Chapter 16
The afternoon wore on painfully slowly. I shelved book after book, pausing occasionally to read about genies or ask Zafir about the meaning of different passages.
He answered carefully and methodically each time, with just as much expression as a rock.
The only flicker of emotion I caught was when he would quickly look away if I noticed him glance in my direction, as if he thought he would be burned.
My hope of Julian coming with an invitation faded with each passing hour.
Had I not caught his interest enough? Our plan was already precarious, and it all hinged on my being able to seduce a man when I couldn’t even get Zafir to smile.
Other women could get men to fall at their feet, but I would’ve had just as much success if I tried to seduce a cactus.
By the time afternoon arrived, my arms ached from lifting stacks of books all morning and I finally dropped into one of the chairs. “Three of your precious bookcases are now alphabetized, dusted, and organized. You’re welcome.”
“You should wear something more suited for work next time,” he commented without a word of thanks.
His gaze flicked down to where dust covered the dress I had deemed so attractive earlier that morning.
He was right. Something durable and comfortable would have been a much better choice, but I would rather wear a dozen uncomfortable outfits than admit it. “Are you hungry?”
“Extremely.”
Without another word, Zafir rose and went to the door. A moment later, the chain went taut and I was forced to follow, but we didn’t go far. Zafir rang the bell just outside his stuffy quarters, and an enormous, hairy guard showed up within a few minutes.
“Bring a meal for two,” he told the guard flatly.
“For two?” The guard looked past him at me, then his eyes darted down to the chain. “Why, Zafir…”
“It’s none of your business, Razo,” Zafir said in clipped tones.
The guard looked to be almost twice Zafir’s size, and he placed a hand on the door so it couldn’t be closed and locked eyes with me. “You doing okay, miss? Is there anything going on here I should be aware of?”
“Not at all. We’re just hungry. Thank you for your concern though. It’s good to know that some men care.”
Zafir gave Razo a baleful look. “Never get chained to a woman.”
Razo’s thick beard twitched. “Speak for yourself. I’d be more than happy to be chained to my wife for the rest of my life if it meant spending more time with her and she was okay with it. I’d quite enjoy it, too. And I’ll get that meal for you and your…date.”
“It’s not a date,” Zafir called after Razo. He turned to me. “I didn’t tell him it’s a date.”
“But it’s so romantic. You even have candles.” I gestured at the bubbling tubes with small flames beneath them.
“It’s not a date. We just happen to be living together.” He closed his eyes as I smirked. “I heard it the second I said it. Don’t comment.”
“Oh, we’re living together? That seems like something I should absolutely comment on.”
Zafir let out a grunt of frustration and began tending to his many potions, all simmering and bubbling or else slowly congealing.
I watched him, curious. “Is that a Sandwalker solution?” I asked, pointing to a bottle with a glittering golden potion inside.
He looked up, slightly surprised. “It is. You know it?”
“I’ve read about it. We don’t have vast deserts we need to cross in Brisden, so I never needed a potion that would prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion, but it sounds fascinating.”
“I make it often for the trade caravans that journey through the Scorchlands. It’s fairly simple to make. If you want to see a truly remarkable potion, look at this one.” He held a deep red bottle out to me. “Serpent’s Vein Tonic. It increases speed and agility.”
“I’ve made this one several times before,” I told him without thinking, leaving off the bit where Nadia and I would take it before pickpocketing in crowds. “I took too much once and was jittery for days.”
“I could imagine. Where did you learn to brew such potions? Is such training common for healers in Brisden? It’s very heavily regulated here.”
“No. Actually, I learned…outside the confines of the law,” I answered delicately.
“So, you stole ingredients and brewed them in secret?”
“Basically. You can’t blame me; a girl needs to make a living, and tending cuts and bruises doesn’t pay well. Tell me what this is.” I pointed to a bottle filled with what looked like bits of chopped-up tentacle.
“Ah, sea serpent tongue. When ground into a paste, it can be swallowed so someone can temporarily breathe underwater.”
“Does it have the same effect if it’s dehydrated and powdered, or does it lose efficacy?”
I expected that Zafir would be annoyed by my endless questions, but to my surprise, he patiently answered each one, and seemed rather flattered that I was interested in his work.
By the time our meal arrived, he had walked me through the uses and side effects of more than two dozen potions and elixirs, each more fascinating than the last.
“You know more about all this than you let on,” he said as we sat down to our meal and began eating. “Where did you learn? Even if you stole ingredients, you would still have needed instruction and a laboratory.”
“There was a woman at the worship center who had an affinity for medicinal remedies. She taught me all the legal potions and let me help in her infirmary.”
Zafir raised an eyebrow. “And what about the less-legal potions you know about?”
“Ah, others I learned about through…creative and unregulated methods. After all, laws are simply suggestions with consequences if you’re caught.” I shot him a wicked smile. “I just happen to be good at not getting caught.”
Zafir watched me closely. “You’re fascinating.”
“Why, thank you.” I noticed that Zafir’s rice was loaded with peppers. “Do you actually like those?”
“Yes, I do. Do you plan to mock that as well?”
“No. I like them, too.” I showed that I’d already finished several of mine. “The food is never spicy enough in Brisden.”
He studied me. “How unusual. Most foreigners say our traditional dishes are hot enough to burn off their taste buds. Our tzar’s wife is rather vocal about it.”
“If my nose starts running and my mouth goes numb, that’s the correct spice level for me,” I told him with a smile. “If you aren’t going to finish those, I will.”
After a long look at me, Zafir scraped the peppers onto my plate. “I think your overconsumption of peppers has increased the acidity of your blood. Perfect for a little viper like you.”
“It is perfect.” My eyes roamed to the long shelves of potion bottles neatly arranged along one of Zafir’s walls, mentally planning out which ones would be most useful to me. “Is there a potion you’ve never made before but want to?”
“Several. Most require ingredients that are difficult to come by. Powdered hen’s teeth are particularly rare.”
I shot him a quizzical look. “Hens don’t have teeth.”
“Which is why they’re so rare. Chameleon’s Tonic would be interesting if I managed to procure the ingredients.”
“The one that turns people invisible?” I asked eagerly.
“Only partially. One must stay still or the sheen around them would reveal their location, but yes. In fact—”
A knock rang from the door.
“Enter,” Zafir called.
A messenger opened the door. “A missive for the lady.”
Finally! Julian was going to invite me to something. I rose, partially disappointed that my conversation with Zafir was cut short. When he wasn’t being critical, he was actually interesting to talk to.
I unfurled the scroll and felt my heart squeeze a little. “Parliament wants to meet with me tomorrow morning.” I looked up at the messenger. “Let them know I’ll be there.”
The messenger bowed and retreated while I slowly closed the door, still rereading the note. “Parliament wants both of us to arrive after the morning meal.”
“We need to review a few more things before they question you, then,” Zafir told me. “Now, let’s go over your family history and list of exports.”