Page 155 of Fate's Sweetest Curse
“Rest,” Noble said, kissing my cheek.
He didn’t have to tell me twice; I collapsed into the grass, seating myself with my legs outstretched. Noble handed me our horse’s lead, allowing her to graze without wandering too far. Then he disappeared into the trees, returning a few minutes later with his pack, which he must’ve been forced to abandon when Brendan found him.
“I think a raccoon got into it,” Noble said, holding up the disheveled canvas, “but I found a stash of leftover jerky in the bottom.” He handed me a piece, then sat beside me with a groan, snacking on his own scraps.
It was late afternoon, sunlight zinging through the grass, making the green stalks glow golden. With the warmth of the sun on my face, I wanted to lie back and nap—but the threat of Kalden’s soldiers finding us kept me alert.
“He won’t follow,” Noble said, reading my mind—or maybe just my darting, vigilant attention. “But we ought to keep moving for another couple hours to find a more sheltered camp—preferably one with water.”
“Should we look for Mariana?” I asked. “She was as much a part of last night as we were, and since she’s been helping Phina…she should know what’s going on.”
Noble stared down at his piece of jerky, turning it over in his hands. “I suspect she already does,” he said. “In any case, if she wants to be found, she will be.”
“But can we trust her withmysecret?”
Noble’s nod was instant. “Yes.”
I released a long sigh, content with his confidence in her—for now. “Do you think Mariana supplied the water from the Well of Fate to Brendan?” I wondered.
I’d explained the basics earlier: how Brendan had forced my hand, how the table he’d set up was the same as in my Mirror of Fortune, and how I’d uncovered the cure. I’d left out the rest—one day, we’d discuss that night in more detail, but for now, the memory of Noble’s broken body was too painful to relive in full.
“I wouldn’t put it past her to assist anyone seeking to uncover a cure,” Noble answered. “Though she’s proven an ally to both Phina and myself, her true motivations are a mystery.”
“But if the Morta are cured,” I said, “her Order will be dissolved—she could go back to the dungeon.”
“IfLord Haroncures the Morta, yes,” Noble said. “But if the Valiant—” He broke off, but not from Oath magic this time. He seemed surprised by what he could say without limitation.
I squeezed his arm, smiling.
“If the Valiant can beat Lord Haron to a cure…” He spread his hands. “There’s more happening within Mariana’s Order than we know. Much, much more.”
“I wonder if Idris could tell us,” I said. “Then again, he and Mariana aren’t exactlyfriends. And he tends not to divulge much unless it’s essential.”
“It’ll become essential soon enough.”
“True,” I mused, but the thought didn’t trouble me at the moment.
I was too busy thinking about my return to Waldron—seeing Anya, serving Martha and Hugh and Vera at the bar of the Pretty Possum. Simple pleasures, but meaningful ones. Would they treat me differently when I told them who I was?
Probably not, I realized.
I’d seen travelers of all backgrounds and sorts pass through the Possum, and time and time again, Waldron’s locals had based their opinions on more important things than status: a sense of humor, a kindness ofspirit, and—when I, myself, had been a newcomer—my willingness to pitch in.
Not to mention the ability to mix great concoctails.
“We can certainly ask Idris when we get home,” I added. “You’re coming back to Waldron with me, right?”
“I want to…” Noble said, but his voice was strained. He dragged his attention from his hands to my face, green eyes searching. “Hattie, what happened earlier…”
His father’s arm,broken.
I nodded encouragingly, waiting for him to say what I already knew.
“I’m…stronger than I was,” Noble said. “Differentthan I was.”
Delicately, I asked, “Is the monster still…?”
He shook his head. “No. No, it’s gone. But the strength remains.” He swiveled toward me, placing a careful palm on my knee. “Hattie, I don’t think you cured the curse. I think you altered it. I think you succeeded in the Lord’s original aim.”
