The next couple days were quiet... almost too quiet. Val couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding, like this was just the calm before the storm. Every time he was in the walls and heard a shout or laughter from the pub next door, he couldn't help but shudder. 

At least Sorrel was extra attentive to him, making sure to lock the front door and turn the sign to "closed" whenever he was out of the walls. She fussed over him a lot, too, always wanting to hold or keep him near her.

Val didn't mind any of this. If anything, Sorrel's presence was a comforting reminder that he was safe— at least whenever she was around.

"My cousin leaves town in the morning," Sorrel said a couple days later. The shop was closed for lunch, and she and Val were sitting in the breakroom. "Are you still alright to come home with me tomorrow after work?"

Val put down the bread he was picking at and nodded. If he was being honest, he was relieved at the idea of going home with Sorrel. Unless Sorrel was nearby, Val hadn't gone out of the walls since the incident. He was too scared that Landon and his friends might be looking for him to "prove" that Sorrel was a witch.

"Good," Sorrel smiled. "Have you packed yet?"

"Umm, mostly," Val said. Which was true. More than true, actually. He had packed everything he would need for Sorrel's the same day she had offered to let him stay with her. He was just too embarrassed to admit it. 

"Ah. Then are you going back into the walls to finish packing after lunch?"

Val immediately shook his head. "I-I can finish packing tonight," he told her. "I..."

He looked down, unable to finish his thought. He could have kept up with his little lie and gone into the walls to pretend to pack, but the truth was, he just didn't want to be away from her.

Sorrel hooked her finger under his chin, gently tilting his head up so that he'd have to look at her. "That's fine, Val, you don't have to try to explain yourself," she assured him. "Why don't you just stick with me for the rest of the day, hmm? You can hide in my pocket whenever there's a customer."

Val nodded quickly, feeling relieved. He would take any time with Sorrel that he could get. 

The rest of the day passed quickly. Too quickly by Val's standards. By the time Sorrel had to close up shop, Val was sad to see her go. He sat on the counter glumly, chin in hand.

I... I don't want to be alone, he thought with a shiver. His chest still ached from the rough handling by the men in the pub. Every time he closed his eyes, he could feel their fingers on him, squeezing and pulling at him relentlessly.

Val stared at Sorrel as she worked to tidy up the shop. The thought of spending another night alone in the empty apothecary, with those horrible men right on the other side of the wall... Well. Val didn't like it, to say the least. 

Not even Jinx was around, which wasn't too unusual. The cat came and went as he pleased, but Val was a little disheartened that his four-legged friend wasn't available to keep him company, either.

Please don't leave, he silently pleaded as he watched Sorrel finish wiping down the counter opposite him. Please don't go.

Sorrel turned around, and Val quickly tried to plaster a normal look on his face. Sorrel, of course, caught the shift in his expression, and she paused to look at him.

"Val, are you alright, sweetheart?" she asked, looking concerned.

Val opened his mouth, about to ask to go home with her right then and there, despite the fact that her cousin was still visiting.

But before he could, he caught himself. It's just one more night, he thought. I'll be fine. It's not smart or safe to go to Sorrel's right now, and it's not fair to Sorrel to ask her to try to hide me from her cousin.

So, he took a deep breath and gave her a faint smile. "I'm fine," he murmured. "I just wish it was tomorrow already, that's all. Being here alone... makes me nervous."

Sorrel's eyes softened. "I know, baby, I'm sorry," she offered, scooping him up and holding him close in a type of hug. "Just one more night, alright? I'm sending Lottie home in a carriage first thing tomorrow morning, and then I'm coming straight here to get you."

Val nodded silently, though he knew she couldn't see him from where he was pressed against her collarbone. 

Baby? he wondered to himself. She... certainly is using a lot more nicknames for me recently. Not... that I really mind it.

Finally, Sorrel pulled away and looked at him thoughtfully. Val just sat cupped in her palm, too embarrassed to meet her eye. Instead, he rubbed his arm awkwardly as he looked around the shop. 

If he had been looking at her, however, he might have noticed the somewhat hesitant look on her face, as if she was debating on whether or not to do something. 

But he missed that look, along with the decisive nod afterwards, and before Val could realize what she was doing, Sorrel had bowed her head over him and planted a light kiss on the side of his face.

Val whipped his head up to stare at her in astonishment, but she was already setting him back down on the counter and gathering her things. It might have been the dim lighting, but Val could've sworn he saw a light dusting of pink peeking out from underneath her freckles.

"Goodnight, Val," Sorrel finally said, turning back to where he was still standing there, frozen in shock. She brushed her fingertips against his cheek, her eyes soft. "I'll see you in the morning."

***

Sorrel hurried home, her face burning with embarrassment.

Idiot girl! she scolded herself. Why did you go and do a fool thing like that? You probably scared poor Val half to death with how close you got to him!

Val's surprised face popped into her mind, and Sorrel bit her lip. But... she mused. He didn't look afraid. More like... confused. And a little shy. 

She sighed and raked a hand through her hair in frustration. Her unruly curls were already falling out of her braid, as they usually did. They got in the way no matter how tightly she tied them back. 

"This is so unlike me," Sorrel mumbled, feeling confused. "Why would I kiss him, of all things?"

She was home before she knew it, her quick pace cutting her travel time short. As she walked inside, her cousin, Lottie, looked up from her seat in the rocking chair. Her blue eyes lit up, and she bounced out of the chair to greet Sorrel.

"Oh, Sorrel, darling, I'm so glad you're home!" she exclaimed, helping Sorrel out of her coat. She pouted a little. "It's so dreadfully dull in this lonely little mountain village, what with you working all day and all. How can you even stand this place?"

Sorrel patted her cousin's rosy cheek affectionately. "Hello to you too, Lottie," she said, brushing past her to get started on supper. "I wouldn't say you've been too bored, though. Unless my eyes were deceiving me, I could've sworn that I saw you in the village square this afternoon. You know, exchanging fond farewells with a certain flower shop owner?"

Lottie, who had followed Sorrel into the kitchen, blushed and giggled. "You caught me," she admitted, leaning against the doorframe. "He's promised to write me once I'm back in the city, and I promised to start selling flowers in my store, to remind me of him." 

She sighed dreamily, and Sorrel rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but smile, though. Lottie was the flirt in the family, as romantic as Sorrel was practical. She already had about half a dozen suitors back home. Sorrel reckoned Mr. Peters from the flower shop would be lucky to get even two replies to his letters. 

As Sorrel worked to reheat yesterday's leftovers, Lottie abruptly changed topics. "Anyway, I don't know why you're teasing me about being in love when you walk in here blushing to high heaven," she chided. "Come now, who is it?"

Sorrel looked up sharply, but Lottie just smiled, her face smug.

"I'm right, aren't I?" her cousin pressed. She leaned forward eagerly. "Oh, do tell, Sorrel! You're so rarely interested in anyone! Who is it? Is it that handsome fellow, the one who comes into the shop to get medicine for his mother and sweets for his sister? Oh, do say it is! I would simply die from happiness!"

Sorrel opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure of what to say. "It most certainly is not Kenneth," she finally shot back, once she had overcome her shock. "It isn't anyone. Because I'm not in love!"

Unfortunately, Lottie didn't buy it. "Oh, posh, Sorrel," she scoffed. "I've been in love enough times to recognize it when I see it. And you, my dear cousin, are in the thick of it."

"Wh- Why that's just preposterous!" Sorrel argued. But she suddenly remembered the little kiss she had given Val, and her blush returned.

"Aha!" Lottie yelled gleefully. "I knew it!" She moved around in front of Sorrel to pester her some more, but Sorrel just frowned and pushed her out of the way.

"Lottie!" she complained. "You're too close to the stove. You'll catch fire if you're not careful!"

Lottie just kept talking, oblivious to the way Sorrel was pushing her. "Come now, Sorrel!" she whined. "Is he handsome? Is he tall? Tell me all about him, hmm? Please? As a going-away gift for my last night here?"

Sorrel ignored her and plated up the food before taking it to the table. "Hush up and eat," she ordered Lottie, setting the dishes down. "We're waking up at dawn so that you can catch the stagecoach tomorrow, remember? We need to turn in early tonight."

Lottie made a face but pulled up a chair obediently and started in on her dinner. Sorrel mentally sighed in relief as she sat down as well. 

But she couldn't quite shake Lottie's words from her head, and without meaning to, her thoughts suddenly turned to Val. His sweet little face. His jewel-like green eyes. His quiet laugh.

Before she knew it, Sorrel was blushing again, and she quickly ducked her head down so that Lottie wouldn't see. 

In love? Me? she thought in disbelief. There's simply no way. 

***

Val went to bed early that night, tired from his anxious thoughts and the tense way he'd been carrying himself all day. 

Just one more night, he tried to reassure himself as he got settled in his blankets. Then Sorrel will be back, and I'll be going home with her. 

He lay on his side and stared at his little bag of packed belongings by the wall, trying to relax. As he lay there, however, his thoughts suddenly turned to the quick little kiss from earlier, and Val felt his face burn. 

"Oh, come off it, Val," he grumbled, turning over and pulling his blanket to his chin. "Sorrel didn't mean anything by it. She's just... a warm and affectionate person. That's all."

Val repeated that last thought until he fell asleep. But he wasn't asleep for very long. Not even a few hours later, Val woke with a start, confused as to why it was so hot and smokey in his nest.

He sat up quickly and winced, clutching at his bruised ribs. He had forgotten about those. Squinting in the hazy gloom, Val looked around, trying to find the source of the smoke.

I... didn't leave a torch lit, did I? he wondered worriedly, thinking about the several match heads he used for light in the walls. If one of those caught on something... this whole place would go up.

Val hurried to swing his legs out of bed and tugged on his boots. His nest in the walls wasn't very big, and the smoke quickly thickened and filled up the small space. 

I have to get out of here, Val thought desperately, tugging his shirt over his nose and mouth in a feeble attempt to filter the air. But... I can barely see. Wh-where's the exit?

The makeshift mask didn't do much good, and Val was soon doubled over and coughing as he stumbled through the smoke-filled walls. The heat was unbearable, and his eyes stung as he went, feeling along the walls for any way out.

Finding a narrow crevice at last, he wriggled his way out, coughing as tears streamed down his face. It was no less smokey in the shop.

"S-sorrel?" Val choked. "H-hello?"

He peered around the shop, barely able to see in front of him. He figured he was on the counter, so he tripped forward, feeling out carefully with each foot so that he wouldn't misstep and topple over the edge.

There was a loud cracking sound, and before Val could react, something hard crashed into him from behind, pinning him to the countertop. Val yelped as his jaw cracked against the wood, pain shooting through his entire body.

And that's all he knew before he passed out.

***

"Sorrel! Wake up!"

A pounding force shook the door, and Sorrel's eyes shot open.

"What the..." she muttered, leaping out of bed and draping a dressing gown around her shoulders.

"I'm coming!" she hollered back at the relentless banging.

Lottie poked her head out of the spare bedroom, eyes half closed with sleep and dark brown curls spilling into her face.

"What's going on?" she mumbled, and Sorrel waved her off.

"Hush, now, Lottie, it's alright," Sorrel said in a rush. "Go back to sleep."

She hurried to the front door and flung it open, only to come face to face with the wild eyes of her neighbor, Rachel.

Catching sight of an odd, orange glow behind the older woman, Sorrel looked towards it, eyes widening as she noticed the plume of thick, black smoke.

"Rachel!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"The pub caught on fire!" came the horrifying answer. "The apothecary shop is ablaze, too."

Sorrel looked up sharply at the billowing smoke again.

"Val," she breathed. She immediately snatched her boots from where they sat by the front door and jammed her feet into them, not even bothering to tie the laces as she tore off for the village square.

"Sorrel, wait!" Rachel called, but it was too late. 

Sorrel was gone.

***

A hellscape greeted Sorrel once she reached the village square, and she froze in shock at the sight.

Roaring flames shot up into the sky, completely engulfing both the shop and pub as several townsfolk yelled orders at each other and desperately passed along buckets of water to throw on the fire.

It didn't do any good.

Shaken out of her stupor, Sorrel leapt into action. "Val!" she screamed, tearing off for the shop.

Before she could get too far, however, strong arms grabbed her from behind and held her back.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked, struggling wildly. To her dismay, the arms held fast. 

"Sorrel, it's on fire!" someone yelled in her ear. "Don't get too close!"

Sorrel didn't care. Wild to free herself, she jerked her head back, feeling it slam into something hard with a crunch.

A string of curses followed her, but the arms mercifully loosened, and Sorrel ran straight back towards the shop.

"Val!" she cried, reaching for the door handle.

The metal was searing hot, and she jerked her hand back with a pained hiss. Tearing off a swatch of cloth from the hem of her nightgown, Sorrel wrapped it around her hand, about to try again. But right before she could, more hands grabbed her, dragging her away.

Sorrel struggled to fight them off, throwing elbows and kicking behind her. But when one pair of hands fell away, two more always took their place.

She was dimly aware of the voices shouting around her.

"What is wrong with you, girl?"

"Sorrel, calm down!"

"You can't go in there, it's not safe!"

"It's alright! The shop is empty! No one's in there!"

None of it registered. She had eyes only for the searing, burning mass before her, knowing that somewhere deep inside, her tiny, fragile, dear, sweet friend was probably trapped, with no one coming to rescue him.

Tears streaked down her face, cutting through the dark soot that coated it. She kept trying to break free of the arms that held her back when suddenly, the building gave a loud groan, and the roof collapsed in on itself, shooting up a flurry of sparks and cloud of dust and smoke.

The crowd gasped, and the hands dragged her backwards again, away from the crumbling building. Sorrel just let them, no longer struggling as she stared at the shop with empty eyes.

No one inside could have survived that. 

Val was gone.

______________________________________________________________

A/N: That's it, that's the end of the story.

Jk see you in the next chapter ;)