Lollie threw up her hands. “Fine. I can see this was a hugely worthwhile conversation. Thank you so much, Scratch. Go on your merry way and do whatever-the-fuck it is you and the Shaes are doing. Never mind that I’ve known Brella for three years—”

“Three years?”

“And she never told me a thimble’s worth of information about her life. And you two saunter in here like the God of the Sun and the God of the Moon, with all of your little secrets, and I can’t learn shit about what either of you are up to.”

“You ambushed me,” Scratch hissed, eyes flicking to the curious Snatchers spying them from yards away. “What, are we supposed to be friends now? You decide that I need advice, and that I’m going to take it from you? I’m a Sergeant Major in the King’s Guard.”

“And she’s not a soldier.” Lollie dropped her voice to a hot, frantic whisper. “I don’t know what you’re doing or what you want, but if you put Brella into harm’s way, I will kill you. That may strike you as sentimental, Scratch, but I look after children all day. I’m not as calculating as you. I’m not smart enough to hide what matters to me. I know that means I’ve made myself vulnerable to you.” She glanced off into the trees. “Brella makes me stupid.”

The back of Scratch’s neck itched. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“She’ll be fine with me,” Scratch said, and it was an easier promise than it should have been—almost as though she cared about Brella’s well-being.

“Thanks.” Lollie looked a touch surprised, as if she’d expected an argument. “I feel like I should give you something in return. Oh, we robbed a wine merchant the other day. You want a cask?”

Yes, desperately. “Uh, no thanks.”

“Your loss.” Lollie shaded her eyes from the rising sun. “I already hate today,” she declared by way of farewell. “You’d do well to keep your word, Sergeant Major. I have a very long memory.”

“Great,” Scratch mumbled once Lollie was too far away to hear. She tamped down a spike of fellow feeling for the cranky bandit. “Lovely.”

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Children followed the traveling party as they left camp, strolling along like they were there to join the rescue mission. Brella smiled and waved while the pack was in view, but she visibly drooped as soon as the band disappeared behind the trees.

Vel floated up beside her. “Brella—”

“Shush, Vel,” she muttered. Her posture drooped and there were bags beneath her eyes. “I’ve had enough talking. Can we just be quiet today? All of us?”

James pouted, but Vel nodded. “Fair enough.”