Their return to Marrowfen on Vorthalor’s back didn’t draw quite as much attention as the first time—mostly because it was the third day in a row a dragon had flown over the city—but it still turned plenty of heads as they set down in front of Hollowstone Table. People stopped. Windows opened. More than a few people leaned out just to confirm that, yeah, that was still happening.

  Vera didn’t pay much mind to it any longer. Instead, she laughed as she scooped Serel up and hopped down, spinning the giggling girl once before setting her back on her feet. When she looked up again, Elaria was already dismounting with far more discipline, murmuring a few quiet words to Vorthalor.

  Vera’s eyes lingered on her for a moment. Just long enough for Serel to tug insistently at her sleeve and point at the doors.

  Vera looked down, smiling. “If you’re that eager, why don’t you take the lead?”

  Ever since Serel had learned they’d be traveling with Elaria to Caer Virell—and that they’d be flying the whole way—she’d been a nonstop stream of questions. About the city. About the journey there. About whether there were bigger dragons around. Each answer that Elaria gave only seemed to make the whole thing more exciting, like her brain had already decided this was the start of a grand adventure and was filling in the rest on its own.

  Vera could understand that. She’d been similar when she was a kid. Though in her case, whenever imagination did most of the heavy lifting, she ended up disappointed more often than not. But considering she’d half-expected Serel to cling to Marrowfen or quietly force herself to agree just to stay close to her ‘Mama’, she didn’t mind this outcome at all. A happy Serel was always a win. Besides, this was a fantasy world. Imagination wouldn’t be as much of a letdown as it was back on Earth.

  Also, Vera found it really funny seeing Serel acting far too desperate to share her ‘news.’ The girl had been acting like she was on a sugar high during the whole flight here.

  Serel only paused long enough to dart back and give Vorthalor a quick goodbye pat before hurrying to the entrance of Hollowstone Table and shoving the doors open herself.

  Vera wasn’t worried. By now, everyone at the Table knew exactly who she was, and they knew that messing with Serel was a very fast way to invite consequences. Besides, most of them seemed genuinely fond of the girl. Somewhere along the line, somehow, Serel had become a sort of unofficial mascot, and Vera wasn’t entirely sure how that had happened so quickly.

  She glanced back just as Elaria stepped clear of Vorthalor. The dragon beat his wings once, then surged upward, circling Marrowfen before angling off to fly into the distance.

  “Do you know where he goes when he does that?” Vera asked, squinting after him.

  “He is hunting,” Elaria replied, already turning toward the doors.

  “Huh. Makes sense.” Vera fell into step beside her. “Guess a dragon’s gotta eat a lot.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then it’s probably for the best we’re not staying another day. I already felt enough like an ecological wrecking ball after flattening a quarter of the Reaches fighting Veyrith. Don’t really want to add ‘being responsible for the introduction of an apex predator the size of a townhouse into the local food chain’ to my list of chargeable crimes.”

  Elaria stopped with one hand on the door and turned to look at her, brow creasing. “Are you intentionally using nebulous terminology to confuse me? This is not the first time you have done this.”

  Vera smiled. “Maybe. You throw around plenty of fancy words. Feels fair I get a little payback.”

  “I use very few ‘fancy words.’”

  “I’m pretty sure that you used ‘obtuse’ just yesterday.”

  “Obtuse is not a fancy word.”

  “Eh. Maybe technically not. But I’ve never heard anyone use it unironically.”

  Elaria studied her for another second, then shook her head and opened the door without comment.

  Vera kept smiling as she followed her inside—though the smile faded just a touch once she crossed the threshold.

  She was being a bit enigmatic on purpose, honestly. It was similar to what she was doing with Serel, making references the girl wouldn’t understand yet. Laying groundwork for a future conversation that maybe, someday, would reveal more of her past. With Serel, it was preparation.

  With Elaria…

  She wasn’t sure whether she ever wanted to come clean to her. Maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t. She thought she’d let the world itself decide. Either way, it felt better not to censor herself. Better to act like herself around Elaria, rather than whatever version she thought the woman knew.

  As they entered Hollowstone Table, the room was quieter than usual. A handful of Chapter members sat around the marrowstone table, cups and plates scattered between them. Vera scanned the space—and couldn’t help a small flicker of impressed annoyance when Serel was already nowhere to be seen.

  The girl could be surprisingly fast sometimes.

  She turned toward a dark-haired woman leaning back in her chair, boots hooked over the table’s edge. It was Han, the same woman Vera had dueled on her first visit.

  “You see where my kid ran off to?” Vera asked.

  Han snorted and jerked her chin lazily toward the back corridors. “Not sure why you’re even asking. ‘Course she’s already off to find the big boss. Is he bribing her with candy, or what’s got a scary bear of a man like him having little kids so enamored?”

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  Vera huffed a laugh. “Close enough.”

  “Might have to swing by the market, then. See if I can’t stock up on some crackle chews.” Han took a big swig and set her tankard back down. “People’ve got a bet running on who else, besides Blazegrip, might get the Ascendant’s kid to like ’em.”

  “You think you stand a chance?”

  The woman shrugged. “Kid’s, what—five? I’ll tell you, I’d’ve followed the friendliest bastard in a nice coat down a dark alley for half a sweetroll at that age. Takes time for ’em to get wise.”

  Elaria’s gaze snapped to her, burning intensely sharp. Crimson eyes pinned Han in place.

  “…’Course,” Han added quickly, clearing her throat, “not that I mean anything bad by it. She’s cute as sin. And probably twice as clever as me already. She didn’t try to fight the Ascendant.”

  Vera bit back her own snort.

  Most of the Table’s members were, understandably, careful how they tread around her once they figured out who she was. Still, most of them were the rough and casual sort, and Han was one of those who’d adjusted pretty quickly, not afraid to run her mouth.

  Though that did not seem to extend to doing so in front of Elaria.

  Vera offered Han a brief nod of thanks—despite having already known exactly where Serel had gone—and followed Elaria toward the back corridors. Soon enough, Serel’s voice carried out ahead of them.

  They stepped into the Vice-Master’s office to find Gard seated behind his desk and Vanded planted in front of Serel, arms crossed, beard split by a broad grin as he listened to her animated explanation.

  “—and Mama said there are a thousand forges, and huge castles, and—”

  “And that’s where you’re headed, then?” Vanded asked.

  Serel nodded enthusiastically. “Mmm! With Mama and Mommy! We’re flying on Vorthie!”

  “Sounds like quite the journey,” Vanded said. “But I’ve got just the one question.”

  “What’s that?”

  He leaned in, voice dropping into something solemn enough to be ridiculous, shoulders rounding like he was about to share a tragedy. “What about old Uncle Vanded, eh? Do you feel nothing at all abandoning me here?”

  Serel went completely silent.

  Vanded pressed a hand to his chest. “Do you think you can live with never seeing me again? With today being our last day? Think of all the things I still haven’t shown you, little lass. Did you forget the singing bone-arches?”

  “Could you maybe not try to guilt-trip my daughter?” Vera cut in, stepping in and looping her arms around Serel’s shoulders, tugging her gently back against her chest. “Adults are supposed to be responsible influences. Not emotionally sabotage children.”

  Vanded blinked at her. Then his gaze slid past her, straight to Elaria. A laugh burst out of him, loud and sudden.

  Vera frowned. She glanced over her shoulder and met Elaria’s flat stare.

  Vanded’s laughter rolled on a moment longer before he dragged it under control, scratching at his beard with the front of his knuckles. “Serel, little lass!” he boomed. “Ever heard you shouldn’t kick at the wall you’re leanin’ on?” He wagged a finger. “Might wanna keep an eye on that instinct. Seems like it runs in the blood.”

  Vera snapped her gaze back to him. “Oi.”

  He met her look with a broad, unapologetic grin, though there was warmth tucked into the corners of it. “Yes, Mournvale?”

  Vera went quiet.

  “…Just keep in mind what you’re saying around her,” she eventually said. “That’s all. No need to go around confusing her.”

  “Mommy, I’m not stupid,” Serel said from her arms, leaning back to look up at her. “Uncle Vanded means you teach me bad things as well, doesn’t he? Because Mama thinks you’re thickheaded.”

  She stared down at her daughter. “…Who told you that?”

  “No one. It’s obvious!”

  Vera slowly looked up.

  Vanded looked like he was enjoying this far too much, but he still lifted his shoulders in an innocent shrug. Elaria frowned faintly—but didn’t look guilty either.

  A small cough sounded off to the side.

  “I… may have used the word ‘thickheaded’ to refer to the Chapter-Master while Serel was present,” Gard admitted, adjusting his glasses. “But never in reference to Lady Mournvale.”

  Vera stared at him. Then back at Serel.

  Had she underestimated how much the girl picked up again? Was this just how sharp six-year-olds were?

  Damn it. She should’ve spent more time around her annoying cousins when they were that age. Might’ve saved her some surprises. She didn’t really mind if Elaria saw her as a bit of a brute—even though she probably should—but her daughter? That sat wrong.

  As if reading her thoughts, Serel shifted in her grip and reached up, patting Vera’s cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy. I know you’re super smart! You can just show Mama.”

  Vera paused. A small smile tugged at her mouth. She rested a hand on Serel’s head. “Thanks, kid.” Then she glanced back at Elaria again. “…For reference, though, how exactly were you imagining I’d go about doing that?”

  “Show her how good you are at counting!” Serel said.

  Her smile thinned. “Right.”

  She wasn’t sure how impressed Elaria would be by her ability to collate endless spreadsheets full of spawn timers, drop percentages, and marginal optimizations that lived perpetually one balance patch away from meaning absolutely nothing.

  “Hm.” Serel let out a small, annoyed—and cute—huff, seeming to sense Vera’s hesitation. “Then you can make a song about her!”

  Vera startled, looking down at her. “W-What?”

  The girl wore an excessively proud expression. “Mmm. Make Mama a song.” She turned to Elaria. “Mama, then you’ll see how smart Mommy is. You’ll have to admit it!”

  Elaria watched her in silence for several seconds, then shifted her gaze to Vera. After another moment, she looked back to Serel. “Serel, I do not think that your mother is stupid.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No.”

  Serel frowned thoughtfully, then seemed to reach a conclusion. “Okay. But Mommy should still write a song!” She looked up at Vera. “You’ll do it, won’t you?”

  Vera couldn’t bring herself to say no to that look, even though the idea of writing a song solely about Elaria made her want to crawl out of her own skin. She had never written a song about another person. That was both embarrassing andcringe-inducing.

  “…We’ll see what happens,” she said, hoping that would be enough for now, and very deliberately not looking at Elaria.

  “You sing, Mournvale?” Vanded asked, genuine surprise in his voice.

  Vera shot him a look. “Don’t ask. Please.”

  His brow furrowed.

  Serel suddenly gasped. “Mommy, is it true that I can’t see Uncle Vanded again if we go to Caer Virell?”

  Oh. They were back to that? That worked.

  “No, that’s not true.” She tipped her head down closer to Serel’s. “He was pulling your leg. This is exactly why I’ve told you not to listen to him. He’s an unreliable old man you should only use for fun and never for life advice.”

  Serel pouted. “I didn’t believe him…”

  “Sure you didn’t.” Vera smoothed Serel’s hair again before letting her hand drop. “But remember what I told you earlier? We can come back to Marrowfen whenever we want. You’ll be able to see everyone here. Nobody’s getting abandoned. Heck, if you really wanted to, we could even be back tonight.”

  Serel’s pout fought to hold its ground, but it wavered.

  Vanded watched the exchange calmly, not looking bothered at all about Vera’s comment. “So you’re really leaving for Caer Virell, then?” he asked, turning more serious.

  Vera nodded. “We are. Serel’s been stuck in Sablewatch Hollow for so long, and I don’t think it’ll hurt to let her see the world a bit. It’ll also be nice for her to get to be around Elaria more—since Elaria can’t really be away from what’s happening over there for long, this just made the most sense.” She paused. “Besides, I need to find Mireya. She’s supposed to be somewhere near Darnelle, which is a lot closer to Caer Virell than here.”

  Serel reacted to the unfamiliar name. “Mommy, who’s Mireya?”

  “She’s an old friend. I think you’ll like her. She’s a whole lot of fun.”

  As well as a bit deranged. Or at least the version that Vera was familiar with. Still, if Mireya was anything like she remembered, she could keep it PG when a kid was involved. Probably.

  “Okay.” Serel glanced at Vanded. “I like Mommy’s friends.”

  Vera couldn’t help but smile again, pulling the girl closer. “That’s good.”

  “When are you leaving?” Vanded asked.

  Vera refocused on him. “Oh? Serel didn’t get to that part?”

  He shook his head.

  “Well,” Vera said, “we’re leaving now.”