Sage slowly turned around, a shiver running down the length of his spine. Was another god paying him a visit? Maybe Carmine, back in wolf form? Or had someone overheard his conversation with Tawny?

Neither option was good.

His eyes scanned the surrounding woods, and at first, he didn't see anything. Just layers of green foliage split by the narrow path, and sunlight filtering down through the leaves, dots of yellow intermingling with splotches of shadow.

Then several sparrows let out a warning call, and there was another rustling. Sage squinted, his eyes focusing on the edge of the path, about ten paces back.

Slender fingers gripped at the white bark of one of the many birch trees, and a silhouette of a slim shoulder was just visible, sticking out from the side of the tall, thin trunk. A moment later the spy peeked around, revealing a blonde shock of hair, and Sage shook his head in disbelief.

"Wh-" a question formed on Sage's lips as his eyebrows furrowed, but he couldn't form a complete question. He felt nauseous as his mind tried to remember what exactly he had said to Tawny. How much had he revealed?

Violet stepped around the tree and faced him. As pinprick sunbeams rained through the canopy of leaves, glints of copper danced in her eyes. Neither of them spoke at first. Sage too stunned, and Violet standing sheepishly.

He wondered if she was embarrassed by what she had overheard. If she had pieced together why he was there–the truth about his unchanged body–then he was surprised that she could manage to look at him. She must be so ashamed. Disgusted.

Two squirrels went running up a tree with loud chitters, breaking the silence. Violet's entire demeanor changed. She stood straighter and stepped forward. "That was actually Tawny, wasn't it?" she asked, full of awe.

Sage swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes."

"I can't believe Tawny visited you." Violet's face split into a smile, all reticence washing away. "To be in the presence of an actual god!"

As Violet continued to walk forward, Sage stepped back, still unsure about what she had heard. "How are you here?" his voice trembled.

"I–" She froze, her face falling with uncertainty. "I saw you leaving this morning."

"So you followed me?" he said with narrowed eyes.

"Sage..." Violet reached out a hand, but then froze, her hand suspended in midair.

Sage's head lolled back, and he ran a hand over his short hair. "Why didn't you call out? Don't you trust me?" Anger tinged his voice.

"You misunderstand," she said, her tone matching his.

He threw up his hands. "Well?"

"Well, I saw you leave, but I didn't follow you right away. I was only in my nightgown! So I slipped into my dress and found my shawl, and by the time I got outside, you were well off."

"So you tracked me? Why?"

She paused, her jaw clenched and unclenched. Then she shook her head slightly and spoke. "I was afraid you were going to do something rash."

"Rash?" Sage had no idea what she could have thought he was up to. Did it have something to do with what Timaeus had said about his father? Had he said something to her? Did she doubt his character? His intentions?

Violet took a deep breath. "I just know how upset you were about the sheep yesterday. And also, as the wedding draws nearer, you seem... anxious." She looked away, blinking.

Sage looked down at his hands. His mud-crusted fingers and calloused palms were evidence of his masculine labors, but his narrow nail beds and thin wrists mocked him with their femininity. All he wanted was the gods to fulfill their promises to his mother so he could live the life he was meant to have. Had he been pushing Violet away without even knowing it? Was that what Tawny was hinting at? He felt like such a fool. Still staring at his hands, Sage said, "There is just something that I need to take care of, that's all."

When he looked back up, Violet had stepped closer and was looking directly at him. "You know I love you, right?"

Something about the way she said the words made his stomach tense up. "How much of my conversation with Tawny did you hear?"

"Sage?" Violet reached out her hand, fingertips grazing his cheek and tracing his ear. "Did you think that I didn't know?"

Was this a trick? Another test of the gods? Sage's stomach flipped, and he nearly gagged on the saliva that suddenly filled his mouth. "Kn–know?" he stuttered.

She cocked her head. "We've been attached to the hip since before we knew how to count to ten. There isn't anything about you I don't know... and there isn't anything about you I don't love."

"But... but you never said anything." He felt dizzy. The ground threatened to swallow him up.

Violet remained steadfast in both posture and tone. "What was there to say?"

Sage was suddenly filled with a flood of emotions that threatened to drown him. He could already feel his lungs gasping for air as waves of relief and love and new anxieties engulfed him. "What about our wedding?"

"What about it?" she asked.

"If..." He couldn't bring himself to say it and instead gestured at his body. "If the gods don't fix their mistake, then our marriage can never be..." he searched for the word, "fruitful."

She laughed, deep and real, and then, with her lips still spread out in a smile, she leaned forward and brought her mouth to his. "I never realized how lacking you are in imagination." She breathed the words into him and then drew him in for a kiss.

A rush of heat poured down on him, and Sage felt like his body melted against hers, their shapes becoming congruent.

With a sudden frenzy, Sage grasped at her waist and he pressed against her, his mouth wanting more. But she brought up her hands and gently pushed him back.

"Woah, easy boy." Violet clucked her tongue. "We're not married yet."

A laugh escaped from his throat. The joy from the moment seemed to emanate from his pores. "But we will be soon?"

"Of course." She let her hands trail down his chest before dropping away. And for the first time, Sage felt more excitement than anxiety from her touching him there.

"Even if the gods don't fulfill their promise?"

"I never knew there was a promise." She shrugged.

"But..." His mind was still adjusting to this shift. "Who else knows?"

"I doubt anyone does. At least, I've never heard it spoken about. Not by Jason, or my parents, or, well, anyone."

Sage considered this. Violet knew about his body and didn't seem to care. Or, if she had cared once, she didn't now. But because her father didn't know, then it didn't affect the betrothal.

A weight was lifted from Sage's shoulders. An external weight that he had been carrying around. But he also had a revelation. The truth was as clear as the dawn light. "The gods still need to fix my body," he said, as sure as he was about his love for the girl standing in front of him.

"Of course they do," she agreed without hesitation. "And I will help you."

"You will?"

"Yes. And I can start by helping you get those plants. You know, ginger and winter cherry are both relatively common, but barrenwort isn't."

Sage held out his palms. "I know nothing about plants."

"Good thing you have me." She smiled. "Barrenwort can only be found in Cerikipos."

"Isn't that where Cerise's temple is?"

"Yes," Violet confirmed. "It's on the other side of the bay, but we could do it."

"We?" repeated her word. "I could never ask you to take on such a task."

"You didn't ask. I told you. I'm helping you."

Sage looked at her, and–maybe for the first time–he really saw her: the strength in her quiet stance, the fierce loyalty etched into the depth of her eyes. Tawny was right. Loyalty was stronger than love. This was no flickering flame. It was the burning ember of coal. Just as hot, but more reliable and lasting. Substantial.

And then he remembered what else Tawny had said. "The flock!"

"What about the flock?"

"I can't believe I just abandoned them this morning! Your father is going to kill me... Or worse, call off the wedding!" He started pacing.

"Don't worry," Violet assured him. "Jason is there."

"But didn't you hear what Tawny said? She said not to leave the flock."

"How can he gather those roots without leaving the flock?" she asked. "Take them with us?" she scoffed.

Sage shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't just go running off. We need to... we need to... do something first."

Violet grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. "Okay. But whatever we do, let's do it together."