“Ellie,” he whispered.

“If we were that, when my mother got sick, she would be down the lane, resting in bed, cared for by her daughters, with those who loved her close at hand when—”

Her voice cracked, the harshness dissolved from her face, and it was then Cass took the step separating them and drew her tight in his arms.

Her body bucked once with a muted sob.

After that, she settled into heartbreaking shakes.

He put his lips to the top of her hair.

“We will get to her.”

“Serena—”

“A raven and rider have been sent.”

She held onto him, and his clever future wife, she allowed herself the time to feel what she was feeling and express it, before he heard her sniff and give his waist a squeeze.

He took his cue, let her go but lifted both hands to her jaws and swept his thumbs over her wet cheeks, dipping his face so it was in hers.

Her violet eyes shone with love and anguish.

I love you, he thought.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded.

Cass kissed her forehead.

Then he looked again in her eyes and said, “Let us go.”

110

\

The Distraction

Princess Serena

The Shanty, Notting Thicket

WODELL

Serena careened down the alley unsteadily, the only sure thing about her was her hold on the jug of grog.

She approached the spent bottles of whiskey farthest from the troll and did not waste much time assessing if they had a taste left (none) or if they were entirely empty (all).

Things had, of late, hit a critical stage.

The cases of liquor stacked in the doorframe of the building the troll guarded had run low.

And she had noted the troll not once, but several times, eyeing and even sometimes moving to the lock on the door and tugging on it or flicking it in frustration.

She also had noted that he seemed to be on the lookout for something.

This, she suspected, being his benefactor, who he did not know would never be returning.

The troll was growing restless.

Fortunately, True had sent word that it was time for her crew to move.

She could only assume the arrests had been made, that blow delivered to The Goddess-Damned Bloody Rising.

Now, she hoped she and Gal and Brix would deliver another.

There were ten of True’s men as well as Tor in their little room through the maze of alleyways, waiting for Serena, Gal and Brix to get into the building. They could have overcome the troll, but if the coin wasn’t behind that locked door, they didn’t want a big hullabaloo to indicate they were in search of it and had homed in on the Shanty.

However, if what they thought was inside was indeed inside, the soldiers and Tor would secure it until troops could be sent in to reclaim what was in it.

The time was nigh.