“That’s nice of you,” I said automatically. “But I don’t know if I’ll ever have reason to attack with a ranged weapon.”

   “We attack however we need to,” she returned. “Now. Let’s gather the others and go into town. We’re actually going to Grant’s store.”

   I tried not to gasp. There were a number of supply stores in town, but of course, Aiana would only go to one place to buy frontier apparel and supplies. And even though Grant had wreaked such havoc with my life, a traitorous part of me wanted to catch a glimpse of him. When combined with an outing among my best friends, the day suddenly became more interesting.

   I’d actually never been inside Winslow & Elliott. Shelves and hooks held all sorts of supplies, everything from heavy mining and farming equipment to racks of apparel to horse and wagon gear. Grant worked behind the counter, assisting the store’s many customers, but never so much as glanced at me. He was perfectly aware of our entrance, though, and even offered Aiana a brief hello in Balanquan. Tamsin and Adelaide got nods of greeting too. But not me. My elevated mood plummeted.

   “Hey, remember Grant Elliott from the ship?” Adelaide whispered to me. “He’s working here.”

   “Who?”

   I moved as far away from him as I could and feigned great interest in browsing hardy textiles. Tamsin looked with me until Grant was ready to help Adelaide. I stayed where I was and tried in vain to ignore them as they spoke across the room. He sounded so pleasant in his helpful shopkeeper role, and it bothered me that I couldn’t tell if our fight truly hadn’t fazed him or if he was just concealing his feelings with another mask.

   When we walked out of the store, Aiana slipped me a small piece of paper while Adelaide and Tamsin chatted. “What’s this?”

   “Grant gave it to me at the store.” She shook her head, clearly displeased. “Maybe you aren’t cut out after all.”

   I clutched it in my hand until we got home, my heart beating furiously the whole time. A note for me. A note from Grant. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized just how desperately I needed something to fill that chasm between us. Maybe even to bridge it. What did he have to say to me? Was he really just following up on some leftover part of the case? Or was he trying to make peace? Hope began to blossom within me.

   I finally unfolded the paper in my room, sitting on my bed and hiding it behind a book so that Tamsin and Adelaide wouldn’t notice. My fragile hope nearly crumbled when I saw it wasn’t Grant’s writing until I realized—

   It was Lonzo’s.

CHAPTER 25

   I FRANTICALLY SPREAD THE PAPER OPEN ON THE PAGES OF THE book. Like me, Lonzo had used the old code of our father’s.

   Mira,

   You have no idea how happy I am to hear that you’re safe and sound on this side of the ocean. I’ve worried night after night about you in the slums of Osfro, and now I found out you’ll be the lady of a rich household! I admit, it’s hard for me to imagine you settling down as a demure wife. Something tells me you won’t actually be all that demure, though, so I hope you’ve chosen a man who appreciates your wild nature. And please don’t waste his money on me. I have sixty gold left on my bond, and I’ll pay it off myself in a year. I’ve volunteered with a crew that’s working on levees and drainage in some of the swampier lands. It’s dangerous work, but the money is good and far more than I’d make doing common plantation labor. I’m one of the strongest men here, and that’s what they need. Keep writing to me about your new life, and I’ll come to you once I’m free.

   With love,

   Lonzo

   I was glad my roommates were both busy about their own tasks because my expression probably looked ghastly. I knew about the efforts to tame the boggy areas down in Osfrid’s unincorporated territories. I knew a great deal about it, actually. I’d once danced with a man whose cousin was a surveyor, and a lesson in engineering had filled up most of the dance. Drainage was dangerous work. Extremely so. Men frequently died, both from accidents and sickness.

   Sixty gold. I had to secure sixty gold—and I had to do it quickly. I couldn’t risk Lonzo staying there a moment longer. Grant’s reward—if it had ever come—would have helped immensely, but that was off the table now. My work with Tom so far had yielded fifteen gold. Getting the rest was possible, but how long would it take? I could marry Rupert now and have the money right away . . . but no matter how nice he was, I still wanted to hold off on that if I could. Except . . . could I really? Even if I made the rest of the bond through Tom’s jobs, there was no way I’d earn enough to pay my own contract in time. I’d have to marry Rupert regardless.

   I rubbed my eyes, frustrated at my lack of options. Tom, I decided. It would have to be Tom. He’d always hinted at bigger jobs that were morally ambiguous, and I’d loftily turned them down. But now? With Lonzo on the line? How far would I go?

   I looked down at the letter and ran my fingers over the familiar handwriting. The pain of missing him filled every part of me. And I was surprised at the effect seeing Sirminican had on me. I spoke Osfridian with such ease now that my native language had almost ceased to exist for me. The words before me, even out of order from the encryption, triggered a flood of memories, and I suddenly longed to see the green foothills near my family’s farm and the graceful spires of Santa Luz.

   The Empire’s part of me. I feel it inside.

   A new understanding of Grant’s words hit me and, with them, a pang of guilt. No matter what he said, an element of revenge still drove him. It was obvious in how he described his uncle. But I realized now that there really was more to his wanting to return and that I had misjudged it. Was that enough to offset everything else he’d said and done that night? The spark of anger kindling in me said no.

   I focused back on the letter and again pondered the question of how far I’d go for Lonzo. The answer came quickly: as far as I needed to.