eyes and took a deep breath. If all failed, he could talk his way out of it. He hadn’t told Albinus the truth. As far as anyone knew, the saddle was a gift for Catria and Sorcha. That wasn’t a crime.
But if the guards confiscated the saddle, Tauran would never get it back. There was a chance Albinus would reject another secret commission after a scare like this. Which meant... Kalai would never get to fly.
Tauran squeezed his eyes closed and swore under his breath. He had made Kalai a promise. He knew how much this meant to him, how much he yearned to fly. If he couldn’t bring him that saddle, Tauran might as well never return to the archive, because there was no way he could bear facing Kalai’s disappointment.
The sound of the wagon door made Tauran open his eyes.
It was now or never.
Before he had even fully formed a plan, he left his precarious hiding spot and raced for the shop entrance.
Tauran scanned the saddle racks in the front of the store, then continued past the counter to the back room. He looked around frantically. The back room was a mess of half-finished projects and tools scattered on every surface. He pushed aside a box of leather scraps. Surely, the guards had secured Albinus in the wagon by now and were on their way back for the saddle.
A shimmer made him spin.
There, in the corner. Propped up on a display was the saddle, shining in white and silver.
Tauran had no time to stop and admire the craftsmanship. He scaled a box of tools, grabbed a tarp, tossed it over the saddle, then wrapped both arms underneath it and gathered up the trailing straps as best he could. Footsteps grew louder in the gravel outside. Tauran turned, the toe of his left boot catching on something discarded on the floor as he maneuvered through the cramped back room, grateful the lightweight swiftwing saddle was no bigger than one for a pony. He made it to the back alley door as the footsteps clicked against the floors of the front room. Tauran used his elbow to push tge door open and slipped outside. Curled his ankle around the trailing straps. The guard was in the back room. No time to close the alley door. Tauran froze, breath stilling in his lungs.
Don’t look at the door. Don’t look at the door.
Bumps and shifted boxes. Silence. Then the guard called out, “Hollus! Where’d you leave the saddle?”
“What?” the other guard called from outside.
Tauran’s heart skipped. The guard’s voice sounded like it came from just beside the door. Tauran might be able to explain why he had the saddle made, but it would be close to impossible to explain why he got caught trying to sneak it out of the shop as its maker was getting arrested.
The guard sighed, followed by the sound of footsteps growing fainter. “I said...”
Tauran leaned his head against the wall and released the breath he’d been holding.
Hoisting the saddle up higher, he fled into the alley as fast as his leg would allow.
CHAPTER 21
Kalai stepped into the archive, not caring to remove his jacket or boots. Bee-lining for the desk, he pulled out the drawer, grabbed the medicine box and flicked open the lid. The first vial was empty, and he discarded it with a groan of annoyance. He heard it roll off the desk, but didn’t care. The second one was half full, and he shook two pills into his palm and swallowed them dry.
He was doing so well. He had been feeling fantastic these last few weeks. He couldn’t remember if he had forgotten the morning’s dose. He had to pay better attention from now on.
Sinking into the armchair, Kalai felt the tension slowly seep from his body.
He had wanted to tell Tauran about the rug at the ceremony. But when they’d spoken after the celebrations, Tauran had been so happy, so at ease, that Kalai couldn’t get himself to ruin his mood. As distressing as it was, whatever had transpired had done so weeks ago, and nothing bad had happened, since. It could wait a few more days.
And Tauran’s mood wasn’t the only good news.
A smile tugged at the corners of Kalai’s mouth.
Arrow’s saddle was done.
He could be flying as early as the end of this week.
Really flying for the first time.
He had never wished for anything else as ardently. He had begged Tauran to tell him what the saddle would look like, but