Chapter Thirty-Three

Nothing was ever straightforward with these Feltspars. Making the convincing excuse that they needed to leave the premises and saying he would explain later, he decided a more convincing dynamic would be if Sigurd escorted Astrid and Daphne, one under each mighty arm, and he resumed carrying his lady. It seemed to work. Someone Astrid greeted by name – Tillie – turned a rather obvious blind eye, while a girl she in turn referred to as Pippa looked both awestruck and fascinated.

Then they emerged from the dark blue front door into the kind of brilliant sunshine which often followed rain. The man whose cloak he had borrowed was waiting with a cart around the back and it wasn’t long before they were on their way back to Vercia and the village of Capitol.

Though Miriam wasn’t asleep now she seemed agitated. Astrid took it upon herself to massage her temples while he did the same for her bare feet. It wasn’t long before the imp in him turned to mischief. Knowing his half-sister had been ra