15. CHAPTER 15
Aveline
We had gone to three different shops and at least six market stalls, and I still hadn’t been able to find belladonna, hemlock, or jimonsweed.
Godsdammit.
I did locate a small harvest of moonflower, but it wasn’t nearly enough to craft the tincture I needed.
I was going to run out; it was as simple as that.
What would happen when I stopped? I cursed under my breath, knowing I would need to start dosing all over again.
I would quickly lose the tolerance I had worked so hard to build up.
Ravenwood at night was beautiful, if not a little eerie.
The buildings had streetlamps that illuminated the tan cobblestones, the shadows lurking with Vireth.
They seemed friendly enough, but we didn’t stop to find out.
The streets were mostly empty, the darkened Wraithwood forest looming in the distance.
We were told to never enter the Wraithwood under any circumstances. I wasn’t sure what awaited whomever dared enter the thick tree cover, and I didn’t intend to find out.
The flapping of nearby wings sent me into a crouch, bracing my hands against the stone beneath me to balance.
Enora doubled over cackling. “I’m sure it was only a bat.”
“We are in Gothryn for gods’ sake,” I reminded her.
Her eyes cast skyward as she searched the darkness. “Good point.”
She grasped my arm and brought me closer to her side. We stuck close to the buildings, safely tucked beneath the overhangs and awnings of the shingled roofs. An unfamiliar sensation filled my gut, unease clenching tightly in my chest. It felt as if we were being watched.
“We need to get off the street,” I told her.
She grasped my hand and all but dragged me as we ducked into the nearest open doorway.
It was a tavern, the smell of ale filling my nostrils and the raucous laughter of its patrons drowning out any sounds haunting the midnight air.
The room was filled with tables and booths, the bar running along the back wall crowded with patrons.
I followed Enora as she made her way through the bustling crowd.
Enora didn’t draw any attention with her pointed ears, but many faces turned my direction as we passed through the throng of fae.
I pulled my dark hair in front of my shoulders, effectively concealing my rounded ears from prying eyes.
From the looks of it, this didn’t appear to be a place that humans frequented.
This bar was filled with Vireth.
I swallowed hard, biting back my apprehension as I sidled up next to Enora at the bar. She ordered two drinks, and while the barkeep gave us a long, unnerving stare, she did serve us. We took the ale gratefully and made our way toward one of the empty booths on the left-hand side of the tavern.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted,” Enora said, falling against the burgundy leather of the seat and letting out a humorless laugh.
“Tell me about it,” I replied, doing the same.
The first sip of ale was smooth as honey going down the back of my throat, a pleasant burn blooming in my chest. I had expected the summer night to remain warm as it did in Myros. The air tonight remained balmy and humid while a chilled breeze pulled in from the north.
My gaze drifted around the bar, interested in cataloging the differences between our two kingdoms. Gothryn had proven to be a much wealthier kingdom thus far, even if Ravenwood was a small town to form the basis of any observations.
This town, and this kingdom, were vastly different from Majur. Of that much I was certain.
A blush flushed my cheeks as I noticed a Vireth fae with a human draped across his lap, his lips pressed to her neck. It was odd seeing him feed like that, right out in the open. I hadn’t assumed that was typical behavior. It still felt as if it were something that should occur behind closed doors.
I met Enora’s gaze, and she gave me a knowing smile over the top of her ale that only just turned up the corner of her lips. I took a hearty sip before returning the heavy mug to the tabletop.
“I didn’t find everything I needed tonight,” I told her.
“But did you find enough for…you know.”
I cast her a warning glare.
We didn’t know who could be listening. Despite the deafening roar of the drunk patrons, Vireth hearing would allow anyone close by to eavesdrop on our conversation easily.
I shook my head. “None of this will work for that. It has to be…unexpected. Something that has no indication that it came from Myros. I would prefer Larkspur or Oleander. I am not sure they are native to Gothryn, though. I need time to study. Perhaps you could help with that during your time in the library. If I have free time during the daylight hours, I would like to go out and explore. Potentially harvest what I can find. Though, I am not sure what my current commitments look like to the crown prince…schedule wise.”
Enora scooted closer to me, leaning over the table between us with her hands tight around her own mug. “What is he like?”
I took another sip to buy me time as I thought. “Arrogant. Unexpected. But…elegant, in a way. Very refined and controlled. His presence is…commanding. He is also quite the neat freak.”
“Really?” she asked, drawing closer, “tell me more.”
I shrugged. “There isn’t much more to tell. I’ve only cleaned his room once. I did meet his sister which was…unexpected. He had a human waiting for him as I was leaving to retire for the night.”
Enora’s eyebrow shot up. “How scandalous.”
“I didn’t expect him to hide his comings and goings from me. What does he have to hide after all? He is Vireth and the crown prince. He requires blood to live.”
“But was she…” Enora waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Yes. She was, indeed, a courtesan—if that is what you are asking.”
Enora smirked. “What does he look like? I haven’t yet seen any of the Blackwater princes.”
“He has dark hair. Ebony—like a moonless night. So dark it’s almost blue. He’s tall, well over a head taller than me. His eyes are dark umber, almost black. The color of that liquor you like back in Lysvarin. He is broad, large wings the color of a raven.”
My gaze had fallen to my mug of ale as I spoke. When it drifted back to Enora once more, her expression was smug.
“So…what you’re telling me is that he is gorgeous?”
I shook my head, thoughts immediately traveling to Kallias. Kallias was fair, with blond hair and the same scratchy stubble. But he wasn’t…striking in the same way. His features were softer.
Where Kallias was gentle, Sorin was all sharp edges.
Kallias didn’t have that dangerous undertone that set alarm bells off in my mind the way Sorin did. My mouth opened to speak, but Enora interrupted me.
“Admitting he is handsome doesn’t mean you love Kallias any less.”
I took another sip, my face scrunching up. “Then yes, the prince is handsome.”
Before Enora could tease me further, a skirmish caught our attention.
My gaze was drawn toward the bar at the back of the tavern.
A tall Vireth fae with short, curly hair was engaged in an argument with a shorter Vireth with red, wiry hair.
He grasped him by the front of his tunic and drew him close, whispering something into his ear.
The other man shoved him off as his friends encircled him.
Tension was thick in the air as the crowd quieted to watch. It was moments away from breaking out into a physical brawl.
“That’s our cue to leave,” Enora said, downing the remainder of her ale in three enormous gulps.
My eyes widened but I did the same, forcing the burning liquid down.
I moved to stand, but the crowd had pushed forward to watch the fight as it escalated. They were now blocking our way out of the booth and to the exit. It was near impossible for me to slide out of the leather seat without knocking into someone.
“Excuse me.” My voice was small among the din of the crowd, even to my own ears. I cleared my throat, trying again. “Excuse me!” I moved to squeeze by the woman in front of me. As I stood, I was knocked backward, sprawling back against the sticky tavern floor.
My mouth curled in disgust as I drew to stand, my hands covered in a mysterious dark liquid.
“Aye! Look what we have here!” A man with short, cropped hair pointed. “I know you!”
I shook my head, gaze darting to Enora’s. “You must be mistaken. If you’ll excuse me…”
He slapped a hand against his leg, his ale sloshing over the rim of his mug to spill onto the floor before me.
“You are that human! What’s her name…” He turned to his friend, snapping his fingers.
“The human! You know the one.” He continued pointing as I pressed my skirts down, wiping the liquid from my skin and attempting to make myself small. Invisible.
I shook my head. “If you’ll excuse me.”
I felt Enora’s hand steady against my back, gently pressing me toward the exit. The moment I moved, the man’s hand shot forward quickly, grasping my upper arm tightly. I tried to step out of his grip without causing a scene.
“You’re hurting me,” I said through gritted teeth. “Please, sir. If you wouldn’t mind.”
“Elm! Look what I found here!” A group of more Vireth had gathered around us, their attention drawn from the earlier fight to the commotion now focused on us.
“Aye! I know her!”
“That’s her! Look!”
“Prince Kallias’s whore!”
“Isn’t she a pretty little thing! I say we take a turn with her…”
I recoiled, but the man wouldn’t let go of my arm.
Enora’s hand shot forward, attempting to pry his grip free.
It was no use; he didn’t even budge. Not even beneath her superior Veytari strength.
The man didn’t even cast a cursory glance in Enora’s direction.
Her gaze flitted about the tavern, searching for help.
There was only Vireth in every direction, and we were drawing more attention by the second.
“Please, sir. You have me confused with someone else…” I tried my best to make my voice sound commanding among the uproar of voices in the tavern, but it was futile.