Gertie’s mouth, which had been open in preparation for what looked like a scathing retort, shut with a pop. She glanced at me, and her eyes were a little wide, probably because what we’d done wasn’t exactly textbook. Agnes turned back to me, and I attempted to look innocent.

Judging from her expression, I failed.

“We will bring in a professional,” she said grimly. “And you will stay here—both of you—until she arrives!”

She turned around and stalked out, her lace skirts swinging.

The door slammed behind her, and I relaxed slightly, before realizing that I had to go to the bathroom.

“Can I get up now?” I asked Rhea.

“No.”

~~~

The professional looked it, I had to admit. She was dark-skinned, too, although hers was more ebony than olive, and as prim and proper as a nanny, with her hair as tightly confined as Rhea’s and no makeup on her pretty face. But she didn’t dress like a servant. Her gray and purple houndstooth cloak, which would have done Sherlock Holmes proud, had a matching dress underneath, clasped at the neck with an intaglio amethyst set in gold and as big as my thumb.

It looked like the touch telepath business paid better than I’d thought.

She had gloves on, pretty purple leather things with bows on the backs, but I noticed when she took them off that they were subtlety padded. Looked like she was the real deal, then. I did not envy her the trip she was about to take.

“You’ve been informed that you will be mind wiped afterward?” Gertie asked.

“Yes. It has been factored into my fee.”

She settled gracefully onto the settee across from the wingback. Her hands were long and slender, with perfectly tended nails. I had a sudden flash to the giant’s hands, which had been crisscrossed with scars even at such a young age, with nails bitten down to the quick. The scent of blood and honey filled my nose, and I tried not to retch.

“Wait,” I said, as Agnes attempted to hand over the arrow.

Everyone paused to look at me.

“It’s… it’s bad,” I told the telepath.

She gave me a small smile. “In my profession, one learns to deal with—”

“No.” I cut her off rudely; I didn’t care. I looked at Gertie. “Whatever her fee is, triple it.”

I could see the telepath raise an eyebrow in my peripheral vision, but obviously, she didn’t object. She probably thought I was a silly, squeamish woman who had been sheltered her entire life and had gotten a flash of the real world and freaked out. She also looked like she expected Gertie to demur.

“Done,” Gertie said, not even asking how much the fee was.

Guessed I must have looked worse than I realized on that hillside, I thought grimly.