Page 8 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

Zorina winced as she explained about the red panda’s return. “I think it’s the same one since it’s a smaller size than most, and none of the others I’ve seen in town behave that way.”

“Zorina! You have to keep that thing out of here!” he shouted. “Keep the door closed!”

Suddenly, the door opened and the irritating guard Herrick walked in.

“Customers open the door, not me,” she grumbled, shooting a glare at the guard.

She wanted to say that his pots wouldn’t get destroyed in search of treasure if he had the sense to not put gold coins in them, but she didn’t want to lose her job.

And why is that blasted guard back here, anyway?

Jurian apparently noticed Herrick’s presence. “Ah, Guard. Are you here to investigate and bring justice to the red thief?”

Zorina blinked. The red thief? While Jurian’s attention focused on the guard, she rolled her eyes.

“Something like that.” Herrick stepped up to her and stared down at her, accusation in his green eyes. “It sounds like it happened again just before we got here.”

Straightening her spine, she replied, “Yes. It did. I’m fairly certain it was the same red panda.”

Herrick stroked his well-trimmed beard as he studied her. “I see. Convenient that no one else was here to witness it.”

Zorina bristled. “If you’re going to accuse me, Herrick, I suggest you do so directly to my face instead of beating around the bush like a coward.”

The guard took a step forward, towering over her and clenching his jaw. “Fine,” he spat. “I accuse you of treachery and thievery.”

Jurian huffed and said, “Oh, just kiss already and get it over with. I have work to do. More pots to replace, unfortunately.” While grumbling those last words, he disappeared into his workshop, leaving them unchaperoned to apparently heed his unwanted advice.

After Zorina stared at Herrick for a moment, her wits finally came back to her, and they jumped away from each other in shock. Horror filled the guard’s expression as much as it surely did hers.

Kiss him?

NO.

Never.

The thought was appalling.

And yet…

She gritted her teeth. No.

Not only did she barely know him, but she couldn’t even stand him. The man was obnoxious and idiotic. Besides, romance was not at all something she wanted or needed in her life—now or ever.

“I’d rather kiss a red panda,” she muttered.

Herrick arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh, would you? I’m sure that could be arranged, what with how many red pandas wander around the city. And what makes you think I would want to kiss you?”

Zorina glared at him. “I’m glad you don’t. But why are you invading our shop? If you have no actual purpose here, go away.”

He glowered down at her, his large, muscular frame imposing in his obvious frustration. “I’m here to investigate further.”

“Oh, because you really think you can arrest an animal?” she asked with a scoff.

Herrick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “No. Captain Firmin wants me to see if there are any hints in the gold-stealing red panda’s behavior that can help us run the animals out of Adael.”

Zorina tilted her head. “I can’t think of anything in particular, but there may be something to that.”

“Exactly,” he said with a nod, the earlier animosity seeming to melt away. “The suggestion to build a wall around the city came up, but it’s not an immediate solution.”