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“Sure, sure,” I said. “I think I’m going to find Bryn.” The fact that Lance had brought her up made me want to see her again. My need to make sure she was safe overpowered anything else.

Chapter 20

Bryn

Tavi accompanied me to the garden. I’d reached out to her telepathically, asking if she’d like a change of pace, and she agreed.

We entered the gardens, the scent on the air shifting from clear and pine-scented to the comforting aromas of moist soil and fresh vegetation. I’d heard that the crops had withered during the short span of Troy’s reign, and as familiar as the garden looked, I saw that things were different.

In my memory, I saw lush fields filled with rich life, with bees and butterflies flitting from flower to flower. The growing plants looked healthy, but the fields weren’t as plentiful. Harvesting of the vegetables would account for some but not all of that loss. It hurt my heart to see how Troy’s evil had hurt the health of the land.

“Wow,” Tavi said. “This is pretty amazi