Yancey huffs out a frustrated breath. “But I’ve told you—dried isn’t as potent.”
“I understand that—I do. But, honestly, you’ll be hard-pressed keeping your herbs and whatnot alive in Elrija. Spring is not pleasant as it is in Kalae—it can be scorching, and the air is dry. I’m afraid your plants will die, even if you manage to sneak them in. And if they catch you with them, we’ll be held up for at least a week. Worse—you might be blacklisted from the kingdom.”
The two continue to argue. Adeline fell asleep about a half hour ago, and her head rests on Sebastian’s shoulder. I’m not sure how it got there, but Sebastian doesn’t seem to mind. She’ll have heart failure when she wakes up.
I yawn and wish that I’d taken a nap myself. Who knows how long we’ll have to wait for the carriage that goes between the border village and Stali, the large city where we’ll buy our supplies and start our expedition.
Less than a half hour later, we roll into Bale Traore. I’m the first out of the carriage, and I hurry to the luggage rack, off to make sure Flink didn’t bump right off the back as we went down the winding, rocky road.
But my fears are for naught. The dragon is fast asleep, flopped on his back, belly to the sun, front leg twitching as he dreams.
Sebastian and Gorin make their way to the border guards who lounge next to the sturdy wooden gate. As soon as Flink is down, the driver begins with our luggage. The first trunk hits the ground with a thud, and a cloud of dust rises into the air.
“Ech,” Adeline says, eying the dust and fanning herself with her hand. “It’s already hot.”
I glance at the sandstone mountain range in the distance. “The heat’s only going to get worse.”
She turns her attention on Sebastian and watches him with a wistful look. “Don’t I know it.”
Our sun-worn driver glances at her with appreciation, and she narrows her eyes, giving him a silent look that clearly says, “Not even in your wildest dreams.”
She takes me by the arm and pulls me away from the carriage. I laugh as we meander through the sandy courtyard. Bale Traore is tiny but enchanting. The architecture is entirely foreign—made of clay and stone with intricately carved details. There’s a fountain in the middle of the square, and water cascades from the tall statue at the center. The breeze catches the mist and blows it in our direction. I close my eyes, relishing the temporary respite from the heat.
Gorin wasn’t lying. This isn’t temperate spring weather. It’s hot.
A few children chase each other around the fountain, and several women chat under awnings. They wear long, colorful skirts and sleeveless bodices in jewel colors. The Elrijan style is not that dissimilar to ours in Kalae, but their colors are bolder, and their jewelry is heavier and far more showy. In the sun, they wear lightweight hooded shawls and scarves to protect their skin from the harsh light.
“Yancey doesn’t look pleased,” Adeline whispers.
I follow her eyes to where the men stand with the border guards. Gorin and Sebastian stand, arms crossed, watching the exchange between Yancey and the men. He towers over them, intimidating as they come, but the guards do not flinch.
“Apparently they won’t let him bring his plants,” I whisper to Adeline, trying not to laugh.
We end up finding a spot on the ledge of the fountain while we wait. Flink watches the children, intrigued with their squeals, and finally falls asleep at our feet. The men argue for over an hour, but an agreement is reached. Now it’s apparently Gorin’s turn to be upset.
“What now?” Adeline asks as we watch Yancey stomp away.
I shake my head and stand. “I’ll see what’s going on.”
“We don’t have a week!” Gorin growls, tossing his hands up in the air.
The guard nearest him tenses. “There is nothing we can do about it. The coach will get here when the coach gets here.”
The man’s armor is leather and sleeveless, and it puts his massive muscles on display. I’m not sure Gorin, who’s strong but in a young, lanky way, wants to pick a fight with this man.
Sebastian sets an arm on Gorin’s shoulder, likely thinking the same thing as I am. “Gorin—”
Agitated, Gorin shoves a hand through his dark hair and strides across the courtyard. When he’s out of earshot, he closes his eyes and growls, trying to hold in his anger. He sees me when he opens his eyes, and his shoulders sag with defeat. “We don’t have a week to spare, Lucia.”
He sounds so dejected, my heart hurts for him. And for all I know, he’s right. I don’t have the slightest idea how long it will take to find the lily.
But a tiny part of me, perhaps a prideful part, says, how hard can it be? We found the Moss Forest orchids; we did the impossible and returned from the forbidden waters with a sea fire ruby.
This lily is going to be a walk in the garden. After all, there’s a map leading right to it. Of course, we must find the map first—but after that, it will be smooth sailing.
Sailing.
And once again, I’m reminded of Avery. It feels as if a lead weight has been placed on my chest, and it takes me several long moments to catch my breath.
The captain’s doing his job, and I’m doing mine. And the sooner I finish here, the sooner I can put my mind and efforts into finding him.
“Let me talk to them,” I tell Gorin. “I’ll see if I can work something out.”
“You think you can make something appear out of thin air?” he asks. There’s no real bite in his tone—just exasperation.
I raise an eyebrow. “Gorin, I’m in this mess because I know how to get what I want.”
We both know that if I hadn’t sweet-talked him that night two years ago for information on the location of a phoenix, he wouldn’t have given me his great, great grandmother’s charmed ice ring, and I wouldn’t owe him a favor.
A real smile plays at his lips. He jerks his head toward the guards. “Talk to them then.”
Tucking a wayward strand of hair behind my ear, I adjust my corset belt and fix a pleasant expression on my face. Then I lock eyes with the guard who dismissed Gorin and make my way toward him.
He nudges his friend, and the other man turns to me as well. From the corner of my eye, I can see Sebastian loosen his stance and step back, looking away as he tries not to laugh.
“My lady.” The guard bows his head. “How may we be of assistance?”
I look down, fluttering my eyelashes like I’ve seen Adeline do so many times. “You already know.”
“Like I told your friend, there’s nothing—”
“What’s your name?” I ask, stepping a smidgen closer.
The guard gulps. “Aaron.”
“Aaron, you look like a capable sort of man. Tell me, what would you do if you needed to get to Stali as soon as possible?”
“I’d ride there, my lady.”
“And do you perhaps know of someone we can buy horses from?”
He thinks about it for a minute, and then he winces. “Yes, but you don’t want—”
“I do want.” I nod. “I really do.”
Aaron glances at the other guard, and I take a moment to turn to Sebastian. “Do we have it in the budget to buy a few horses?”
And though he looks like he wants to roll his eyes, he says, “If we can strike a good deal.”
I turn back to the guard. “There you have it. Take us to someone who will make us a deal.”
The guard shakes his head, but his eyes crinkle at the corners as he gives in. “All right.”
“Excellent!”
Sebastian follows me when I turn away. “Honestly, Lucia. What would Avery say if he knew you were flirting with the border guards?”
I shoot him an incredulous look. “Please. He would tell me job well done.”
“He probably would.” Sebastian sounds disgusted, but there’s good humor behind it. “But a horse? You don’t ride.”
“I’ll figure it out, won’t I?”
Before we’re back to the group, I sho
ot Gorin a victorious smile. In turn, he gives Yancey a friendly shove, for which the big brute only scowls.
“I wonder if Adeline can ride?” Sebastian muses out loud.
Turning my head, I widen my eyes and press my hand to my chest. Purposely breathy, I say, “Perhaps you’ll have to ride together.”
“You know, sometimes you’re intolerable.”
“And sometimes you’re a snob.”
“Shameless flirt.”
“Incurably arrogant.”
We share a smile and join the others.
“We’re purchasing horses,” I announce proudly.
Gorin looks surprised. “Horses? Are you sure?”
I’m momentarily startled by his shock. “Yes…why?”
“It’s just that horses aren’t the standard form of equine transportation here in the desert.”
“If not horses, what?”
Yancey, who’s sulking next to Adeline scowls and nods behind me. “Look for yourself.”
And there Aaron is, leading our new form of transportation to us.
“But…” I say, losing my train of thought as the sorry creatures plod toward us. “Those are…”
Aaron grins. “The finest mules in Elrija.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Four Mules and a Donkey
“I’m sorry,” I say to Aaron, setting my hand on my hip. “I didn’t order mules.”
“To be fair,” the guard says, smiling in a rather devilish way, “This little lady is a donkey. The rest are mules.”
And those mules must be crossed with draft horses because they are massive creatures.
“We figured your friend here needed something a bit larger.” He nods toward Yancey, who in response looks like he’s going to punch him. I sidle in front of the alchemist, just in case.
The little jenny stares at me with her dark brown eyes, and her long ears twitch. I have no idea why, but I get the distinct feeling she’s sizing me up.
“Do you want them or not?” Aaron asks.
“No,” I begin to say, but Sebastian cuts me off.
“Yes. They will suit us fine.”
Feeling a touch like Yancey, I scowl at the mules as Sebastian haggles with the guard. The beasts are apparently worth their weight in gold in Elrija. Finally, Sebastian talks them down to a reasonable price.
Flink tugs on his lead, sticking his snout in the air to investigate the newest members of our expedition. Adeline walks him over, and the donkey leans down to greet him. Horses are usually hesitant of Flink, but the jenny is either too stupid to fear him or smart enough to know he’s harmless. I have a feeling it’s the second one.
“What are we going to do with our trunks?” Adeline asks.
Gorin strokes the mule closest to him. “The animals are large. Yancey, of course, will have to ride on one alone—” He steps away from the alchemist and grins. “But two of us can double on another, which will leave one for our gear. It’s only a few hours to Stali.”
“Adeline’s slight. She should ride with Sebastian,” I volunteer.
The pair stares at me, both with differing expressions. Sebastian looks at me like I’m a meddling aunt, but Adeline looks like she’s going to faint.
“Yes, that will work,” Gorin says, not even realizing the turmoil my suggestion has caused. “They’ve given us the all clear to pass through—” Gorin stops when Yancey says a very naughty word.
Apparently the alchemist is still pouting over his loss of plants.
“Let it go,” I say under my breath.
Our ever-happy guide shoots Yancey a wry look and finishes, “So let’s get on with it.”
CHAPTER SIX
Dragon on a Mission
The valley we travel is gold and rust, and the evening shadows sharpen the mountains and hills. It’s early still—there will be another few hours of light, but animals are already out. Tiny spotted kalli deer roam in small herds, eating the twiggy sage-colored ballo brush. The plants have a sharp, earthy smell to them, not exactly pleasant. It doesn’t stop the deer from snacking on them.
Red sandstone mountains rise in the distance, but we’re smack dab in the middle of the foothills. There’s more vegetation than you would guess from looking at the valley from afar. Along with the dry, brown grass and ballo brush, there are several different types of prickly-looking weeds and short plants with a multitude of tiny leaves. Some are even covered in purple buds, and I imagine it will be quite a display when they bloom.
Stali grows in front of us. It’s far larger than tiny Bale Traore. The buildings seem to be made from the same light tan clay of the desert, and apparently, the blacksmiths here are artists. The side of one of the buildings closest to the road is overlain with a sheet of black iron with a repetitive pattern of decorative cut-outs. Lanterns hang in the streets, just like in the cities of Kalae, but there’s nowhere like this in the provinces.
The city is built right on top of the rolling hills, so the houses, shoppes, and the tremendous towering fortress are all on different levels, making Stali seem very tall. Restaurants have opened their wrought iron gates to the public, and patrons sit on terraced patios, sipping tiny cups of what smells to be the most fabulous coffee ever created and eating foods that have my mouth salivating.
I’m mesmerized, thoroughly enchanted by the newness of it all. And then I remember my dragon.
We let him roam freely while we traveled. He likes it here. It’s warm and dry, and he happily wandered about, staying with us for the most part. But here…
Well, there’s food.
Before the dragon can cause havoc in yet another kingdom, I pull my donkey to a stop and call out to Gorin, who’s just ahead of us. “Have you seen Flink?”
Gorin looks around and frowns. “I haven’t.”
I turn back to Sebastian and Adeline, who are looking quite cozy on their shared mule. “Do you know where Flink went to?”
Before they can answer, I spot the dragon far down the street, making his way toward a meat stand. People stop to gawk at him, but he is a dragon on a mission, and he pays them no mind.
I give my donkey a good nudge, trying to get her to move faster. Unfortunately, she seems to have one speed only—slow. Giving up, I leap from her back. Unaccustomed to riding, my muscles nearly give out. I stumble forward, yelling Flink’s name.
Behind me, Sebastian hollers at me, but I’m already running through the street, dodging carts, people, and traps.
I holler again, and this time I know the rotten dragon hears me. To my great astonishment, Flink stops and looks over his shoulder, meeting my eyes. He stares at me for three whole seconds.
And then he makes a run for it.
People look at me like I’m a mad woman as I go racing after him, yelling like a banshee. The demon dragon is faster than he looks. I trip over a loose cobblestone, almost falling on my nose. I’m so mad, the awful beast better hope I don’t catch him.
He runs right past the meat stand, turns a corner, and goes down several more streets. People yell as he races past, but no one is brave enough to grab him.
Finally, he takes a left when he should have gone right, and he ends up in an alley with a dead end. I stumble to a stop, doubling over as I try to catch my breath.
“F…Flink.” I gasp for air. “Come here.”
His amber eyes dart this way and that, looking for another escape, and he lowers his head in shame.
“No,” I croak. “I will not feel sorry for you.”
Flink drops to his belly and flattens his flightless wings against his body, trying to make himself as small as possible.
Once I’m quite sure I’m not going to keel over, I stalk over to him and clip the lead to his harness. He makes a churring noise and rubs his head against my side, sweet as can be.
I glare at him and walk him back to the main street. The only problem is, I have no idea where we’re at.
“Fabulous,” I say as I look around, trying to find something that’s vaguely familiar.
<
br /> The two of us gawk at the city as we attempt to find our way back to our group. We’ve entered a market district, and there are stands everywhere. Colorful striped awnings cover the peddlers, and they call out to me as we pass. One man sells spices, another bolts of delicate fabric. There’s a woman with exotic, hothouse flowers, and another stand specializes in antiques.
But what catches my attention is the man selling enchanted weapons, right here, out in the open. I stop in front of his stand, my mouth embarrassingly agape.
The man across from me smiles in a knowing way. “First time in Elrija?”
“Um…” Beautifully crafted, new arrows glow blue, taunting me. I look up at him. “Yes?”
It’s one thing to find ancient enchanted weapons—Avery has a whole slew of them. But it’s an entirely different matter to find new ones.
“Enchantments are illegal in Kalae, but not in Elrija,” the man explains.
I stare at the arrows for a long time. If I don’t buy them, I’ll surely need them. But are they necessary? I’ve never needed that sort of weapon for anything but a siren, and we won’t encounter anything like that out here in the desert. It’s not like this is going to be a difficult mission. We’ll run into a few scorpions, a snake if I’m extremely unlucky.
And the arrows are expensive.
After several moments of indecision, I thank the man for his time and reluctantly walk away.
I scan the square, trying to get my bearings. People mill about everywhere—most are of Elrijan descent, with dark hair, warm skin, and deep chocolate eyes, but there are quite a few people who look like they’re from the provinces too. There’s a woman in fitted trousers and a long tunic, with a mess of blond curls tied up in a knot on her head. She haggles with a woman in a stall, and from their bright eyes and sharp words, I can tell they barter often.
A couple sits on a patio across the street, heads bent together, deep in conversation. She’s Elrijan, but his hair is bronze. His skin is very tan though, which makes me think he’s been in the desert kingdom for months if not years.
Flink and I step aside as a caravan passes through. They are heading east, likely back to Bale Traore and the provinces. People cast my dragon curious glances, enchanted with him. The attention makes him puff up like a peacock, and he struts with his head held high.
Lily of the Desert (Silver and Orchids Book 4) Page 3
