Page 106 of The Fury She Holds
“Are you not going to ask how she escaped the spell?” Faron eyed the alchemist with poorly concealed suspicion.
Septimus had a glint in his eye. “Your majesty,” he began, at which Faron had a coughing fit, “you’ll find there isn’t much in this kingdom that I do not know, including a fairly dangerous secret that our fire-haired friend here holds closely. I do not feel the need to have her air it out unnecessarily for all to hear.” He leaned across his counter to the couple and whispered, “There are unwanted eyes and ears everywhere.” He straightened and continued in his normal tone, “You would do well to remember that.”
Faron’s eyes widened at Tal who shrugged.
“Am I the last person to find out who he is?” Tal’s attention switched back and forth between the two men. Faron had the mind not to make eye contact.
“There’s much about this kingdom you don’t know, child. If you ventured further out of your tunnels more often, you’d see.” Septimus gave her a curious grin.
She exchanged glances with Faron briefly before turning back to Septimus as a thought occurred to her. “Do you know anyoneI can speak to about my… craft? Someone who can provide guidance?”
Septimus shook his head. “There is no one who would help you that knows how.”
She considered his choice of words. Did that mean there were others with fire fury? Why wouldn’t they help her? Perhaps she might be able to convince them.
Faron was a bit less inclined to drop the conversation. He later told Tal that he would ask the palace alchemist for a similar elixir to destroy a paralyzing spell. Tal teased that he didn’t trust Septimus, and he didn’t deny it. “He has kept my fury a secret for gods knows how long. I have no reason not to trust him.”
“Has he though? Do we know that he isn’t also providing information to the mages behind our backs?” They walked through the town away from the tunnels. They still hadn’t discussed the matter between them, but Tal could feel the urge to say something bubbling at the surface, a feeling much like when her fury demanded to be let loose.
“Sybil said we can trust him, and Rain has tracked him closely to ensure he’s not a threat. The man is as innocent as the baker.Itrust him.”
“There’s something about him that seems off.”
She nudged him with her hip. “You’re just upset that he saw right through your lame disguise.”
“I’m surprised that you didn’t.” His gentle smile fell the moment he said it.
“Well, maybe I didn’t want to.”
“Hello! Hello! Please! Stop!”
Tal turned in time to see a head full of blonde hair run around a cart and straight for them. The girl seemed out of place in her fine clothes and clean hair. She beamed at Faron, hands behind her back.
“Clara! You should have left for the mountains days ago.” Faron leaned down to speak at her level.
Something clicked, and Tal recognized the happy teen as the same frightened girl at the brothel that she insisted on going back for. Faron had said he paid for the girl’s freedom that same night, not knowing Tal had been taken. She should have been on a wagon to the mountains with a sweet older couple and a chest full of necessities.
“I asked them to wait so I could thank you!” Clara bounced on her feet.
Faron chuckled. “Well, don’t thank me. It was Talwyn over here,” he pulled Tal over by the hand, “who insisted we get you out of there.”
The girl’s eyes widened in recognition. “You were there! I saw you!”
Tal smiled awkwardly. “I was.”
“You helped free me?”
“Uh, well, I told him to.” Tal gestured to Faron.
“‘Demanded’ is more like it.” Faron nudged her.
The air rushed out of Tal when Clara slammed into her with a crushing hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered into Tal.
She hesitated but found her arms reaching around the girl as if by their own accord, and Faron’s cheeks dimpled. Slowly, Tal smiled back.
Faron refused to reveal their destination. They walked through the docks, then the slums, then fields of wheat grass and wildflowers, and finally, rolling hills. At the top of the biggest hill stood the enormous white willow tree.
