reminds you of your mother?”

“Yeah.”

Vaelin blows out a breath, then goes silent. We walk along for another few steps, then he gestures at a little shop. “This is the wizard,” he says. “I’m gonna step inside…but I’ll be right back.”

I nod. “Okay.”

Vaelin leaves me standing outside the little shop, its door creaking shut behind him. The sign above–a little shooting star–sways gently in the snowy breeze, a faint shimmer of magical runes glowing around its edges.

I run my fingers over the fox charm in my pocket.

I was still so young when my mom died, and I don’t really remember her. My adopted father always said she was a good person, but I have no way of knowing. At first, I was angry that she had been with someone else…but Cedric said it was just that he couldn’t have ever loved her like that. He couldn’t loveanywoman like that. So she’d fallen in love with an orc warlord and–

The door creaks open again and Vaelin steps out. I turn to look at him. “Did you get a hold of him?”

“My wizard friend is sending a shooting star,” Vaelin says. “It’ll track him down. And…”

He pauses. I cock my head. “And what?”

“Well, Ididreach out to my family and ask if I could bring a guest. I just figured since it’s Yule and you don’t have anywhere else to go–”

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