Page 141 of Sword & Sacrifice

Valerian stood with his back to Penn, talking with two heavily bundled figures. So focused on getting his revenge, Penn didn’t bother looking at the other people as he reared his arm back and chucked the snowball with all his might.

Sensing the danger, Valerian dodged to the side, and the snowball smacked one of his companions straight in the face.

A gasping laugh escaped Penn as he realized his mistake. He jogged over to apologize to his unintended victim. Snow stuck in the man’s beard and hair even as he wiped it carefully away with his gloved hands. “So sorry about that—”

Once the man finished cleaning his face, a familiar pair of tawny eyes smiled back at Penn. “That’s one way to say hello.”

“Silas!” Penn dropped the snowballs in his arms to wrap his friend in a tight hug. “When did you arrive?”

“Yesterday, but I was a bit occupied.” When Silas pulled away, his cheeks were red from more than the cold.

Archer wrapped his arm possessively around Silas, tugging him close to his side. “We had business to discuss,” he explained in a deep rumble.

Penn’s lips twitched. “I’m sure you did. How’s everything in Bellacosta?” he asked Silas. Archer told them about the fire, which explained what had happened to the communication book and Valerian’s supplies. He’d been right, in a way, that it was Alistair’s allies who had been responsible for the destruction.

“That’s a long story,” Silas said. “Perhaps one we should discuss inside?” Despite his many layers, he was still shivering. “The snow’s lovely, but I could do without the biting cold.”

“What good timing,” a voice said from behind them. “I was just about to invite you all to warm up.”

“Penn!” an excited voice called, and then a small figure launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his middle. “I’ve missed you so much!” Emmaline exclaimed, beaming up at him.

Penn wrapped her in a tight hug, then picked her up off her feet and whirled her around until she was breathless from giggling. When he set her down again, he just took a moment to look at her, to confirm for himself that she was all right. The last time he’d seen her had been at Causley Estate, running from Niall. Seeing her now, smiling just as brightly as before her ordeal, made a little knot of tension finally unravel inside him.

Another arm wrapped around him and Valerian pulled him away from Emmaline. Though his smile was charming, his eyes were narrowed in assessment. They’d only met briefly once, so it wasn’t surprising she was someone he’d forgotten. His eyes flicked between Emmaline and Adelaide, probably noting all the similarities between mother and daughter. He didn’t ask for an introduction or otherwise indicate the girl was a mystery to him.

Adelaide was the only other person who knew of Valerian’s lost memories. He was already a mysterious figure who kept his secrets locked deep inside his heart, so they’d decided it was safer to pretend nothing was wrong. The only other person who might notice a difference was—

“There you all are!” Griselda bellowed as she stomped across the snow. She was bundled up tighter than anyone else, with only her hard eyes showing between her hat and her scarf.

Penn’s heart sank as he looked between Griselda and Valerian. She was the reason Penn and Valerian had met. She’d known the mage for decades, worked with him on countless missions. Although she was more likely to call him a bastard than a friend, she knew him well enough to see changes in his demeanor. And there was no way the old Valerian wouldn’t recognize her, even bundled up as she was.

“This is the worst place for a reunion,” Griselda grumbled, wrapping her arms tight around herself.

“I don’t know, Gris,” Valerian drawled. “Remember the swamp?”

Penn’s breath caught at the familiarity in his tone. Is this a real memory, or something he learned from the grimoires?

Griselda barked out a laugh. “Gods, that place stank to high heaven. Still better than freezing your ass off though.”

Adelaide’s lips twitched in a smile. “Why don’t we all go inside then, and I’ll put the kettle on.”

They all dutifully shuffled behind Adelaide to her cottage. Although he’d been inside since the fight, Penn still paused in the doorway, his eyes searching the floor for blood stains. It’d all been cleaned up, of course, but it’d become a habit.

Adelaide had prepared for the company, arranging her small space with half a dozen chairs. She gestured for everyone to sit while she bustled around the kitchen, preparing the tea. Emmaline joined her, placing fresh baked pastries on a plate.

Valerian pulled up his chair so close to Penn’s that they were practically sitting in each other’s laps. Penn considered putting a little distance between them, until he noticed Archer and Silas sitting on the couch. Archer’s arm wrapped around Silas’ shoulder, Silas’ hand resting on Archer’s thigh. Casual affection they’d been too nervous to share openly before.

“Which story do you want to hear first?” Griselda demanded. She’d unwrapped the scarf from around her throat but kept the rest of the winter clothes on. “Varro’s death? Finding a body in the vault? Archer was there for Alistair’s first death, but I’m happy to tell it again.” She snapped her teeth eagerly in the air.

“What I’d really like to hear,” Adelaide said as she set cups in front of everyone, “is why Silas is here instead of at home.”

The pink tinge returned to Silas’ cheeks. “Someone needed to bring you supplies for winter,” he said evasively as he took a sip.

Penn wasn’t paying attention when he raised the warm teacup to his mouth, so the flood of sweetness took him off guard. Startled, he looked into the cup and saw liquid chocolate rather than the tea he’d expected. “You brought chocolate?”

“Emmaline insisted,” Silas replied, his eyes sparkling. “And the pirate captain she befriended was happy to carry whatever supplies she was paid for.”

“Pirate captain?” Valerian echoed, eyebrows arched in surprise. “Anyone I know?”