Nath’s head sank into his chest. “Fine. Just go, then. Everyone else does. Why not you?”
“Nath, pull that lip in and stop pouting. You aren’t fifty anymore.” She giggled and kicked him in the knee. “Now, let’s enjoy this miserable morning before I go. Give me a proper send-off.”
He lifted up his coffee cup and tapped its rim with hers. “To leaving.”
“To leaving,” she replied with a smile. And killing that bark-kissing vixen.
CHAPTER 46
Together, Nath and Darkken dashed across the rain-drenched street and hopped onto a covered porch. He let Darkken lead the way, jumping between the breaks between the buildings, avoiding the rain the best they could. By the time they reached their destination, a tavern known as the Merchant’s Cove, they were soaked head to toe. Wringing out his hair, Darkken laughed wildly. “!”
Nath couldn’t help but get caught up in the man’s contagious laughter. He pushed his fingers through his hair, clearing his eyes. He leaned against a support beam and laughed harder.
“They say that every snowflake is different,” Darkken said as he stuck his long arm out in the rain. His palm filled with splashing water. “Does that mean that every raindrop is different as well?”
Nath gave the man a dumb look. Then he blurted out, “Who cares?”
Darkken burst out in more gut-busting laughter. Nath, now laughing, wrapped his arms around the pole as the porch beneath him started to sway. “Why… why is the floor moving?”
“It’s not moving.” Darkken staggered side to side. “You’re drunk.”
“I’m not drunk,” Nath replied. “I’ve never been drunk, so how can I be drunk?”
“Because,” Darkken said, leaning over and shaking his shoulders. “You’ve had too much strong drink. It makes you drunk. And it makes your breath stink.”
“My breath stinks?”
“I don’t want to know. I’m just stating a fact.” Darkken staggered toward the front door of the Merchant’s Cove. “Come on. We’ll dry out in here.”
“Aye.” Nath saluted the man and followed after him. For the last several hours, they had been moving throughout the city, tavern hopping. They were looking for Caligin, but there was a long-standing tradition in Advent that had gotten in the way of things. When it was too rainy to work, which wasn’t often, the farmers, workers, and laborers took the day off and drank… heartily.
Nath was reluctant at first, but Darkken convinced him that he needed to blend in or else draw unwanted suspicion. Before long, Nath’s belly warmed, and his spirits lifted. With all of his friends gone, he decided he might as well unwind, forget about things, and indulge. So drink after drink after drink, he did just that.
The Merchant’s Cove was a one-level tavern with a great iron chandelier hanging above. The candles weren’t candles at all but enchanted stones that glowed with an assortment of mystical light. In the center of the tavern was a mahogany bar shaped in an oval. Patrons sat in stools in a configuration that wrapped all the way around the bar. The exterior walls were lined with built-in sofas that were very cushy and made from rich brick-red leather. Tables and chairs filled the space between the sofas and bar. The place was crowded and humming with activity.
Nath coughed as he fanned the thick smoke from his face. He stayed behind Darkken, who waded into the room, saying hello and shaking hands with many of the people he passed. Nath did the same. The merchants were a lively bunch, quick to talk about their wares, invite them to drink, or share a smoke from their pipes. Their clothing was colorful and fanciful. Jewelry decorated necks, fingers, and wrists. Some of the men were pompous, fat, and overbearing, with purple wine stains soaked into their silken shirts.
Darkken found an open seat on the sofas on the opposite wall of the entrance and sat down. He let out a sigh. “Busy place, isn’t it?”
Nath nodded. They had already been to several taverns in Advent, and all of them were pretty much the same with a different style or flair. The Merchant’s Cove was bigger, though, and filled with a higher class of people. There weren’t any farmers with muddy boots or laborers with calluses on their hands. These men and women were slick.
A pretty barmaid wearing an apron over a white blouse sat down on Nath’s lap. Her long blond hair was tied back in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder. “Welcome to the Merchant’s Cove, handsome. I haven’t seen you here before.” She looked deeply into his eyes. “You have beautiful eyes that remind me of the sun. We need more of that on a day like this. Can I take your order? The Merchant’s Cove offers the finest wines and meads. If you want something stronger, we have that as well. You name it. It’s my pleasure to serve.”
“Um, I think I like you.”
She pinched his cheek and grinned. “I like you too, and I’d like you more if you place an order. The sooner you do, the sooner I can leave and come back.”
Nath nodded. “I’d like that.” He stared at her with heavy eyes.
The barmaid looked at Darkken. “Perhaps you can place the order, sir.”
“Certainly, miss. Do you have a barrel of a Lakeland ale called the Fitzgerald?”
“Yes, we do. Not many have requested it of late, but I will have Edmund fetch a barrel from the cellar.” She hopped up and vanished into the crowd of people.
Nath blinked and rolled his neck toward Darkken. “I really liked her. She reminded me of Maefon but human.”
A trio of dwarven merchants with beards down to their bellies, wearing tunics made from small bronze plates, marched right by them and climbed up onto stools at a small round table.
Nath glared at them. “I don’t care for dwarves. They all look the same. Remind me of Cullon.”
“They are a gruff race but not all bad, just difficult.” Darkken stretched his arms over the back of the sofa. “I think you need to scale back on the local concoctions. Let’s make this the last round. Besides, we need to concentrate on the mission. I believe we’ve gotten too carried away. Spying isn’t supposed to be this fun.”
The barmaid returned with two towels and tankards of ale on a serving tray. “Please, pat your dampness away with these towels, compliments of the Merchant’s Cove.” She tossed one towel in Nath’s face. When he pulled it down, she was gone.
“She’s fast,” he said, toweling his hair dry. “I like fast.”
“Yes, me too.” Darkken bumped his tankard with Nath’s. “This is the final round. Let’s make the most of it.”
Nath took a sip of ale. It was more bitter than the others but good. “I like the Fitzgerald.”
“Yes, me too.”
A band of men and halflings played from a nearby stage as the barmaids moved from patron to patron in concert with the music. As crowded and stuffy as the Merchant’s Cove was, it moved in organized chaos. Nath eased back in his seat, scanning the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just a bunch of men and women huddled together and, in many cases, speaking in loud and excited whispers. He watched and drank for over an hour. He yawned. Darkken suddenly tapped him on the arm and pointed toward the front door. A group of elves in rain-soaked cloaks entered.
CHAPTER 47
Calypsa moved quickly south, staying in the woodlands and avoiding the roads. The last thing she wanted was any more encounters with people. She had had enough. Being around people, no matter who it was, always seemed to end up with her being hurt. It had been that way all of her life. She tried to fit in with humans, like her father, but only found herself running back to the woodlands. All she wanted to do now was find Rond, make sure he was okay, and then hibernate inside a tree for a while. Possibly a very long while.
She came upon a briar patch filled with little yellow flowers that barred her path. Not in the mood to go around, she spread out her fingers. The briars peeled back. She passed through the gap, moving onward, and the briars closed behind her. As a dryad, she had powers of nature that even the deftest of druids would take decades to master. For most of her life, she had taken her powers for
granted and still did. She just didn’t want to embrace who she really was. She’d been running from her own destiny.
The day that she met Nath, her life changed. Her heart was never the same after that. She felt something in Nath Dragon that she had never encountered with another person. He was truly good, and it restored her faith in humanity. Her experience with people had always been negative. Men wanted to take advantage of her beauty, skills, and powers. She would try to trust them but only find herself running from their selfish desires. It was different with Nath. She couldn’t explain it, but it just was.
She picked up the pace, speeding up to a trot. She spied a deer and chased it south through the woodland. With the wind in her hair, she smiled. She didn’t need anyone, just her friends in nature. They would take care of her. They always had. Finally, she slowed down and caught her breath. Holding her belly, she let out a “Wooo.” The deer she’d chased came back to her and lowered its neck. She petted it.
The air stirred. The deer bolted away. The surrounding trees came to life. Their limbs ensnared her. “Nooooooo!” she screamed. “Nooooooo!”
***
On horseback in the pouring rain, escorted by three dark elves, Maefon headed south after Calypsa. She and the elves were well-trained trackers, but there was no trace of the half dryad passing anywhere. The half dryad had shown off her power on a few occasions. She had command of the critters and grasses, it seemed, and she wasn’t someone to be underestimated. Maefon had prepared many spells and had them ready on the tip of her tongue. They were designed to kill, and she wasn’t going to take any chances. She wanted Calypsa dead.
They remained on the main road. The Caligin who came with her had been there when Rond was killed. They already knew exactly where the dryad would wind up. They had to cut the woman off before she learned the truth. Otherwise, she would be able to warn Nath.
That was the tricky part. Being Caligin, they prided themselves on being a step ahead of everyone. In some cases, they were two or three steps ahead. But with Darkken, it seemed as if he was ten steps ahead of everyone. Maefon couldn’t figure that part out, either. The Lord of the Dark in the Day seemed to be able to see the future. He was more cerebral than any person she’d ever known. Perhaps more than the dragon king, Balzurth.
Up in the sky, the great two-headed vulture soared through the drenching rain. With rain pelting her face, she stared up at it. One of its necks bent downward. The lowered head’s emerald eyes glared back. She looked away and clenched her jaws.
Darkken can see through Galtur at all times. I know it! How did he acquire such power?
Maefon had spent countless hours studying stacks of mystic tomes back at Stonewater Keep. Even though there were spells that could be cast that would mimic the powers that Darkken had, that still didn’t explain how he could do them all on command. And of the powers that he did execute on command, he was very tight-lipped about how he did it. Maefon ran through a checklist in her mind of things that Darkken could do. She’d never even seen him crack open a tome or read a scroll. He just did it.
To her recollection, without any noticeable aid, Darkken could see through the eyes of Galtur or somehow tap into the Pool of Eversight. He could shape-change into any living creature, and to top off all of that, he could teleport more than one person. It was the kind of power that would raise the hackles on an ogre’s neck. Only the most powerful elven wizards could master one of those items, let alone all three. She could attempt it but only if she read from a scroll, memorized the spell, and uttered it perfectly. And Darkken did it all without breaking a sweat. It was just as easy as thinking.
I know he’s a dragon, but does he really have such omnipotent power? And why does he really need Nath to kill Balzurth? Or is there something else to it?
She looked back at the elves riding with her. “It’s time to pick up the pace.” Maefon kicked her horse into a trot. With a lot on her mind, she still managed to be focused on one thing. Killing Calypsa. The last thing she wanted to do was fail Lord Darkken. Failure meant death, and she had no intention of dying.
CHAPTER 48
The elves who entered the Merchant’s Cove moved deeper into the belly of the flamboyant flock. Many of the merchants gave quick nods and bows to them. Elves were good for business and known for not only buying high-quality products but selling them as well. The slender race was bunched up in a group of four. The waitresses cleared a table for them and handed them each a towel.
Nath leaned left and right as he tried to spy on the elves sitting on the other side of the bar. He started to get up. “I’ll get a closer look.”
Darkken grabbed Nath’s arm. “Stay a moment. The elves are inclined to sense a disturbance in their surroundings, and we don’t exactly fit in with the rest of the people here. Just wait and see what comes to you. Remember, we only need a peek.”
Nath understood. The smoke-filled room made it hard for him to get a glimpse at the elves’ ears. And from what he could see, their hair hung over the ears as well. All they needed to do was see an elf with a black pin in the ear. Or possibly some black onyx jewelry elsewhere on their bodies. He leaned toward Darkken. “Whatever you say. I can wait.”
“And try not to stare at them, Nath. Elves are known for having eyes in the back of their heads. If they get suspicious, they’ll scatter like rabbits, that is, assuming that they are, well, you know.”
Caligin. Nath nodded. “I see.” Even though his thoughts were hazy, they were still clear enough to understand Darkken’s meaning. “If the elves are Caligin and if they’re spooked, they would disappear back into the shadows from where they came. Right?”
Darkken touched his nose. “Try not to say it out loud. I’m pretty sure we are on the same page.”
Nath put two fingers to his lips and wiggled them. “Yes, quiet. I’ll act normal. Barmaid, another toxin, if you please.”
Darkken rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Another few hours passed. Merchant patrons came and went, but the elves didn’t move, and neither did Darkken or Nath. The front door flung open with a gust of wind. A sheet of rain came in with it. Two towering men entered the tavern wearing cloaks that covered their broad shoulders. Both men were at least seven feet tall and built like cedars. The music stopped. The tavern fell silent as all of the patrons looked at the colossal men. Behind them, a beautiful woman wearing golden robes stepped to the front. Wrapped around her waist was a scarlet-red sash. She had short brown hair, high cheekbones, tight features, and a commanding allure. All of the men in the room bowed. Others took a knee.
“Who in Nalzambor is that?” Nath asked Darkken.
Wide-eyed, Darkken replied, “I believe it’s the Merchant Queen.”
“Merchant Queen? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“You haven’t been around that long. There are many things that you have not heard. The title Merchant Queen is given to the merchant that is top in the class. This ravishing woman is top of the heap in all of the main cities. Something grand must be going on for her to make it out on a day like this. I believe her name is Sigourney.”
“Huh.” Nath’s eyes followed after the woman. She had a beautiful teardrop face and eyes like a cat. She was tall too, like Nina, but slenderer and comely. As she strolled inside, she took command of the room. Her guardians stayed close. Very close. They made it over to the elves’ tables and exchanged a greeting. The doors were closed, and the music started up again. Nath started to rise again. Darkken pulled him back into his seat. “What? Everyone is gawking. Why can’t I?”
Darkken snapped his fingers. “You know, you are right. Everyone is gawking. I see no reason why we can’t do it too. Go ahead. Just, well, try to be subtle. The elves will notice, but they’ll think you are looking at her and not them. Once you get a good look, come back. No sense in overplaying our hand.”
Nath gave a vigorous nod. “I’ll be right back.” He snaked his way across the room, making his way to the other side of the bar. On
ce he got close enough for a full view, he wedged himself between a couple of stools that were filled with husky men and ordered a drink. He craned his neck, getting a good look at the Merchant Queen and the elves. He wasn’t the only one looking, either. Like vultures, many merchants crowded the table, bending their ears and hanging on her every word. The Merchant Queen, Sigourney, talked directly to the elves. She articulated with her hands, and she even spoke Elven.
Impressive.
Nath caught the Merchant Queen’s guardian goons looking right at him. They were big-faced men with flat noses that appeared to have been broken on more than one occasion. There was something abnormal about them both. They appeared human, but for some reason, Nath felt that they weren’t. Not wanting to stare, Nath looked away. When he glanced back, the goons’ attention was on the surging crowd. The towering men shoved them back.
It took several minutes before many in the crowd lost their fascination with the Merchant Queen and moved on. With a little more breathing room, the Merchant Queen moved over to her guards. “My guardians, Reaver and Slaughter, are wearing something that I think you might be interested in.”
Sigourney opened up their cloaks. Each man wore a vest of scale mail, one colored metallic blue and the other red—dragon scales. Nath crushed the metal head of the goblet in his hand.
Those mail vests are dragon hide. It would take a lot of dragon to cover up those men.
The huge men also wore necklaces of dragon parts made from teeth, bone, and horn. One of the goons set a dagger on the table that had been carved out of a huge dragon claw. Seeing red, Nath sauntered right toward the table of elves and merchants. He got an eyeful. There were dragon trinkets all over the table. Even small vials filled with blood in them. The Merchant Queen held a vial between her finger and thumb for all to behold. “It does wonders for wrinkles, but don’t drink it, as it can be fatal.”
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