Hazel rose from the table and trailed after the nobles as they headed towards the entrance of the tavern. As she walked, her mind was already working to come up with new ways to incorporate the herbs Jane had recommended. She was pleased to hear that they were so close to finding a cure for the thief’s illness. With the success of the last medicine and Jane’s knowledge of how to cure blood clotting—a symptom the herbalist had never heard of before—she felt confident that the next remedy she created would be the one to heal him of his disease.

She stepped onto the road, closing the door to the Ivory Hatchet behind her and drawing her cloak around her shoulders. As she turned to head northwest to the thieves’ camp, she hesitated, glancing back over her shoulder at the tavern. Following a hunch, she narrowed her eyes and hissed, “Crow.”

There was a moment of silence before a figure rounded the corner of the building. The thief’s eyes were fixed on the ground and his hands were shoved in his pockets as he stepped into her view. “How did you know I followed you?” he asked in a low voice.

“I didn’t until just now,” she smirked, pleased with herself for outsmarting him.

With a slight flush on his cheeks, Crow shot her a glare before averting his gaze again, “I know you told me to stay behind, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to see her.”

“Uh huh,” Hazel crossed her arms irritably. Earlier that night, when she had been preparing to leave the cavern, the thief had insisted on joining her on her trip to Myrefall now that he was able to walk again. She had adamantly denied his request, since he wasn’t well enough to travel in her opinion, and she wasn’t sure how Jane would have reacted if she had seen him. If the physician recognized him, she might realize that Hazel and Crow knew each other—or worse, that Crow knew Penelope—and stop agreeing to meet with her altogether. She wasn’t about to let him ruin her chance at finding a cure for his illness just because he was too impatient to wait until he was feeling better to see his lover again.

“Tell me something,” she went on, curling her lip slightly. “Do any of the others know you’re here?”

“No,” Crow shifted his weight. “I left after they fell asleep.”

“What would you have done if something went wrong?” she asked. “No one knew you were out here. If your illness had gotten worse, or if a knight had caught you, none of us would have ever known what happened. Did you think about that?”

“I suppose not,” he answered and then shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter. You don’t understand, love. I haven’t seen Penelope in two weeks. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.”

“Was it really worth it, just to catch a glimpse of her back?” Hazel said dryly.

“I was hoping to stop her before she left,” he admitted. “But I couldn’t get close with that physician at her side.”

“Gods,” Hazel pinched the bridge of her nose. “You really didn’t think this through, did you, moron?”

“I’m doing the best I can,” Crow glowered at her. “Let’s see you try to go two weeks without seeing Simon without losing some of your rationality.”

The herbalist wavered at that. As much as she hated to admit it, she could understand his point. If she had to be separated from Simon for so long, it would drive her mad. After a moment, she let out a reluctant sigh. “Fine,” her gaze softened slightly. “I have a compromise: If—and only if—your next batch of medicine has positive results, I’ll talk to Penelope after our next meeting to arrange a time for you two to see each other. Until then, you will keep your nose out of my business. Deal?”

“Deal,” Crow nodded eagerly, visibly relaxing at the idea of seeing his noble lover again.

“Glad we got that sorted out,” she muttered, turning back towards the camp. “Come on, let’s go. It’s late, and I’m tired.”

Crow nodded again and trotted to catch up with her. The two talked idly as they made their way back to the tunnels to get some sleep for the night.