Chapter 11
Peaceable“Unbelievable,” she muttered. Panic squeezed her chest, but she took a deep breath and mentally counted backward, naming the seven virtues. Panic would not help.
Patience. Humility. Kindness. Fortitude. Justice.
Her mind blanked, unable to remember the last two. After fleeing Talmar, her parents hadn’t emphasized them.
Forgiveness. Prudence.
Ah, yes. Her parents held grudges from the old world, and she failed to practice the last virtue enough.
“That was the original system, so there must be an emergency backup. You are too frugal to have it removed,” she said.
“Are you calling me cheap?” His tone implied amusement rather than insult.
How could he make jokes? Had he no sense of self-preservation?
“I am saying that you are a practical male,” she said, struggling
