Page 19 of Bound By Honey

Sage had no desire to discover those darker interests at this time, so she kept her mouth shut and only nodded.

Asher grinned at her. "Most noble men and women our age have to marry their own kind, or they fall out of grace and lose everything. We, on the other hand, do not. We can do as we please. None of us are first sons and we won’t inherit our families' fortunes or responsibilities. No need to marry some noble girl we wouldn't want to be around for more than a few seconds."

Sage chewed her lip for a moment, not liking where this conversation was heading. "So why do you stay in the capital then?"

Prince Finn cleared his throat. "Because we have a mission to fulfill, and being a guild allows us access to the resources we need to do it. Other guilds would beat us to those resources if we lived outside the capital."

"That's where you come in, Sage," Colby added. "We've been looking for someone to help treat injuries without notifying our families. Something that the four of us have difficulty with, given our notoriety. Maybe even fill in as cook sometimes on our missions."

Sage burst out laughing. "You don't want me doing that. I'm a terrible cook."

"But you do know how to follow a recipe, right? How could you be a bad cook when you were trained as an apothecary?" Prince Finn asked.

"Have you ever had anything from an apothecary that tasted good?"

The four had thoughtful looks before they shook their heads no.

"Exactly. Sorry, I'm the last person you want preparing your meals. I can keep you alive, but I can't make them taste good. Can I ask a question, though?"

"Of course," Colby responded.

"What’s this mission you’re working on?"

Prince Finn placed his goblet on the table with athunk."That's not something we can divulge at this time. Just know that we will give you any information you need as you need it."

She nodded and turned her attention back to her plate. Somehow, she felt she was in trouble, and she wasn't sure why.

***

Sage walked to the apothecary her father had worked in, deep in thought.

The conversation from dinner the night before was still fresh in her mind. Had she stumbled on something she wasn't meant to know? She was no stranger to danger, as she had seen it often enough as an apothecary’s daughter. Helping him care for the sickest of patients, some she assumed were on the run from someone. But this felt different somehow, and a chill ran down her spine.

As she entered the familiar shop, Sage saw Will tending to customers behind the counter. His freshly cut sandy hair made his already sharp features appear even more so. If they hadn’t been friends since childhood she would almost think he was handsome, but there was too much history there for Sage to consider that.

He smiled warmly and waved her over.

"What brings you here today?" he said in a friendly greeting. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." He leaned against the counter.

She ran her fingers along some of the canisters lining the shelves, pausing as memories of watching her father work came flooding back.

Sage cleared her throat. "I was thinking of getting some ingredients for some remedies I'm making," she replied slowly, not wanting to give away too much information.

A look of concern spread across his face. "Are you sick? You've got to be taking better care of yourself. Especially with your parents gone."

"I'm fine. It's for a part-time job I picked up. Something to help cover the cost of room and board. It’s just a few remedies. Nothing serious."

He stared at her, perhaps looking for any signs of illness. Satisfied, he took her list, turned, and started gathering the ingredients.

"When do I get to come see your new place? You've been so secretive about it," Will said as he placed jars and herbs on the counter.

Unease settled in her gut. She couldn't let him see where she was staying. Will was incredibly protective of her, and if he knew she was living with the Charming Four, his reaction would be about as bad as she imagined her parents would be.

"I'd love to have you over sometime. I don't have much furniture yet, but I'll be getting some soon."

Will smiled. "That's fine. I've done a lot of camping, so I’m more than happy to sit on the floor."

He laughed when she playfully punched his arm.

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