Page 48 of Degradation

“I went to check on Kellen’s progress and am glad I did.”

“What’s done is done, Brandle,” I said. “Just as you continue to do what you think is best for the people you love, so too will I. As a trusted friend and ally, isn’t Pogwid’s strength your strength?”

“I’m not angry that you healed her. I’m upset that you risked yourself to do so. Without you, all the strength in the kingdom wouldn’t matter.”

“There is no life without risk, Brandle. Don’t let the fear of what might be stop you from enjoying what is right in front of you. Don’t hold back. Live.”

“Does this mean you’ll ignore your promise?” Brandle asked, watching me from the door.

“Yes and no,” I said. “Pogwid showed me how to create a safe place to cast like her home.”

Turning toward the entry, I touched the energy in the ground around our home and that of our neighbors.

“Know my intent and bend to my will, from this home let the energy be still. Regardless of the sounds or spells that may spark from within, from without, let no one detect any cast or din.”

Subtly and slowly, I created the barrier around our house and layered it with false energy a caster would expect to sense in a home.

“Now, any spell cast within this home can’t be detected from outside,” I said.

Eadric whooped loudly, startling me.

“That means hot water without the boiling, right?”

Grinning, I nodded.

“I trust Pogwid and her skills,” Brandle said. “But we’ve been gone a long time and are unsure of the queen’s strength. Cast with caution, Kitten, for all our sakes.”

“I will.”

“Come here, Eadric,” Garron said. “I need to cast a memory spell.”

Eadric backed away from his brother.

“Why? What are you taking?”

Edmund came down the stairs just then.

“All the memories of the one who freed us from our spell should we ever find ourselves being questioned,” Brandle said.

“Oh.” Eadric went to Garron but looked at me. “Even if I forget you, I will recognize you as the woman I will love forever the next time we meet. I promise.”

Garron spoke a simple spell and touched his brother’s forehead. Once it was done, Eadric came to me, and I kissed him sweetly for his promise never to forget.

Edmund went to Garron without a word as Eadric led me upstairs to my room.

“Can you make that bigger?” Eadric asked, pointing at the tub.

I laughed and focused my energy on making the copper tub large enough to comfortably fit Edmund, the largest of them. Then, I filled it with hot water.

“I swear I love your body and mind more than I love your abilities,” Eadric said as he quickly stripped, “But I do like your abilities a lot.”

I watched him sink into the water with a sigh and lean back into the tub. Taking a cloth from the nearby stack, I dipped it in the water and used it to wet his hair.

“Did you earn the coin you’d hoped?” I asked.

“Enough not to raise suspicion if we need to purchase more supplies from the market. This feels so good, Sparrow.”

I saw he’d closed his eyes.

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