Wildwood Larkwing (Silver and Orchids Book 3)

by Shari L. Tapscott

  Sebastian wrinkles his nose at the mess, repulsed. I’ve seen goblins with better manners.

  A fire crackles from the sooty hearth—the merry sound misleading. Ivan stands next to it and crosses his arms. His hair is a common brown, his eyes slightly too small for his long face, and his lips thin. He reminds me of a weasel.

  Finished, the cat leaps from his perch and winds around his master’s legs. Ivan picks the feline up and strokes the soft fur between his ears. “So, you’re here for the larkwing?”

  “That’s right,” Avery says smoothly.

  Neither Sebastian or I mind the captain taking charge this time. I’m confident he’s had more experience dealing with Ivan’s type than we have.

  Ivan jerks his chin toward me. “Why does the girl look familiar?”

  He’s not exactly the trusting type, now is he?

  “She occasionally runs errands for Mueller.” Avery dismisses Ivan’s concern with a wave of his hand, and continues, “But that doesn’t matter. Do you still have the butterfly?”

  Ivan scratches his chin in a musing matter. “I might.”

  “You either do or you don’t,” I say, losing my patience. “Which one is it?”

  “I have a contract to fulfill, but if you’re prepared to make me a better offer, I am all ears.”

  Avery shifts. “Who wants the larkwing?”

  “That’s not any of your business.”

  In a subtle move that’s anything but, Avery brushes back his cloak and jacket, revealing his blade. “And if we make it our business?”

  The shifty man smiles, obviously amused. He’s tall and gangly, as stout as a beanpole, yet he doesn’t look the slightest bit leery. Which means he’s hiding something, something he carries in his favor. I think of the delivery I made for him last summer. Who knows what he has hidden away.

  “I want to see the butterfly,” I say, interrupting the conversation before this gets ugly. “It’s worth more to us alive than dead, and I want to see for myself that all this disruption hasn’t killed it.”

  Ivan turns his eyes on me. He strokes the cat for several more moments and then gently sets him on the ground. “Fair enough.”

  He turns toward a small table in the corner. On it, there appears to be a covered birdcage. With a flourish, he whips the thin fabric away, revealing a small insect habitat. The cage is made of the finest of mesh, and there are live plants flourishing within.

  I take a closer look, trying to spot the butterfly. I study it for several moments, losing hope that the creature is actually in there. And then she stretches her wings, breaking the spell of her camouflage.

  Startled, I suck in a breath. The butterfly is huge, larger than my hand. Her wings are gossamer, almost translucent, and the color of summer moss. As she moves, she lets off a faint glow, almost like that of a—

  “It’s elemental?” Sebastian says, leaning down beside me to get a better look. He sounds as shocked as I am. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  But there’s no denying it. She glows green, and as she moves, a shimmering cloud follows in her wake.

  Avery nudges his way in and frowns, unimpressed. “It’s…pretty?”

  Sebastian rolls his eyes and stands. He turns toward Ivan. “How much do you want?”

  “Twenty thousand,” Ivan replies, his tone firm.

  “Twenty…thousand?” I choke out, nearly falling over. Twenty thousand denats? For a glowing insect?

  Ivan flicks the sheet over the cage. “We all know what you want it for. Do not pretend you won’t make your money back and more. I am only being this generous because I have no talent for the alchemy myself.” He laughs under his breath. “I certainly have no scruples.”

  Avery narrows his eyes, a bare smile growing on his lips as he decides to play along. “How certain are you of this investment? How much do you estimate we’ll make back?”

  Ivan shrugs. “That, of course, depends on pricing. I believe, in the current market, you could easily make several hundred thousand before the guards learn of the masquerade’s location.”

  Masquerade under the city. Larks singing in trees? Could the beggar have meant the larkwing?

  The captain raises his eyebrows, clearly intrigued for real. “Really? And tell me, where might I find an alchemist keen for this sort of project?”

  “Avery,” I hiss under my breath.

  A grin flashes across his face—the kind that says there’s no harm in asking. I give him a pointed look, but he only chuckles.

  “I am not at liberty to disclose names of my contacts.” The man examines his nails. “Unless you have the money on you.”

  “We do not,” Sebastian says before this goes any further. “We must be going.”

  I agree with my business partner. Something extremely shady is going on, and we need more information.

  “But if we did,” Avery goes on. “Would you be willing to half the investment with us? Fifty-fifty? Surely you don’t want to miss the chance to make that kind of money.”

  “Avery!” I tug on his sleeve, not quite sure he’s concerned with Madame Serena’s request anymore. “Come on.”

  “Fine,” the captain says, holding his hands up in surrender. “We’ll go.”

  “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ivan warns Avery. “Do you have the money? Because you would be wise to invest now. The butterflies are near extinction. It’s a dying market.”

  “He doesn’t have it,” Sebastian says, possibly lying. Luckily, neither of us knows how much money the captain carries on him. Far too much, I’d be willing to bet.

  Avery takes a step closer to me and whispers near my ear. “I’m going to buy it.”

  I give him a look—one that’s not terribly friendly.

  “For Serena,” he insists. “There’s something strange afoot. If we don’t buy it back now, we may never get another chance.”

  “He’s asking too much.”

  Avery nods. “I know. But Serena has the money—she’ll pay when she knows she has no choice. But she’ll never forgive you for letting the chance slip through your fingers. The butterfly is here; it’s alive. Lucia—we must take it.”

  I’m still not convinced he wants it for the right reasons, but I can’t argue. Something tells me if we leave today without the larkwing, we’ll never see it again.

  “All right,” I finally agree.

  “Lucia!” Sebastian starts, but it’s too late. Avery’s already pulling two silver-laced bills from an inside pocket of his jacket.

  I gape at the bills—each worth ten thousand denats.

  Ivan’s eyes light up with greedy glee. Just before Avery hands over the money, he points to the butterfly cage.

  Nodding eagerly, Ivan takes the cage in his hands and then nods toward the bills. “Show me they’re real.”

  Avery holds the bills to the firelight. The silver thread glows, and the enchanted fabric parchment sparkles in the light.

  I’ve never seen a real bill before—have only dealt in common gold coins. The spelled money is mesmerizing. And it makes me ill to see it pass from Avery’s hands to Ivan’s.

  Avery takes the cage as Ivan tucks the money away.

  “Good doing business with you,” Ivan says, dismissing us.

  The captain turns toward the door, butterfly in hand. Sebastian shakes his head, clearly thinking Avery’s a fool for paying twenty thousand denats for an insect.

  “Pleasant day,” Ivan says cordially as we make our way to the door.

  He sounds just a touch too giddy. I narrow my eyes, but he only smiles.

  I’ll be glad to be away.

  Sebastian reaches the door first, and he pauses when he touches the handle. He stares at it intently, not moving a muscle.

  “What’s the matter?” I ask, concerned. I touch his shoulder, and a jolt goes through me, stiffening my muscles, rendering me like stone. I try to move, try to scream, but nothing happens. I’m frozen here, a statue with my hand on Sebastian’s jacket, and t
he terrible aftertaste of bitter magic coats my tongue.

  “Lucia?” Avery asks, perplexed.

  I want to cry out for him to keep his distance, but I cannot.

  The fool brushes my arm. From the corner of my eye, I watch as the magic washes over him, freezing him in place.

  Ivan put an enchantment on the door.

  Ivan put an enchantment on the door.

  Behind us, I hear the man’s footsteps as he draws closer, taking his time. He hums under his breath, delighted with himself. Calm as you please, he takes the butterfly cage right out of Avery’s hand. He then proceeds to go through Avery’s jacket—taking even more money and several personal belongings. After he’s quite sure he’s found anything of value, he moves on to Sebastian.

  I know my partner is livid—know he’s seething. But there’s nothing he can do. The thief not only takes the coin pouch he carries under his jacket, but the pocket watch his grandfather gave him as well.

  Then Ivan moves to me. He smiles knowingly. “You’re probably wondering what I’ve done to you. Fear not—it’s only a harmless earth charm—my own little variation that has an interesting effect on living matter. It is quite obnoxious to be frozen in place though, isn’t it? Your legs begin to fall asleep, and your mouth gets quite dry. Several hours in, you begin to wonder if you’ll ever move again. Well, I am not without heart. Rest assured, lovely, foolish young adventuress, the spell is a temporary one.” He smiles. “In twenty-four hours, you’ll be yourself again.”

  Twenty-four hours? My mind rails against my body, demanding it moves. But, alas, the spell is a sound one.

  Ivan turns his eyes on my cloak, and he frowns.

  Not the dagger… I have nothing else of value, not really. But losing Avery’s gift—the thought makes me ill.

  Finally, he shakes his head. “I am afraid even I am above searching a woman. Keep your secrets, my lady. Hopefully, you’re carrying the lion’s share of the money because otherwise, I’m afraid you’ll be stuck in sunny Fermall for quite some time.”

  Apparently finished with us, he turns to the door only to pause before he reaches the knob.

  “Try not to feel too badly about the purchase,” Ivan says to Avery. “I would have taken your money on the way out even if you hadn’t agreed to buy the larkwing.”

  He has the audacity to pat Avery’s cheek before he opens the door, and then he disappears into the softly-falling snow.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Have a Cat

  Light from the window creeps closer and closer to the toe of my boot, which means we must be nearing twenty-four hours. Yesterday, I distinctly remember the slice of sunshine making its way across my frozen form until that ever-so uncomfortable hour when it shone directly in my eyes. In normal circumstances, that’s unpleasant. When you cannot shield your eyes, blink, or move…that’s downright torture.

  I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours trapped in my head—which, I’ve discovered, is a rather unpleasant place to be. With nothing left to occupy myself, and my limbs heavy like lead, I pondered the strange goings-on in Teirn—of larkwings and masquerades and the odd rantings of the beggar in the street.

  And I’ve thought about my relationship, or lack thereof, with Avery a bit.

  Maybe more than a bit.

  Maybe that’s all I’ve thought about if I’m truthful.

  You’d think with all this lovely time I’ve had, I would have come to some sort of conclusion. But the only idea that holds any merit is that I need to kiss him again, see that he’s not that wonderful. I’ve built him up on a pedestal in my mind. There is no way there’s as much of a spark between us as I remember. I’ve simply dwelt on it too long.

  Yes, my choice is clear.

  I must corner the captain, kiss him again—prove once and for all that it was the magic of the hidden island, the exotic wedding that should have never taken place, the adventure of the sea, that stole my heart. Not the captain.

  Surely not.

  As I’m pondering these thoughts, my nose itches. Not thinking, I wiggle it, hoping to quell the sensation.

  I moved my nose.

  Concentrating hard, I try to shift my hand. My finger twitches ever so slightly, and I suck in a deep breath—that too is a good sign. For the last day, my breathing has been stilted, the spell allowing my lungs to move just enough to take slow, shallow breaths.

  Slowly—and I do mean slowly—feeling returns to my limbs. It’s like fire in my veins, but any sensation is welcome, even the stabbing pain of my extremities awakening. Beside me, Avery and Sebastian fight the last remnants of the spell as well.

  Finally, my legs give, and I crash to the floor. Groaning, I stretch my toes, and then my arms, and soon after that, my shoulders. Avery and Sebastian handle the spell’s release a little more gracefully than I do, but that’s nothing new. Avery bends over, keeping his balance, crying out in relief. Sebastian lets himself fall against the wall, and he rolls his head from side to side, stretching his neck.

  “Now what?” I ask from the floor. The gray and white cat, who found our frozen state extremely amusing, sniffs me and then leaps on my chest. He then proceeds to flick me in the face with his tail.

  Avery’s eyes flash. “We find Ivan.”

  “No,” Sebastian argues, now stretching his arms. “We must find a way into these masquerades, see what’s going on.”

  I glance at Avery. “Perhaps that’s where we’ll find Ivan as well.”

  The captain doesn’t look convinced, but he gives in. “Yes, all right. First, we need to assure Adeline we’re not dead.”

  Sebastian winces. I think we all know we’re in for it.

  Because no one cares about the emotional state of my dragon, I don’t mention that Flink, too, is likely upset by our extended absence. Poor thing was probably worried sick.

  After rolling his shoulders several times, Avery offers me his hand. The cat, disgruntled that I’m moving, hops off my chest and stares at me as I rise.

  I frown at the little furry beast and then scoop him into my arms and head to the door.

  “Lucia,” Sebastian says, sounding exhausted. “What are you doing?”

  I give my business partner a pointed look over my shoulder. “He deserves a better owner than Ivan.”

  Avery clears his throat, trying not to smile. “Don’t you think a dragon is enough pet for one girl?”

  He has a point—a good one. After thinking about it for a moment, I say, “I’ll give him to Adeline.”

  Sebastian mutters under his breath, but I’m already out the door with the cat tucked under my cloak.

  ***

  There is no sign of Adeline or Flink at the inn. They’re not in any of the restaurants, shoppes, or local guilds. I highly doubt they went for a pleasure stroll through the inch of late winter snow that now blankets the ground, as neither of them seems the type to enjoy that sort of thing.

  “You’re sure you haven’t seen her?” Sebastian asks the woman at the front desk of the inn again.

  The woman, who fancied Sebastian a few days ago, now looks at him as if he’s a nuisance. “No, Lord Thane. As I already said, I haven’t seen her since yesterday.”

  Exasperated, Sebastian steps away from the counter—much to the woman’s relief. He rubs his face as he asks us, “What are we going to do? She’s out there, somewhere, possibly lost, helpless—”

  “She’s a grown woman, Sebastian, not a puppy,” I interrupt. “Besides, she has Flink.”

  He levels me with a green-eyed stare. “Yes, and a lot of good he’ll do her.”

  I’m about to snarl back because I’m worried about them too, when Avery steps between us. “We’ll go to the constable, file a missing person notification.” He pauses when he sees my expression and gives me a placating look. “Missing dragon, too. If we must, we’ll post it on every board from here to Teirn.”

  We’re about to leave the inn when the woman behind the desk calls to us, “Don’t forget your things—we left the
m in the hall. I need your keys as well.” She holds out her hands, expectant. “And the money for last night’s rent.”

  “We didn’t use our rooms last night,” Avery points out.

  “Yes, but you had the keys, didn’t you?” The woman is not quite as charming as she was when we first arrived.

  Avery rolls his eyes and reaches into his inner pocket only to go still as the realization dawns on him. He has no money. Ivan took it.

  Sebastian, too, looks a little ill. The cousins exchange a long look, and then they turn to me in one slow, synchronized motion.

  I stare at them, confused for half a moment, and then I step back. “After paying Serena for her gown, I hardly have any left!”

  “Get on with it, Lucia,” Sebastian says, exasperated.

  I glance at the woman, frowning.

  After several moments, I plop the furry feline I’ve been carrying for half the day in her arms. “Here. Have a cat.”

  “Wait!” she calls out, but we’re already stepping onto the street.

  With that settled, sort of, we make our way through the snowy city to the stone building near the docks that doubles as the local law office and jail.

  Our fears are immediately relieved, because as soon as we’re inside, we find both the auburn-haired girl and the ornery copper-colored dragon. Adeline looks fit to be tied with her cheeks ablaze, hair a mess, and eyes flashing yet noticeably puffy as if she’s been crying.

  “You listen to me, you sorry excuse for a man,” she snarls, her hands on the constable’s desk, leaning over as far as possible to look him in the eyes. “You will take me seriously, and you will find my companions! They have been missing for over a full day now!”

  Flink notices us before Adeline. He lifts his head from the floor and lets out a welcome sort of growl.

  “Flink!” Adeline exclaims, whipping around. “For the last time, leave that plant—”