Page 103 of The Threadbare Queen

She was pleased to see that Melodie still had her braids from the day before in place. That was good.

Because there was about to be trouble.

But Sirna exchanged goodbyes with Reckhart, and he and Evelyn manoeuvred the cart out of the way and rode off with a wave.

There was a beat of silence after they turned the corner and disappeared.

“You let someone very bad into our group, Reckhart.” Madame Croter spoke first. “I won’t travel with you again.”

“Agreed.” Vanin Gruger slapped the side of his cart. “Watching the way those two treated Avasu will weigh on me for a long time. It’s not acceptable.”

“I didn’t know—”

“My daughter should not have had to see that.” Gregor cut Reckhart off. “Don’t pretend you didn’t notice.”

Ava listened to them with half an ear, her focus on the road Sirna had taken.

There was a sharp bend in the tree-lined road, and they could have stopped just around the corner.

They had not just driven off, she knew that.

Maybe the others should know that, too.

She made her way over to Gregor, and thought how to tell him. Melodie had passed on the message that she was there and watching, but he didn’t necessarily know she was invisible. And he was a strong man with good reflexes. She would not like for him to react badly and hurt her, for both their sakes.

Melodie wasn’t standing in the group, and Ava guessed Gregor had sent her to the cart already, as far from Sirna as she could get.

She would be the best way to get the message across.

Ava moved around the small group, headed for Gregor’s cart, when the sound of Melodie’s scream cut the air.

Everybody spun toward the sound. Before Ava could sprint toward it, Sirna came around the back, arm around Melodie, holding her up against his chest, her feet dangling in the air.

She had hoped the braids would protect the little girl from being grabbed. That they hadn’t sent her heart plummeting.

“He said he’d kill Blackie if I didn’t come to him.” The little girl reached a hand out to her father in explanation. “I’m sorry, Da.”

Gregor swore, and something in Ava became a little lighter. Her braids had worked. He had had to persuade Melodie to give herself up, he hadn’t been able to catch her.

Which meant he couldn’t stab her, and couldn’t strangle her. She tried to remember everything else she had woven into Melodie’s hair.

“Where’s Evelyn?” Madame Croter asked him.

Sirna ignored her, and Ava wondered if Evelyn had refused to be part of this. She might actually be holding the cart around the corner, pretending what she couldn’t see, hadn’t happened.

“Where is Avasu?” Sirna hefted Melodie a little higher and lifted a knife to her throat. “She isn’t in your cart, blacksmith, so where are you hiding her?”

Reckhart stepped forward, face flushed with anger. “Sirna, what are you doing? No one has Avasu. Put Melodie down.”

“Someone has her. Do you think I’m stupid?” His spittle sprayed out. “The way you watch me with her. The way you pander to her. One of you has her, and I want her back.”

“Go ahead and search, then,” Madame Croter said, with an imperious wave of her hand. “Go ahead and look.”

Except, it would be difficult to look while he held Melodie, and it would mean trapping himself in a small space. And holding Melodie hostage meant there was no one here who was not against him.

Still, he didn’t look too concerned.

“Evelyn.” He gave a shout and she stomped through the trees to him.

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