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The bird was likely a crow or a raven. I hadn’t been granted one, but I knew they were sometimes given as messengers. And now I felt guilty for giving her a gift that wasn’t really a gift at all. I was no better than the Fates.
“What was it like, working for the Fates?” I asked, genuinely curious to hear about Penny’s experience.
“They were my port in a storm. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be today.”
Probably living a normal life in the mortal world, I thought—but I held my tongue.
“They saw potential in me. Said I was special.” Penny’s smile brightened. “They always encouraged me to be the best version of myself.”
The best weapon, she meant.
“It must’ve been hard when you were injured.”
Penny’s face grew pained. “It was the worst day of my life.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I meant it. I knew how she must’ve felt, discarded like a used napkin after years of loyal service.
Penny blinked away tears. “It isn’t often that a fury is unable to recover. I was one of the unlucky ones.”
Or one of the lucky ones, depending on your mindset. I forced my attention back to the reason for the pin. I needed to test Laurel’s handiwork. Establish a baseline.
“On the bright side, your fury training prepared you well for a job in island security.”
“That’s what Justine said during my interview. Nothing compares to the long arm of the Fates, though.”
“So I’ve heard.” I helped her load the weapons into a large cardboard box. “Then again, if you caught Meemaw doing magic, you’d look the other way, right? That would help grease the friendship wheels, if that’s important to you.”
She was a fury. There was no way on the gods’ green earth Penny would be able to look the other way.
“I don’t know,” Penny said.
The star didn’t change. No surprise. Her answer seemed honest. She didn’t know because what she wanted to do was in direct contradiction to what she’d learned to do.
“Have you ever killed anybody?” The question shot out of my mouth like a cannonball.
“No. I hadn’t advanced that far in my career.”
Damn. Honest again. What might Penny be willing to lie about?
“Is it just me, or does Justine look like Cruella de Vil’s long-lost sister?”
Penny didn’t miss a beat. “It’s just you.”
The star glowed with a reddish hue. Jackpot.
Satisfied, I lifted the box. “I’m going to clear these out of the office.”
“What about your half of the list?” Penny asked.
“Still working on it.”
“I can pick up your slack.”
I stopped at the door and turned to look at her. “My slack?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I was only volunteering to be helpful.”
Her star pin supported her statement. “It’s okay. You’re right. You completed your half. I should’ve been able to complete mine. I have a lot on my mind.”
