Fritz lurked near Snow White. “Agreed.”
Rupert peered up at the forester, his skin extra pale in the light of the starfires. “You agree with her, Fritz?”
Fritz nodded.
Gregori snorted and kicked a bit of snow. “Of course, he does—he figured out she was right before any of you retired to the loft for the night.”
Oswald swiveled in his direction and scowled. “How do you know these things?”
“I’m a merchant.”
“Yeah, a merchant. Not a shady information-broker!”
Gregori critically studied the cottage’s doorless doorway. “They are rather similar.”
Aldelbert, surprisingly, turned to Fritz. “How did you know, my friend?”
Fritz paused, and for several very long moments all the warriors were silent as they waited for his answer. “Gut feeling.”
“You!” Oswald stomped a foot, scattering slush everywhere. “There was a whole story behind it, but you just shortened it because you’re too lazy to tell it!”
“It’s long.”
Oswald rested the flat of his sword on his shoulder. “Doesn’t matter—cough it up.”
“Don’t bother if you don’t wish to, Fritz,” Rupert said. “Whatever the reason was that convinced you, Oswald is obviously too much of a dunce to catch it, or he would have believed Her Highness as well.”
Predictably, Oswald scoffed at the dark-haired warrior. “You didn’t believe her either!”
Rupert applied pressure to the wound on his wrist. “Perhaps.”
“There was no ‘perhaps’ about it,” Oswald complained as Gregori and Wendal brought the broken door outside and lamented the torn hinges.
Angelique flicked her eyes from the warriors working on the door to Marzell. He met her gaze, so she pointedly raised an eyebrow.
He offered her a little bow and a smile, then faced his princess. “Your Highness,” he began. “I believe I owe you an apology. You are correct. There is obviously something stirring—and clearly magic is at work. And instead of listening, I behaved like the stubborn advisors I act against. Please, forgive me.” He bowed deeply.
“Will you help me, then?” Snow White asked.
Ahhh. That’s why I like her so much. Snow White—as noble as Quinn—ignored the apology and fixated on the thing she cared most about: saving Faina.
Marzell placed his palm over his heart. “We Seven Warriors will do everything in our power to aid you.”
“Thank you.” Snow White’s relief was almost palpable as she tottered for a step or two.
All is well that ends well. But those constructs… Constructs aren’t easy to make, which means we’re dealing with a mage of great power.
Fritz fidgeted at Snow White’s side. “Marzell.”
“Hmm?”
Fritz tilted his head at Oswald and Rupert—who were still bickering like children, but were now staggering a little as blood continued to drip from their wounds.
“Oh, yes. Oswald, Rupert—inside! You, too, Aldelbert. It looks like you received a scratch or two in the kerfuffle.” Marzell motioned for his friends to follow him inside as he ducked through the open door.
“I’m fine.” Oswald revealed how very not fine he was by obediently trailing after Marzell.
Rupert awkwardly held his wrist in a way that wouldn’t jar it. “It doesn’t hurt,” he insisted.
Angelique peered at Snow White as they followed the warriors inside. “Are you well? You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“No, I’m fine,” Snow White said. “I was in less danger after you gave me some of your crystals—is it okay to leave them outside like that?” She peered back over her shoulder where the starfires still glowed.
“They’re called starfires, and they’ll be fine,” Angel said. “I’ll collect them tomorrow morning—once the sun rises. I’d rather leave them where they are so they can serve as a defense for the rest of the night.”
Snow White nodded. “A wise plan. Where did you get them?”
“Oh, they’re a small thing craftmages make by the bucketload when they’re apprentices. I got these from a friend of mine—I promised him and his wife I would carry them around.” Angelique smiled fondly as she pictured the insistent Gemma and Stil.
“Considering the size of your satchel, you had quite a few,” Snow White said.
I say—sometimes she’s too sharp! “They’re smaller than they look,” Angelique said.
Snow White looked unconvinced, but—thankfully—before she could say anything, Marzell interrupted them.
“Angel, you’re an apprentice to an herb wizard, yes?”
Under Marzell’s watchful eyes, Oswald and Rupert plopped down on a bench by the still-roaring fire without uttering a peep.
Angelique, wholly unaware of the danger in her front, flashed Marzell her best smile. “Yep!”
The lines in Marzell’s forehead relaxed. “Could you take a look at Oswald and Rupert, then? I don’t think Aldelbert’s scratches need anything besides being cleaned, but Rupert’s wrist and Oswald’s arm are a different matter.”
“What?” Angelique dropped her smile—thankfully her shock was so strong, she was unable to let her jaw drop.
“Their injuries.” Marzell gestured to the pair on the bench. “Surely you could use your herb magic to do something for them?”
What do I do? What. Do. I. Do?
Angelique was only vaguely aware of Fritz putting the furniture back into place. “No, no, I’m afraid not.” She slapped her thighs—where her overly-large tunic draped down and nearly covered her knees. “I haven’t learned much about herb healing.”
Marzell frowned. “Isn’t herb healing the basis for an herb wizard’s career?”
Angel blinked rapidly.
Elle. We did a very poor job of picking this disguise!
“To an extent,” Angelique said, inventing an answer that would best benefit her. “But we’re also taught how to use herbs for some basic charms, cleaning, hygiene—all of that.”
Marzell smiled tiredly. “Even that would be helpful. We don’t want to risk either of them getting an infection.”
Why did I say anything? I could have just said “So sorry, I can’t because I’m an idiot!” WHY?!
“Yes. That would be bad,” Angelique said—because she couldn’t really say anything else.
“You can use any of the herbs and supplies we have,” Marzell said. “I’ll boil some water and retrieve bandages and wraps for you.”
Feeling the need to cover for herself in advance, Angelique cleared her throat. “I need to repeat: I don’t know very much.”
“Nonsense,” Aldelbert said. “Your satchel is draped with herbs. Surely you must know enough if you practice such a custom as that.”
ELLE! Why did you make me take those?! This is officially the worst cover I’ve ever taken—and that includes the time those sisters in Baris nearly made my bladder explode when Evariste was teaching me how to grant boons!
“Yes. Yes, I do carry herbs around because I know how to use them. What I meant is that I always frustrated my master because I was so bad at it. Really, as a forester, I imagine Fritz might be better at dressing wounds,” Angelique tried to look pitiful.