“You think she needs to be met in person?” My brow wrinkled.

Dad was the one who’d always handled our sales when we ran a public business in our last town. As he’d avoided everything to do with metalwork ever since, while I’d avoided almost everything to do with people, we’d been living off the last of those old sales for months. Fortunately, I’d taken on several new commissions from members of the necromantic community in the past two weeks. They’d witnessed a display of my professional prowess when I’d attended one of their midnight balls as Leander’s guest, and the payments they’d offered were truly spectacular—but those commissions had all been for my type of unnatural metalwork, not the high-quality, non-magical work that Dad did so well.

“I’ll take your word for what she needs,” I said, “but when it comes to travelling across the country…” My voice trailed off as I nibbled at my lower lip, worrying over how to say what needed to be said, for both of our sakes.

“Not a chance.” He said it himself, giving me a rueful smile as he patted his metal-clad legs. “It’s not worth the pain of all that rattling, love. I’d be swearing at everyone I saw by the time I got there, and then I’d be stuck in bed for a week, no good to anyone.”

“You are a master metalworker.” Conviction turned my voice fierce. “You’ve won awards for it, remember? Anyone who’s allowed to sell your work should be grateful for the honor!”

“But without being able to travel to make my case for any new commissions…” To my horror, his shoulders visibly drooped.

Dad had never let me witness any frustration that he felt, even though I knew it must roil around inside him. Even when he’d been at his physical worst, just after the fire, he’d cracked weak jokes rather than let me share in his pain. The sight of his shoulders slumping now made my stomach drop with freezing shock—quickly followed by panic.

“I suppose,” he said quietly, “I ought to just give up the idea of ever taking on work again. It was silly of me to think I could.”

“Dad, no!” Before I even knew it, I’d fallen to my knees beside him. I grabbed his hands, forcing him to look down and meet my gaze. “You can do it. I know you can! And if someone needs to travel all the way to Larimont to talk that woman into selling your work, then—then—” I gulped hard, my mind finally catching up to my tongue.