Chapter Twenty-Five #2
I peeked through my fingers, unable to meet her gaze straight on. “I don’t know. I haven’t really given myself a chance to know. But I think it’s that I don’t trust it.”
“Love?”
I nodded. “Finlay likes a lot of girls, including you.”
“Willow, you know that’s not the same. Fin is my friend.”
“That’s part of the problem,” I said softly. “Now that he’s seen the way a real friend treats him, I’m afraid he’ll realize how terrible I am.”
“I hate to tell you this,” Bri whispered, “but he already knows.”
I groaned. “You see? He can’t possibly love me!”
“Finlay has a lot of room in his heart, from what I’ve seen. I don’t think you need to worry about anyone edging you out. Especially me.”
I should have thanked her for the reassurance. Instead, I asked, “What about your violin?”
She huffed a laugh. “What about it?”
“Wont it get … you know, sleepy?”
She shrugged and replaced the cloth on my forehead. “Maybe. But that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
I swallowed, knowing that she was risking a lot more than violin practice by being here, and hoped we wouldn’t both come to regret it.
I woke to the shrill cries of seagulls and Bri’s gentle nudge on my shoulder.
“We’re here,” she said. “It’s time to go.”
I scrubbed my eyes in the dim lanternlight. Shite. I was supposed to be studying the material from Mr. Wexley, and I’d dithered it all away sleeping and retching. “Already?”
“You’ve been asleep for sixteen hours.” She knelt down to close my trunk and lifted it. “What’s in here?” she asked. “It feels like it’s full of rocks.”
Suddenly, I was wide-awake. “Just leave it.” I flopped out of the hammock, as graceful as a dead fish.
“All right. I was only trying to help.” She stooped and picked up her own bag. “Where to first?”
I picked up my trunk and made my way out the door and into the now-crowded passageway.
I was grateful for the clamor, because it gave me a moment to think about how I was going to handle Bri.
If I could get Mr. Wexley’s associate alone and explain to him that Bri didn’t know about the dragon egg and I wanted to keep it that way, maybe I could somehow maintain the illusion that I was searching for a blossom.
If I was really lucky, I could suggest splitting up to look for the tree and handle my own business in the meantime.
Unfortunately, as soon as we stepped off the ship, I knew that second option was impossible.
Azure Cay, or what I could see of it from here, was small but bustling.
Hundreds of people milled about, from sailors and soldiers to traders and travelers.
I spotted people in fine clothing climbing into carriages pulled by shiny-coated horses, while others flagged down wagons to take them into the city.
Bri, who had apparently lost her fear of touching me, clung to my arm like a wean.
“It’s all right,” I assured her, but inside, my mind was scrambling. I scanned the crowd and was relieved when I spotted a man carrying a sign with my name painted on it in bold letters.
“You’re really prepared,” Bri said, still holding me as we made our way to the man.
It wasn’t until we’d almost reached him that I recognized him as the same bearded Sapphire Islander I’d seen talking to Wexley at the Four Swans.
The one I’d overheard at the docks. The one who said this place was only dangerous if you were a magic wielder.
Then the Chancellor might want your bones to trade with.
I squeezed Bri’s arm back and swallowed the lump in my throat.
The man nodded when he saw me, apparently recognizing me from Wexley’s description, but frowned when he noticed the girl-shaped parasite sprouting from my side.
“Who’s this?” he demanded, his voice gruff.
“Ehm, an unexpected companion.” I smiled, showing all my teeth. He did not look amused.
“I was told there would be one girl.”
“So was I,” I muttered under my breath. “She won’t be any trouble. If you’ll show us to our accommodations…”
“I was told to take you to see Mrs. Monroe first.”
I blinked in confusion. “Already? Shouldn’t I change? It wasn’t the most comfortable voyage.”
With only a low growl, he turned on his heels and began to walk through the crowd, leaving Bri and me with no choice but to follow him.
“Where did you find him?” Bri asked. She’d loosened her grip on my arm a little, but it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to shake her off easily.
“He was recommended by the travel company,” I lied.
“And Mrs. Monroe?”
More than anything, I wished for something to drink. My breath was still sour from being sick, and my empty stomach growled at the smell of grilling meat being sold by vendors lining the road. “She knows where we can find the willywag tree.” I jogged to catch up to our escort. “Excuse me, Mr…”
“Torion.”
“Um, yes, Mr. Torion.”
“No mister, just Torion. Tell your friend to keep up.”
I reached back for Bri, who was trailing a few feet behind me, ogling the colorful fruit juices being offered to us by a man with a trolley.
“We haven’t eaten since yesterday,” I said. “We really need to clean ourselves up. I must insist we go to the hotel now. Surely Mrs. Monroe would prefer that.”
Torion turned to look down at me, the silver barbell through his eyebrow glittering menacingly. “Fine. Get something to eat. Your hotel is there.” He pointed to a red building down the street. “I’ll be back in one hour to get you.”
Before I could ask him for the time, he disappeared into the crowd, and I turned to find Bri already paying for a cup of bright pink juice.
“Mm!” she exclaimed. “You have to try this, Willow.”
I took a sip, my mouth flooding with so much flavor it was almost painful.
“I need solid food,” I said, gripping my trunk tighter as I found the closest meat vendor.
He handed me a skewer containing five pieces of grilled meat and a piece of bread in exchange for a few of the coins Wexley had given me.
When we’d both eaten, we made our way to the hotel, where we were brought to a room with a single bed.
“The bathroom is down the hall,” the young employee said. “Can I get you anything else?”
“My friend joined me at the last minute,” I explained. “A second bed…”
“I’ll have a cot sent up right away. Have a pleasant stay.”
So far, I was rather enjoying the Sapphire Isles.
It would be easy to assume that Torion was right, that this place wasn’t dangerous for the average person.
If Bri weren’t with me, I might even allow myself to relax a little.
I set my suitcase down next to the bed and unpacked my dresses, tucking them into the chest of drawers.
“I’m going to clean up,” I said to Bri. “Will you be okay for a minute?”
She nodded and I made my way to the washroom, grateful I had it all to myself. I splashed cool water on my face and brushed my teeth, rebraiding my hair while I decided how I was going to handle this week.
I studied my reflection in the mirror, noting how peely-wally I looked from my bout of seasickness.
“You’re going to tell Bri it’s best if you go to your meeting alone, since Mrs. Monroe won’t be expecting two of us,” I told my mirror-self.
“She’s going to stay in the hotel where it’s safe and I won’t have to worry about her.
Then, once I find the dragon egg, I will formulate my plan to swap it out. ”
I chided myself again for not studying the materials from Mr. Wexley, but neither of us had counted on me being sick the whole time. At least I was well rested now. I would stay up tonight while Bri slept and sort all this out.
“You’re going to keep Bri safe and return to Finlay, and then you’re never going to lie again.”
I stared at my reflection and sighed. Neither one of us believed me.
I returned to the room and found Bri already half asleep on the bed. “I’m going out to meet Mrs. Monroe. Will you be all right here?”
To my surprise, she didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded and yawned. “I have to say, Willow. I thought you’d be more upset when I showed up on the ship. I know you really wanted to do this yourself.”
“I just want you to be safe,” I said. That part wasn’t a lie, at least. “Try to get some rest, and I’ll be back soon.” Hopefully with the next part of my plan in place.