Page 56 of A Fable of Riddles and Redemption

“Herrick,” Zorina called out.

Without even thinking, he bolted to the gate. “She’s here for me,” he told the gate guards. “This is the woman who most recently went missing.” The guards then lowered their weapons and let her pass.

Zorina cautiously stepped through before she flung herself into Herrick’s arms just as he reached for her with the same ferocity. He wrapped his arms securely around her, clinging to her like he’d never let her go. If he had his way, he wouldn’t.

She all but crumpled into him with a shaky expulsion of breath, and he deftly maneuvered her away from the gates to a more secluded corner of the courtyard. Never had he seen her so…shaken.

But thus far, she seemed to retain her mental faculties, though clearly she was frazzled and frightened. Further conversation would tell if that was truly the case, but for now, Herrick held her close—both for her comfort and his.

When at last she appeared settled, he reluctantly pulled back to study her. Her long blonde hair was a bit of a mess—likely from running—and her simple dress had smudges of dirt on it. The laces holding the bodice of her black overdress in place were loose and had untied at some point. She also looked completely drained, as if someone had yanked most of her energy out of her.

The thought was unsettling.

Herrick carefully picked up the loose ends of her laces, rubbing the thin strips of fabric between his fingers before meeting her eyes. “May I?” he whispered.

Zorina nodded, a slight blush tinging her cheeks.

Gently, he rethreaded the bottom few holes at her waist, trying not to grin at the light gasp that escaped her at his touch. Tugging lightly on the laces, he tightened them just enough before tying a secure bow. “There.”

“Thank you, Herrick,” she whispered.

He straightened and met her eyes. “Are you all right?”

She shook her head while releasing a panicked sounding sigh. “No, I—” Zorina cut herself off, frantically glancing around the courtyard.

“Zorina? Will you tell me what happened?”

Drawing in a deep breath, she finally answered. “Yes. But…not here.”

Zorina

Herrick shot her a questioning look. “Not here? Then where?”

“To the roof. It’s safe there.”

Herrick pinched his brows together as he tilted his head. “We’re perfectly safe here.”

Zorina shook her head again, drawing her arms across her chest. “I’m not safe anywhere.”

He stepped forward and clasped her arms just below the shoulders. “What do you mean by that?”

Biting her lip, she said, “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything…on the roof.”

“Why on the roof? Zorina, what’s going on? You disappeared for three days! Do you know how worried I’ve been?” His voice sounded frantic, like he was on the edge of becoming unhinged.

While she had expected at least some degree of concern from him, she had not anticipated the extremity of it. Based on his reaction, it was now obvious that Herrick desperately needed the same kind of reassurance that she did—especially after three days of fretting over her.

She met his gaze, hoping to give some solace back to him; he would need it for the conversation ahead. “I know I have a lot to explain, and I will, but on the roof. He likes to hide in the shadows, underground. The roof is as far from that as we can get right now.”

Anxiety etched his features. “‘He?’ Do you mean the creep who keeps luring women away, only to abandon them with no recollection of what happened? The Maestro? That ‘he?’”

Zorina swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “Yes,” she whispered. Then, locking her eyes more firmly on his, she asked, “Can we go to the roof now? Please?”

Herrick released a sigh as he dropped his hold, then held one of his arms out as an escort. “Very well, but we should grab some food first. You look like you’re about to faint. Are you sure you can make the trek up there?”

“I can with your help,” she said, grabbing hold of his arm and clinging to it tightly.

Before long, they stopped at the kitchens, where Herrick grabbed bread, cheese, and a flask of water. Simple fare, but it made her mouth water. He handed everything to her, and she devoured most of the food on the way. Anything she did not eat got shoved into his infinite pouch.