Page 18 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones (Tales from the Tavern #2)
Eighteen
"Sass?" Lira's voice broke through her trance. "Are you all right?"
Sass blinked and turned to find her friends watching her with worried expressions. Cali's ears were flattened, while Lira's dark eyes searched her face for signs of distress.
"Of course I'm all right," Sass said with a laugh that sounded forced even to her own ears. "Just wondering where that fellow's headed. He was awfully well-dressed to be tramping through the woods.”
"Maybe he's camping," Cali suggested, though her tone carried its own note of uncertainty. "Some travelers prefer the woods to paying for a room at the inn."
“Aye, probably," Sass agreed quickly, eager to change the subject before her friends could read too much into her worry.
“He wasn’t a dwarf,” Lira said quietly, which told Sass that she hadn’t been the only one to register his presence.
But Lira was right. He hadn’t been a dwarf, which meant the chances were high he was no threat to her.
“You want me to follow him?” Cali asked .
Sass shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to fall victim to paranoia. “He was just a fellow buying bread. Not our concern.”
Lira studied her for another moment, then seemed to accept the explanation. "Well, Cali and I were planning to pop in and visit Iris at the apothecary. Want to join us?"
The offer was exactly the distraction Sass needed. "I'd love to. It's been too long since I've been in her shop.”
They made their way past Fenni’s storefront and then the haberdasher.
Sass spotted Tin inside surrounded by bolts of fabric and gave him a wave.
The morning was ambling along, and more villagers were emerging to tend to their daily business.
The normalcy of it all should have been comforting, but Sass scanned every face, looking for more strangers.
The apothecary perched at the end of the row of shops, its darkened windows tucked beneath the black-and-white-striped fabric awning. Sass paused at the threshold, remembering her first visit to this place months ago when she'd been new to Wayside.
Then, the shop had appeared curious and mysterious.
The shelves lined with black glass bottles had been like nothing she’d seen before, their curling paper labels promising everything from bone powder to belladonna, and the mingled scents of a hundred different oils and potions had been a confusing cacophony that had made her nose twitch.
But now, knowing Iris as she did, the shop felt familiar and welcoming.
The same dark wood shelves still held the same mysterious bottles, the same combination of scents still hung in the air like incense, but it all seemed cozy rather than ominous.
It was the difference between entering a stranger's domain and stepping into a friend's sanctuary.
The bell above the door chimed softly as they entered, and Iris looked up from behind the counter where she'd been grinding something with her mortar and pestle. Her face brightened immediately at the sight of them .
"Well, this is a lovely surprise!" she exclaimed, setting down her work and coming around the counter to greet them.
Sass had always admired Iris's distinctive style.
Today she wore a flowing patchwork skirt in shades of deep purple and forest green that swished and jingled with each step thanks to the tiny bells sewn along the hem.
Her dark hair, generously streaked with silver, was piled high on her head in a deliberately messy arrangement that somehow looked perfectly elegant, with escaped curls framing her face.
Bangles clinked on her wrists as she moved, and her colorful shawl clung valiantly to one shoulder.
"Come to the back, loves,” Iris said, gesturing toward the heavy curtain that separated the front of the shop from her private domain. "I was just about to put the kettle on."
They followed her through the curtain into the book-lined room that served as Iris's private sitting area.
The transformation from the front shop to this cozy retreat never failed to amaze Sass.
Where the front was all dark mystery, the back room felt like an overstuffed library crossed with a messy parlor.
Bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, packed snugly with ancient-looking tomes bound in cracked leather. A round table sat in the center of the room, its surface cluttered with open books, empty teacups, and plates that held nothing but crumbs.
The moment they entered, a flutter of wings overhead announced Iris’s bookwyrms. The tiny creatures emerged from their hiding places among the shelves, their iridescent wings catching the light as they darted through the air like miniature dragons morphed with hummingbirds.
Sass knew the story of how these creatures came to be—the result of one of Lira's gran’s magical experiments gone delightfully awry.
Instead of whatever the elder mage had been trying to create, she'd ended up with creatures whose primary purpose was eating dust without damaging the books they cleaned.
"Tea?" Iris offered, already bustling toward an alcove tucked behind the room where she kept her tea brewing. "I've got a lovely summer berry blend that's perfect for the morning."
"That sounds wonderful," Cali said, settling into one of the large, lumpy chairs with a grateful sigh.
As Iris poured steaming tea into delicate floral cups, she glanced at Sass with a thoughtful expression. "You know, pet, I’ve been thinking about your personal problem.”
Lira pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "Maybe we shouldn't call it that. It makes it sound like Sass has some sort of rash.”
"Florin is like a rash,” Sass muttered, accepting her teacup with a rueful smile. “Irritating and persistent.”
Iris nodded as she settled into her own chair. "I've been researching some protective measures. Poultices that could ward off 'negative influences.' Herbs that might provide some protection or at least muddy the waters for anyone trying to track you.”
"That's thoughtful of you," Sass said, touched by the apothecary’s concern. "Though I'm not sure how much herbs can do against a determined dwarf with a grudge and an armed search party."
"Don't underestimate the power of the right combination of plants," Iris said with a mysterious smile. "Though I have to admit, I wish Lira's grandmother were still with us. She would have been able to craft an obscuring spell that would make you nearly impossible to find.”
Lira and Sass exchanged a look.
"I've found some of those spells in her book,” Lira said, her gaze not meeting Iris’s. “But I’ve decided not to try them without more training."
“Not try them again,” Sass muttered into her teacup.
Iris's eyes went wide with alarm, and she set down her teacup with a sharp clink.
"Lira, love, you mustn't attempt untrained magic!
The consequences of a spell gone wrong can be.
.." She gestured vaguely at the bookwyrms fluttering overhead.
"Well, these little fellows are an example of magic going sideways.
Your grandmother was lucky that her failed experiment created something harmless and helpful.
Not all magical mishaps are so benevolent. "
Cali cleared her throat softly and gave Lira a pointed look. "Remember what happened when Malek got in over his head with magic?"
The room fell silent at the mention of their former companion. Sass knew all about Malek, the mage who had been part of Lira and Cali's adventuring crew before dark magic had corrupted him beyond redemption. The memory of his transformation and ultimate fate cast a shadow over the cozy room.
Lira drained the rest of her tea in one gulp and set the cup down with finality. "We should probably head back to the tavern. I’ve got scones to bake." She smiled at Iris, who was wringing her hands. “You don't need to worry about me trying magic. I’m far too busy with the tavern to do much else."
As they headed for the curtained doorway, Iris caught Sass's arm gently. "Don't worry too much, dear. I’ll keep thinking about ways to keep you safe.” She darted a glance at her stuffed shelves. “There are more options than you might realize."
Before Sass could respond, Iris slipped something into her pocket with the practiced skill of someone who had once been a rogue herself. The bundle felt soft and crinkled slightly, smelling of dried herbs and something floral that Sass couldn't immediately identify.
"What's this?" Sass asked, touching her pocket.
"Just a little something for luck," Iris said with a wink. "Lavender for peace, rosemary for protection, and a few other things Lira’s gran taught me about. It can't hurt to have a bit of extra fortune on your side."
Sass felt a smile tug at her lips despite her worries. "I've been pretty lucky so far finding Wayside, Lira, and all of you, but I'll take all the help I can get."
"That's the spirit, pet,” Iris gave her arm one last reassuring squeeze. "And remember, you're not facing this alone. The support of true friends carries more power than any enchantment.”
As Sass followed Lira and Cali from the back room, she touched the wee bundle in her pocket again. She wasn't entirely sure she believed in the protective power of herbs, but there was something undeniably comforting about carrying a token of luck made for her by a friend.
Then, a chill slipped unbidden down her spine. Freeing herself from Florin was going to take more than luck.