Chapter 31
Thirty-One
“Where’s Sass?” Lira pushed through the swinging kitchen doors then paused when she only found Vaskel in the tavern’s great room.
He ran a hand through his long hair, his fingertips brushing his horns. “She’s run off to find Marina and get that hair.”
Lira stopped wiping her hands on her dusty apron. “Now? I thought she was going to do that tonight when the hellkin came to the tavern.”
“She said something about the clock ticking and not waiting.” He shook his head. “You know how stubborn she is.”
Lira muttered something about dwarves having hard heads before resting one hand on her hip. “How is she going to find Marina?”
“Again,” Vaskel said, “you know Sass. She was too busy being determined to come up with a plan. Apparently, some of the best tunnels are the ones you never planned to dig.”
Lira’s brows lifted. “Now you’re spouting dwarf mining wisdom?”
Vaskel held both palms up as if in surrender. “I’m only repeating what Sass said.”
Lira let out a loud breath. “I don’t like the thought of her barreling headlong into danger, and we both know that Sass isn’t as subtle as she thinks she is.”
“I’ll go after her.”
“Won’t Marina spot you in a second?” Lira crossed her arms over her chest and eyed her friend. “Of anyone in Wayside, I think you have the least chance of sneaking up on the only other hellkin in the village.”
Vaskel narrowed his eyes at her. “Then do you have any better suggestions?”
Lira gave him a curt nod as she untied her apron. “We’ll go together. We’ve worked together enough that we know how to play roles and be stealthy. Besides, who would suspect two friends out for a walk?”
He flicked his gaze behind her. “What about your baking?”
“Crumpet and Bramble can handle it. Crumpet could whip up scones in his sleep, and Bramble has become quite the assistant.”
She poked her head over the half-doors and give brief instructions to the pair of woodland creatures who were apparently going to man the kitchen while they followed Sass.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked once she’d rejoined him and tossed her apron onto the bar top.
“Absolutely.” She took strides toward the door, leaving him to hurry to catch up. “I need a break from work anyway. The fresh air will do me good, help me clear my mind.”
They exited the tavern, letting the door shut with a soft creak. There was no sign of Sass, which wasn’t a shock. The dwarf might have short legs, but she could move quickly when she was on a mission. And she’d definitely been on a mission when she’d set out to find Marina.
“So, we’re searching for a dwarf who’s searching for a hellkin,” Lira said as she swung her head from side to side.
“Who’s staying at the castle pretending to be a healer.”
“The castle?” Lira bristled, knowing just as well as Vaskel what was hidden in the dungeons. “And the laird at Grayhelm believes her?”
“Marina is very convincing,” Vaskel said. “All hellkins are skilled in charm and cunning, but she’s a master at her craft. I’ve seen her charm the pants right off a man—literally. We left him pants-less on the side of the road as Marina took his horse and all his coin.”
“Charming.” Lira pivoted so she could eye the top of the stone castle peeking over the tree line. “Does Sass know this?”
“Yes to Marina staying at the castle, but no to the pants-stealing story.”
Lira’s lips twitched. “Then I say we make a quick pass through the village, then head to the castle. If we get lucky, Sass hasn’t gotten too far.”
The two friends fell in step as they walked down the snowy road toward the village proper, passing Rog’s and Rosie’s wooden wagon with faded apples adorning the sides.
When they reached the intersection with the stone bridge leading to the castle in one direction and the shops in the other, Lira took a deep breath and sighed.
“I know it’s a small place and there’s nothing particularly special about it, but I love this little village.”
He whirled on her. “What do you mean there’s nothing particularly special about Wayside?”
She shrugged, her cheeks flushed from the cold and perhaps embarrassment. “It’s a village like any other. There’s a tavern and a bakery, a blacksmith and a chandler.”
He shook his head. “But the tavern is the one you and Sass brought back to life, and the baker makes the best sweet rolls I’ve ever tasted. It isn’t the shops or the buildings that make Wayside so special, it’s the people.”
“You’re right.” She gave him a shy smile. “I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever find a place like this, a place where I belong. Even though this is where I grew up, I didn’t know if it would become my home when I returned.”
“But you did. You found what you were always searching for, Lira. A home. A place to belong. People who love you not for what you can steal or how well you can fight, but just for being you."
She nudged him with her elbow, a gesture so familiar it made his chest ache. "You found it too, you know. This is your home now, as much as it is mine."
He swallowed hard around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "That's what terrifies me."
She waited, knowing him well enough not to push.
"I fear losing it," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper.
"This place, these people who've become family. I’m heartbroken at the thought of having to leave all of this.
But I'm more afraid of putting the family I’ve found here in danger.
Marina doesn't make idle threats, and if she brings her crew here—"
"We won't let that happen,” Lira said firmly, taking his hand in hers. “None of us will let some uppity hellkin hurt someone we love.”
A watery laugh escaped Vaskel’s lips. “I hope Marina is the uppity hellkin in question.”
Lira winked at him. “For now, she is.”
From the corner of his eye, Vaskel spotted movement beyond the bridge. “There.” He inclined his head as the edge of a cloak disappeared into the woods surrounding Grayhelm. “Someone is on their way to the castle.”
“Sass?” Lira asked as she turned to follow Vaskel’s gaze.
“Not sure,” he admitted. “But someone in a hurry.”
Lira gave him a grin he’d seen many times during their crewing days. “Then let’s find out who.”