Page 34 of A Curse of Breath and Blood

“Shhh.” I widened my eyes and held up a calming hand. “Did it ever occur to you to tell me that not only did Caiden have a wife but that she died?”

Amolie’s eyes fell to her feet. “I didn’t think you could handle it.”

I clicked my tongue at her. “I’m notthatfragile.”

Amolie looked up at me, her brunette curls surrounding her face like a halo. “You werethatfragile for a long time. I didn’t want you to spiral.”

Amolie’s words struck me right in the heart. I knew I had been hard to be around for years. What else people were keeping from me?

“Did you meet her?” I pointed to some aged gouda behind the counter and signaled to the butcher I wanted the whole round.

“No, but Roderick mentioned she and Caiden were happy together.”

I flinched.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m glad he found happiness for a time.”I collected myself, pushing a stray hair back into place, before taking the cheese from the monger and sliding it into my satchel.

Amolie squeezed my hand.

“Are you going to tell me what has been going on with you and Roderick?”

Pink flushed her cheeks, and a beaming smile crossed her face. “Well, you know we’ve been close for a long time…”

“I do…”

“And well, recently, we decided to be together.” She dug her toe into the wood floor of the shop.

My mouth fell open in surprise. “You’re a couple?”

“You could put it that way,” Amolie said as she surveyed the contents of her satchel.

“Be careful. You know how he is. I remember Caiden having to pull him out of some precarious situations.” Roderick’s gift of honey tongue had led many lovers to his bed.

“He’s changed,” Amolie said, taking a salami wrapped in wax paper from the butcher.

I rolled my eyes. In my experience, people didn’t change. “You can let him know; if he hurts you, he’ll have me to deal with.”

Amolie laughed. “All right. I’ll let him know.”

A lump grew in my throat. “I am happy for you, Amolie.”

“Thank you, Aelia. It means a lot to me.”

“Of course…” I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “We’ve been through the wringer together. It’s time one of us found happiness.”

Amolie’s shoulders sank. “I will be sad to see you erase Caiden’s memories.”

“Me too,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Winter’s chill bit at us as we headed down the cobblestone street lined with townhomes toward the potions shop.

Pinky’s Potions gained fame for its extensive selection of rare herbs, crystals, and tonics. Pinky herself, a tall and slender witch with dark skin, a button nose, and her signature pink hair—the result of a tinting potion gone wrong—greeted us as we entered.

“Aelia, I see you’ve survived another contract,” she said, rearranging a shelf of brightly colored vials. A regular at Pinky’s, we knew each other well.

“Sorry to disappoint,” I said, heading for the medical section.

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