Delios had said nothing about sending help. Nothing about marching warriors over the mountains. What had everybody been doing while she had been asleep?
Atissa was aware of the strangeness of her situation, standing in a palace surrounded by things she had never dreamed of. She’d never even slept in a house made from stone before. And just now, she had met the anax’s son. If Mark took her with him, she might even meet the anax himself.
Right now, she didn’t care about any of that. Should she ask Mark to take her with him when he went to see the anax? Would the anax send help?
Atissa didn’t believe for a moment that she could do a better job of pleading their case than Mark. She just hated feeling useless.
“And where did you get that staff!?” the magi asked, her voice slightly raised. The hard tone brought Atissa back into the moment.
“I found it in the woods,” Mark said. His voice was calm but standing close to him Atissa could see the tension in his shoulders. Did he expect things to get violent? Why?
Remembering the Assanaten magi burning down Dennia’s home, she didn’t want to imagine what Mark and this Bel’Sara could do to the palace. While the outer walls were built from solid stone, the ceiling and furniture were made from wood.
“In the woods?”
“Yes. About a week ago,” Mark said, gesturing towards the furniture below the sheltered part of the courtyard. “May I suggest that we have a seat?”
“You will stay there and answer my questions until I’m convinced that you did not steal that staff from its rightful owner.” This time the threat was clear. The note of controlled anger in the magi’s voice couldn’t be missed.
Still, Bel’Sara’s posture was relaxed. She’d sent Delios and his warriors away as if she didn’t expect any threat from them at all. Or did she believe that the warriors would be of no help in a confrontation with Mark and wanted to protect their lives? Atissa couldn’t say.
Feeling eyes burning on her, she shifted her attention to Bel’Sara’s companion. The girl’s hand was resting on the knife on her belt. She had clearly identified Atissa as her opponent if things turned violent, leaving the magi to fight their battles with the powers of the gods.
Atissa swallowed. The girl couldn’t be much older than her. Maybe seventeen. But she was almost a head taller. And she was armed.
Atissa felt her hand wandering to the place where her short copper knife would usually be. It was not there. She’d left it in her room with the rest of her equipment, feeling it was somehow inappropriate in these surroundings.
“Very well,” Mark said, calmly. “What do you want to know? Should I give a more detailed description of how I found the stick? I mean staff.”
Bel’Sara frowned. “Who are you? Common thieves do not talk like that.”
“I hope that works in my favor then. My name is Mark Douglas. This is my companion, Atissa. We met in the woods of the Half-Moon Valley, where I had been wandering around more or less aimlessly after my accident.”
“Markdougles… is that the name you gave to the crew of the ship that picked you up?”
“Yes?”
“Did you tell them that you were a sage of the circle of Nemki?”
“I don’t know what a sage is.”
Bel’Sara fell silent, her eyes looking past them as she thought through Mark’s words.
Atissa and Mark exchanged a quick glance. If he knew what the other magi was thinking, his expression didn’t show it.
Bel’Sara looked up again, fixating on Mark. “The staff, you say you just found it?” She didn’t try to hide her doubts.
Mark hesitated for a moment. “No, I didn’t just find it. I had been traveling on a road…”
“As far as I know, there are no roads in the Half-Moon Valley!” Bel’Sara said, interrupting Mark. “That place is deep in the mountains, far away from any civilization.”
Atissa felt a bit offended at the last remark but decided to keep quiet. This magi didn’t seem like a very nice person, and she didn’t want to set her off.
Mark nodded, conciliatory. “I was traveling on a road somewhere else. A completely different place. I was traveling at night. Then without any warning, there was thick fog, and I must have driven my…wagon off the road. I ended up in, what I think was a dry riverbed.” He shrugged and continued to explain how he had stumbled over the staff climbing out of the riverbed and how he had wandered through the woods until he had run into Atissa.
Atissa could tell that he was leaving things out, remembering some of the strange names he had asked about when they had first met. The version of events he was telling right now was simpler, devoid of most of that strangeness. Yet, as far as she could tell, he never lied. Glancing over at Bel’Sara’s mistrustful face, this was probably a wise thing.
Seeing Mark patiently trying to avoid a confrontation with the other magi, she decided to nod along, to support his words. Any advice he had ever given her had always been wise – so much so that Atissa felt she trusted him completely. Without him, she wouldn’t be here. And uncle would be dead, she thought.
“And you just stumbled over that staff?” Bel’Sara seemed unconvinced.
“Yes,” Mark said, with stoic patience. “You can have it if you want. I only care about finding a way back to where I came from. On the way”, he waved to Atissa, ”I am trying to help the people that helped me when I was lost.”
“Master Mar’Doug?” One of the servants had approached them from inside the house.
“Yes?”
“The man, Tepras, and a companion have arrived,” the servant said.
Atissa’s throat went dry. During the weird standoff with Bel’Sara, she had completely forgotten that they expected the men from the Drive to come by.
“Thank you,” Mark said. “Could you have them wait in the hall by the entrance? There are banks there, right?”
“Of course, master!” Possibly sensing the tense atmosphere, the servant hurried away.
“We aren’t done talking yet!” Bel’Sara said in a sharp tone.
“I understand. It’s just that Atissa needs to go and talk to her people. They deserve to hear what happened to their homes and families. We can continue our conversation over here.” He pointed in the direction of the furniture again. “In the shade.”
Bel’Sara made a sour face. Mark’s reasonableness seemed to annoy her. A part of Atissa wished the magi would demand her to stay. Why did she have to be the one to tell the men that their homes had been burned and their families were either fleeing through the mountains or had been captured by the Assanaten? They would have many questions, most of which she wouldn’t be able to answer.
And of course, there was Tepras. She swallowed. He would learn that his eldest son had died only a day ago and he hadn’t even been at the funeral. If only she’d been conscious at the time, she could have somehow let him know.
“Fine.” Bel’Sara gave a dismissive wave, turning toward the furnished area.
Atissa’s heart sank.
Mark gave her an encouraging smile before following Bel’Sara.
Accepting the inevitability of the situation Atissa turned in the direction of the entrance hall. Should she have asked Mark for help? No, this is not his responsibility, she thought.
Besides it would make her look like a child. Uncle Tatros always said that being an adult meant facing your fears and taking their measure. If they were bigger than you, run away. But the facing came first.
“Halt!”
Atissa spun around. The shout had come from across the yard.
There ten steps ahead of Mark stood mistress Bel’Sara, pointing at her. Even from this far away Atissa could see shock on the woman’s face. Her mouth gaping open, her eyes wide. What is wrong with this person, Atissa thought?
Both Mark and Bel’Sara’s female companion seemed to be as startled as Atissa. Their eyes were darting nervously back and forth between Atissa and the magi, trying to grasp what was going on.
“Come back!” Bel’Sara said, waving. “Please, come here.”
Confused, Atissa looked at Mark. What should I do?
After two heartbeats, he nodded.
Atissa walked back, wishing again for her bow or at least her knife.
Once again, she thought about how strange Mark was. But magi were supposed to be like that – strange and mysterious. Maybe this mistress Bel’Sara was just strange in a different way. Or she might be crazy, Atissa thought.
She walked past Mark, exchanging a glance. He displayed his usual neutral expression. Did he have an idea what was going on? She couldn’t tell.
“Wait!” Bel’Sara said. “Stay where you are.”
Again, she looked up at Mark, standing next to her. His eyes were on the older woman.
Bel’Sara definitely kept you guessing when it came to her mood. In a short while she’d moved from a stoic, neutral demeanor not dissimilar to Mark’s, to angry then sour-faced, and now the wide and piercing gaze she was currently displaying.
Probably crazy, Atissa thought. There were those kinds of stories, too.
“Walk over there!” Bel’Sara said, pointing to the side. She closed her eyes and tilted her head as if trying to listen to something. Something very faint.
Atissa was just about to follow her command when Mark placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Mistress Bel’Sara, would you mind explaining what is going on?” he asked.
“Go!” Bel’Sara said, without opening her eyes. “Over there!”
“I promise we’re willing to cooperate,” Mark said, giving Atissa’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Bel’Sara opened her eyes, staring at Mark with barely hidden irritation. Atissa couldn’t deny the impact Bel’Sara’s presence had on her. Somehow the short woman seemed to loom over them.
Mark remained unfazed. You probably have to be a magi to feel confident facing a magi, Atissa thought.
The courtyard stayed silent for a moment, as the two magi continued looking at each other.
“Please… master Mar’Doug”, Bel’Sara said, through her teeth, “this is very important.”
“I understand. You will explain it to us after you have conducted your experiment?”
Bel’Sara nodded.
Mark took his hand off Atissa’s shoulder, so she was free to follow Bel’Sara’s instructions walking a couple of steps to the side. The whole time her eyes were transfixed on the magi.
Bel’Sara had closed her eyes again, listening intently to something only she could hear.
“Incredible…” she murmured, just loud enough for the others to hear.
She opened her eyes and straightened up. “I must think about this. I will have many questions for you later. Do not leave the palace!” She turned to her companion. “Tell the servants to bring our luggage to my room. I need to study.”
“We look forward to our next conversation,” Mark said. “I have many questions, too.”
Mistress Bel’Sara shot him an irritated glance over her shoulder while walking towards one of the exits of the courtyard.
“Ah, mistress Bel’Sara,” Mark said, lifting his finger.
“What?” the woman asked in an exasperated tone without turning around.
“I think our group is occupying all the rooms down that floor,” Mark said. “There are three of us, you see. You might want to ask the servants where they intend to host you.”
For a moment, Bel’Sara just stood there. Then she spun around and walked off in the opposite direction after her companion. She didn’t look their way once.
When she had almost reached the other doorway, Atissa decided to be brave and address her.
“Mistress Bel’Sara, do you know if they intend to send help to the Half-Moon Valley?”
This time Bel’Sara turned half around to her. “The Half-Moon valley? If I’m right about you, you have much larger challenges ahead than that place.” She looked to the side, her eyes unfocusing. “I’m not even sure what exactly I might be right about.”
“But what about my uncle and the others?” Atissa asked. They had come here for help, but nobody seemed to be thinking about that.
Mark stepped forward and laid a hand on Atissa’s shoulder. “When we departed, a group of refugees set out to cross the mountains. They don’t have enough food for the journey, and some are wounded. I expect when the men in the lobby hear of this, they will want to meet them right away. We would be grateful if you could help us convince Delios or the anax to support that endeavor.”
When Bel’Sara looked their way, her eyes seemed to linger on the hand resting on Atissa’s shoulder for a moment. “I will talk to them later. It might not be easy with the Assanaten threat looming, but I have some influence here.”
“Thank you,” Mark said, bowing his head slightly.
“Yes, thank you!” Atissa said quickly, following Mark’s lead and bowing to the magi.
Mistress Bel’Sara nodded graciously and disappeared through the door.
“Do you think we will get help?” Atissa asked anxiously.
“I’m sure we will,” Mark said. Then he sighed. “Let’s go and see your people. And afterward, you need to eat something.”
Atissa’s stomach informed her that it agreed with the plan. Distracted by everything around her, she hadn’t noticed until now. When was the last time she ate something? It had to have been on the boat.
Mark started walking with long strides and Atissa hurried to keep pace. “You think the rulers of Riadnos will listen to mistress Bel’Sara?”
Looking ahead, Mark took a moment before he answered. “I think that mistress Bel’Sara wants something from you. Using her evident influence with the local rulers is a simple way to buy our goodwill.”
That made Atissa think. A powerful magi wants to buy my goodwill? It sounded crazy in her head.
“Supporting the expedition shouldn’t cost them much,” Mark said. “Food, clothing, weapons. Maybe some animals if you can take those through the mountains. Mistress Bel’Sara might pretend that she had to expend quite some effort to make it happen. If she does, pretend you believe her and thank her.”
“I should thank you,” Atissa said. “I am sure…I don’t believe I could have convinced her to help us.”
“It seems the people here feel enormous awe, maybe even fear, for mistress Bel’Sara. She might be used to getting her way without having to take the interests of others into too much consideration.” He raised his finger while he explained. “It’s important to establish the type of relationship you want to have early on. Remember, your cooperation doesn’t come for free. A favor like this is ideal because it costs her next to nothing. It would be different if you would ask her to send an army into the Half-Moon Valley.”
Atissa just nodded. How was she supposed to barter with somebody like mistress Bel’Sara? Once more she was grateful that she had Mark’s help.
“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
He glanced down at her but didn’t respond. For most people, his face would be unreadable, but they had spent enough time together for Atissa to pick up on the nuances. Was there a hint of surprise?
Despite everything Atissa had to smile. She looked away quickly so he wouldn’t see.
Delios had said nothing about sending help. Nothing about marching warriors over the mountains. What had everybody been doing while she had been asleep?
Atissa was aware of the strangeness of her situation, standing in a palace surrounded by things she had never dreamed of. She’d never even slept in a house made from stone before. And just now, she had met the anax’s son. If Mark took her with him, she might even meet the anax himself.
Right now, she didn’t care about any of that. Should she ask Mark to take her with him when he went to see the anax? Would the anax send help?
Atissa didn’t believe for a moment that she could do a better job of pleading their case than Mark. She just hated feeling useless.
“And where did you get that staff!?” the magi asked, her voice slightly raised. The hard tone brought Atissa back into the moment.
“I found it in the woods,” Mark said. His voice was calm but standing close to him Atissa could see the tension in his shoulders. Did he expect things to get violent? Why?
Remembering the Assanaten magi burning down Dennia’s home, she didn’t want to imagine what Mark and this Bel’Sara could do to the palace. While the outer walls were built from solid stone, the ceiling and furniture were made from wood.
“In the woods?”
“Yes. About a week ago,” Mark said, gesturing towards the furniture below the sheltered part of the courtyard. “May I suggest that we have a seat?”
“You will stay there and answer my questions until I’m convinced that you did not steal that staff from its rightful owner.” This time the threat was clear. The note of controlled anger in the magi’s voice couldn’t be missed.
Still, Bel’Sara’s posture was relaxed. She’d sent Delios and his warriors away as if she didn’t expect any threat from them at all. Or did she believe that the warriors would be of no help in a confrontation with Mark and wanted to protect their lives? Atissa couldn’t say.
Feeling eyes burning on her, she shifted her attention to Bel’Sara’s companion. The girl’s hand was resting on the knife on her belt. She had clearly identified Atissa as her opponent if things turned violent, leaving the magi to fight their battles with the powers of the gods.
Atissa swallowed. The girl couldn’t be much older than her. Maybe seventeen. But she was almost a head taller. And she was armed.
Atissa felt her hand wandering to the place where her short copper knife would usually be. It was not there. She’d left it in her room with the rest of her equipment, feeling it was somehow inappropriate in these surroundings.
“Very well,” Mark said, calmly. “What do you want to know? Should I give a more detailed description of how I found the stick? I mean staff.”
Bel’Sara frowned. “Who are you? Common thieves do not talk like that.”
“I hope that works in my favor then. My name is Mark Douglas. This is my companion, Atissa. We met in the woods of the Half-Moon Valley, where I had been wandering around more or less aimlessly after my accident.”
“Markdougles… is that the name you gave to the crew of the ship that picked you up?”
“Yes?”
“Did you tell them that you were a sage of the circle of Nemki?”
“I don’t know what a sage is.”
Bel’Sara fell silent, her eyes looking past them as she thought through Mark’s words.
Atissa and Mark exchanged a quick glance. If he knew what the other magi was thinking, his expression didn’t show it.
Bel’Sara looked up again, fixating on Mark. “The staff, you say you just found it?” She didn’t try to hide her doubts.
Mark hesitated for a moment. “No, I didn’t just find it. I had been traveling on a road…”
“As far as I know, there are no roads in the Half-Moon Valley!” Bel’Sara said, interrupting Mark. “That place is deep in the mountains, far away from any civilization.”
Atissa felt a bit offended at the last remark but decided to keep quiet. This magi didn’t seem like a very nice person, and she didn’t want to set her off.
Mark nodded, conciliatory. “I was traveling on a road somewhere else. A completely different place. I was traveling at night. Then without any warning, there was thick fog, and I must have driven my…wagon off the road. I ended up in, what I think was a dry riverbed.” He shrugged and continued to explain how he had stumbled over the staff climbing out of the riverbed and how he had wandered through the woods until he had run into Atissa.
Atissa could tell that he was leaving things out, remembering some of the strange names he had asked about when they had first met. The version of events he was telling right now was simpler, devoid of most of that strangeness. Yet, as far as she could tell, he never lied. Glancing over at Bel’Sara’s mistrustful face, this was probably a wise thing.
Seeing Mark patiently trying to avoid a confrontation with the other magi, she decided to nod along, to support his words. Any advice he had ever given her had always been wise – so much so that Atissa felt she trusted him completely. Without him, she wouldn’t be here. And uncle would be dead, she thought.
“And you just stumbled over that staff?” Bel’Sara seemed unconvinced.
“Yes,” Mark said, with stoic patience. “You can have it if you want. I only care about finding a way back to where I came from. On the way”, he waved to Atissa, ”I am trying to help the people that helped me when I was lost.”
“Master Mar’Doug?” One of the servants had approached them from inside the house.
“Yes?”
“The man, Tepras, and a companion have arrived,” the servant said.
Atissa’s throat went dry. During the weird standoff with Bel’Sara, she had completely forgotten that they expected the men from the Drive to come by.
“Thank you,” Mark said. “Could you have them wait in the hall by the entrance? There are banks there, right?”
“Of course, master!” Possibly sensing the tense atmosphere, the servant hurried away.
“We aren’t done talking yet!” Bel’Sara said in a sharp tone.
“I understand. It’s just that Atissa needs to go and talk to her people. They deserve to hear what happened to their homes and families. We can continue our conversation over here.” He pointed in the direction of the furniture again. “In the shade.”
Bel’Sara made a sour face. Mark’s reasonableness seemed to annoy her. A part of Atissa wished the magi would demand her to stay. Why did she have to be the one to tell the men that their homes had been burned and their families were either fleeing through the mountains or had been captured by the Assanaten? They would have many questions, most of which she wouldn’t be able to answer.
And of course, there was Tepras. She swallowed. He would learn that his eldest son had died only a day ago and he hadn’t even been at the funeral. If only she’d been conscious at the time, she could have somehow let him know.
“Fine.” Bel’Sara gave a dismissive wave, turning toward the furnished area.
Atissa’s heart sank.
Mark gave her an encouraging smile before following Bel’Sara.
Accepting the inevitability of the situation Atissa turned in the direction of the entrance hall. Should she have asked Mark for help? No, this is not his responsibility, she thought.
Besides it would make her look like a child. Uncle Tatros always said that being an adult meant facing your fears and taking their measure. If they were bigger than you, run away. But the facing came first.
“Halt!”
Atissa spun around. The shout had come from across the yard.
There ten steps ahead of Mark stood mistress Bel’Sara, pointing at her. Even from this far away Atissa could see shock on the woman’s face. Her mouth gaping open, her eyes wide. What is wrong with this person, Atissa thought?
Both Mark and Bel’Sara’s female companion seemed to be as startled as Atissa. Their eyes were darting nervously back and forth between Atissa and the magi, trying to grasp what was going on.
“Come back!” Bel’Sara said, waving. “Please, come here.”
Confused, Atissa looked at Mark. What should I do?
After two heartbeats, he nodded.
Atissa walked back, wishing again for her bow or at least her knife.
Once again, she thought about how strange Mark was. But magi were supposed to be like that – strange and mysterious. Maybe this mistress Bel’Sara was just strange in a different way. Or she might be crazy, Atissa thought.
She walked past Mark, exchanging a glance. He displayed his usual neutral expression. Did he have an idea what was going on? She couldn’t tell.
“Wait!” Bel’Sara said. “Stay where you are.”
Again, she looked up at Mark, standing next to her. His eyes were on the older woman.
Bel’Sara definitely kept you guessing when it came to her mood. In a short while she’d moved from a stoic, neutral demeanor not dissimilar to Mark’s, to angry then sour-faced, and now the wide and piercing gaze she was currently displaying.
Probably crazy, Atissa thought. There were those kinds of stories, too.
“Walk over there!” Bel’Sara said, pointing to the side. She closed her eyes and tilted her head as if trying to listen to something. Something very faint.
Atissa was just about to follow her command when Mark placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Mistress Bel’Sara, would you mind explaining what is going on?” he asked.
“Go!” Bel’Sara said, without opening her eyes. “Over there!”
“I promise we’re willing to cooperate,” Mark said, giving Atissa’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Bel’Sara opened her eyes, staring at Mark with barely hidden irritation. Atissa couldn’t deny the impact Bel’Sara’s presence had on her. Somehow the short woman seemed to loom over them.
Mark remained unfazed. You probably have to be a magi to feel confident facing a magi, Atissa thought.
The courtyard stayed silent for a moment, as the two magi continued looking at each other.
“Please… master Mar’Doug”, Bel’Sara said, through her teeth, “this is very important.”
“I understand. You will explain it to us after you have conducted your experiment?”
Bel’Sara nodded.
Mark took his hand off Atissa’s shoulder, so she was free to follow Bel’Sara’s instructions walking a couple of steps to the side. The whole time her eyes were transfixed on the magi.
Bel’Sara had closed her eyes again, listening intently to something only she could hear.
“Incredible…” she murmured, just loud enough for the others to hear.
She opened her eyes and straightened up. “I must think about this. I will have many questions for you later. Do not leave the palace!” She turned to her companion. “Tell the servants to bring our luggage to my room. I need to study.”
“We look forward to our next conversation,” Mark said. “I have many questions, too.”
Mistress Bel’Sara shot him an irritated glance over her shoulder while walking towards one of the exits of the courtyard.
“Ah, mistress Bel’Sara,” Mark said, lifting his finger.
“What?” the woman asked in an exasperated tone without turning around.
“I think our group is occupying all the rooms down that floor,” Mark said. “There are three of us, you see. You might want to ask the servants where they intend to host you.”
For a moment, Bel’Sara just stood there. Then she spun around and walked off in the opposite direction after her companion. She didn’t look their way once.
When she had almost reached the other doorway, Atissa decided to be brave and address her.
“Mistress Bel’Sara, do you know if they intend to send help to the Half-Moon Valley?”
This time Bel’Sara turned half around to her. “The Half-Moon valley? If I’m right about you, you have much larger challenges ahead than that place.” She looked to the side, her eyes unfocusing. “I’m not even sure what exactly I might be right about.”
“But what about my uncle and the others?” Atissa asked. They had come here for help, but nobody seemed to be thinking about that.
Mark stepped forward and laid a hand on Atissa’s shoulder. “When we departed, a group of refugees set out to cross the mountains. They don’t have enough food for the journey, and some are wounded. I expect when the men in the lobby hear of this, they will want to meet them right away. We would be grateful if you could help us convince Delios or the anax to support that endeavor.”
When Bel’Sara looked their way, her eyes seemed to linger on the hand resting on Atissa’s shoulder for a moment. “I will talk to them later. It might not be easy with the Assanaten threat looming, but I have some influence here.”
“Thank you,” Mark said, bowing his head slightly.
“Yes, thank you!” Atissa said quickly, following Mark’s lead and bowing to the magi.
Mistress Bel’Sara nodded graciously and disappeared through the door.
“Do you think we will get help?” Atissa asked anxiously.
“I’m sure we will,” Mark said. Then he sighed. “Let’s go and see your people. And afterward, you need to eat something.”
Atissa’s stomach informed her that it agreed with the plan. Distracted by everything around her, she hadn’t noticed until now. When was the last time she ate something? It had to have been on the boat.
Mark started walking with long strides and Atissa hurried to keep pace. “You think the rulers of Riadnos will listen to mistress Bel’Sara?”
Looking ahead, Mark took a moment before he answered. “I think that mistress Bel’Sara wants something from you. Using her evident influence with the local rulers is a simple way to buy our goodwill.”
That made Atissa think. A powerful magi wants to buy my goodwill? It sounded crazy in her head.
“Supporting the expedition shouldn’t cost them much,” Mark said. “Food, clothing, weapons. Maybe some animals if you can take those through the mountains. Mistress Bel’Sara might pretend that she had to expend quite some effort to make it happen. If she does, pretend you believe her and thank her.”
“I should thank you,” Atissa said. “I am sure…I don’t believe I could have convinced her to help us.”
“It seems the people here feel enormous awe, maybe even fear, for mistress Bel’Sara. She might be used to getting her way without having to take the interests of others into too much consideration.” He raised his finger while he explained. “It’s important to establish the type of relationship you want to have early on. Remember, your cooperation doesn’t come for free. A favor like this is ideal because it costs her next to nothing. It would be different if you would ask her to send an army into the Half-Moon Valley.”
Atissa just nodded. How was she supposed to barter with somebody like mistress Bel’Sara? Once more she was grateful that she had Mark’s help.
“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
He glanced down at her but didn’t respond. For most people, his face would be unreadable, but they had spent enough time together for Atissa to pick up on the nuances. Was there a hint of surprise?
Despite everything Atissa had to smile. She looked away quickly so he wouldn’t see.
