Pepin had exhausted the principle of patience. He launched the maps and scrolls onto the floor with an angry swipe. Aoife had been missing for an entire day and night, and every plan they had explored so far endangered lives. He punched the table in disappointment, angered by his own limitations. Unlike Pepin, Caius was sitting down rubbing his temples with his eyes closed, determined to find a solution in the crevices of his mind. He couldn’t lose Winnie, not when she was finally fully his, like he had been hers from the start. If a solution couldn’t be found soon, both mates insisted they would rescue them alone, regardless of the risk. It was only the respect they had for Conri’s and Fidella’s judgement that had prevented them so far.
The smell of pumpkin and vanilla stopped Pepin’s p
