Chapter 27
As soon as Jildarin landed and Rylana slid off his back, he shifted into his human form.
Chin raised, he turned toward the captain, a mustached gnome with tufts of graying hair sticking out over his ears.
Fearless despite facing a dragon—probably because six golems stood behind him—the peacekeeper didn’t quail in the least before Jildarin.
Before the captain could speak, the front door of the diner opened, and another gnome came out.
“Sir… there are more than two dozen elves in here that are unconscious. Some are face down in plates of mushrooms. Some tipped over onto the floor and didn’t wake up when they hit it. I don’t know what could have happened. I did make sure they’re breathing. If they’d been killed…”
“That would have been an atrocious violation of Tranquility law.” The captain glowered at Jildarin, as if certain he was responsible.
“The overdose?” Rylana murmured, standing at Jildarin’s side. She was surprised it had been so effective.
“It is not my fault they consumed too many enchanted morels,” Jildarin said to the captain while shivering an eyelid in acknowledgment at Rylana.
“You fed a dish to elven citizens of the enclave and of Tranquility that knocked them unconscious?” The captain rocked back in surprise.
“They were plotting against the queen,” Rylana said.
She pointed at the rooftop before remembering Fareesa and Captain Tassani were gone.
Had they climbed down some of the vines dangling on the walls to avoid passing through the crowd out front?
Again, Rylana found that choice understandable, but if Tassani didn’t come back to serve as a witness, all she had was Zilek.
Sylin was coming down the stairs, but, since this wasn’t the captain she’d worked with, Rylana didn’t know if her word would matter to him.
“You may speak to her majesty or perhaps her captain of arms at your leisure,” Jildarin told the gnome.
“Where are they?”
Jildarin must not have seen them slip away either because he looked around and up at the rooftop. “I no longer sense them here.” He turned toward Zilek, who was gazing at the bottom of his empty coffee cup without appearing worried for Jildarin. “Did you see them depart, Zilek?”
“I did not see them here at any point, my brother. When I saw a battle taking place on the rooftop, I decided not to venture up there. After all, I might have been prompted to turn into a dragon to defend myself, and that’s terribly illegal here.” Zilek smiled at the gnome.
“What are you even doing here?” Jildarin asked.
“Not being helpful,” Rylana muttered.
“I came to sample the exotic coffee promised by that flier.” Zilek pointed to one of many that Vilma had distributed. “What I’ve had so far is quite delicious, but where did the baristas go?”
“They might need to resupply,” Rylana said. “Part of their serving station was knocked over during the battle.”
“It is a shame when a fine brew is spilled. I also came to remind you of the deal you promised. A beautiful coffee companion.” Zilek smiled as he gazed toward Sylin, who’d come down the stairs but not left them.
She probably wanted to avoid the peacekeepers or anyone looking at her and realizing she’d been at the center of the brouhaha.
“She’s been busy being shot at of late, but I’m sure she’ll be available at a future date for what I promised.” Rylana sent an apologetic grimace over her shoulder at Sylin.
“Being shot at?” Zilek asked. “Oh, dear. Had I realized the archers were targeting my future elven companion, I might have shifted into my dragon form to assist with the melee. Despite the harassment that doubtless would have followed.”
On cue, the gnome captain addressed Jildarin again. “Chef Dragon, I must insist that you come with me to Peacekeeper Headquarters until we can determine what happened here. I—” He broke off when a copper-fur dog bounded down the stairs and toward the gnomes. Willow had arrived.
Bixtok came after, waving cheerfully at the golems and the gnome in charge. “Hullo, Captain Hegret.”
“What is going on here, Bixtok?” The captain fended off Willow, who investigated his pockets for treats instead of looking for nearby logs. “Aren’t you off-duty?”
“Yes, we were enjoying a fine, fine meal when half of the elves inexplicably turned on the others, and snipers opened fire from nearby rooftops.”
“That is why I had to turn into a dragon.” Jildarin was balefully eyeing the fine device, but he had to be more worried about losing his diner than paying fees.
“Yes, it was very exciting!” Amid much arm waving, Bixtok gave a fairly accurate summary of what had happened, though he didn’t know the motivations of the elves so couldn’t speak to the reasons behind the attack.
Since the captain was listening raptly to him, Rylana didn’t interject.
Sylin, who had her back to the corner of the building and her arms folded over her chest, also didn’t seem inclined to add details.
She alternated between watching the gnomes’ exchange and eyeing the street and nearby alleys, probably wondering if snipers lingered.
Rylana thought Jildarin had scared them all off but couldn’t blame her for being wary.
If being shot at repeatedly had bothered Sylin, she didn’t show it, but she had to be thinking that her curiosity had almost gotten her into a deadly situation tonight.
Did she regret coming? Maybe, but she might also have expected this outcome and decided to meet Queen Fareesa anyway.
“I don’t think it would be right to fine or otherwise punish Chef Jildarin for changing into a dragon,” Bixtok said to finish his story.
“Because you enjoyed his delicious mushrooms?” the captain asked.
“He also gave Willow a soup bone.”
“Oh, well, if Willow was satisfied.”
At her name, the hound wagged happily.
“He was also defending the queen,” Bixtok said.
“She was up there, then?” the captain asked.
“Oh, yes. She’s very beautiful, and she wasn’t even fazed by archers shooting at her. She looked like she had fighting experience. She punched one of the elves who got past the others in the nose. And then that one…” Bixtok pointed at Sylin. “She’s a very talented fighter too.”
Rylana decided not to be offended that Bixtok didn’t remark on her talent. She was a little proud that she’d disabled two archers while managing not to fall off Jildarin’s twisting and tilting back. There had been a lot going on up on the rooftop, so maybe Bixtok hadn’t noticed her contribution.
“Hm,” was all the gnome captain said.
Zalani came out through the front door. “Oh, there you are, Chef Jildarin. What do you want us to do with all the… Uhm, are the elves sleeping?”
“They are in deep magical slumber from which they cannot be woken for a full day and night,” he stated.
“Also known as a coma,” Rylana said. “After which, they’ll suffer intense intestinal distress. Possibly during which.”
Jildarin made a face. “Not in my diner.” He pointed at the peacekeeper wagons, maybe thinking of requesting—or ordering—the gnomes to carry the elves off to their headquarters and jail.
But his finger shifted as he spotted someone walking up the street, several elven troops accompanying him. “Captain Tassani.”
“Chef Jildarin.” Tassani, who must have safely escorted the queen to her ship, glanced at the gnomes, then bowed to Jildarin and Rylana.
“Captain, I require that you remove the elves from my premises.” Jildarin pointed through the door Zalani was holding open. “Before anything untoward occurs with their bowels.”
“Please,” Rylana added.
“Bowels?” Tassani mouthed, then looked through the doorway. “What happened to them?”
“An unfortunate overdose of enchanted morels,” Rylana said.
“An… intentional unfortunate overdose?” Tassani asked.
“If you didn’t want them drugged, you shouldn’t have mentioned the bad feeling you were having about them,” Rylana said.
“I… see. I don’t think they were all planning to turn on us, but if even some had, things may have turned out differently. I’m relieved they weren’t able to rush to the rooftop and join the others.” Tassani grimaced and glanced in the direction of the lake—and the queen’s vessel.
“You’re welcome,” Rylana said.
“Yes.” Jildarin raised his chin again.
“I’ll have them taken back to the enclave,” Tassani said. “To sort out later.”
“I suggest you lock them in confinement,” Jildarin said. “Until their loyalty to the queen can be determined.”
Tassani looked toward Sylin but didn’t point out that she had been the target of the turncoats. Besides, if she was indeed Fareesa’s daughter, shooting at her would also have been a betrayal of the queen.
“Confinement with nearby lavatory facilities,” Rylana added, not mentioning Sylin.
“I’ll take care of it all,” Tassani said sturdily and waved for his troops to follow him inside.
As they started carrying unconscious elves out of the diner, loading them into one of the peacekeeper wagons, the gnome captain came over again.
Jildarin eyed him warily.
“Considering the extenuating circumstances present tonight,” the captain said, waving toward Bixtok and the other gnomes who’d been enjoying their meal and had witnessed everything, “I will not issue fines to those who were engaged in self-defense and protecting the queen.”
“Good,” Jildarin said gruffly.
Rylana, opting to be more gracious, offered a heartfelt, “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” The captain inclined his head toward them, then gathered his troops and ordered them to help the elves remove their slumbering kin from the diner.
Jildarin watched Bixtok and his hound amble off. “It was wise of you, Rylana, to entice that one to the rooftop for his complimentary meal so that he could observe the night’s events. The word of a fellow peacekeeper swayed the captain far more than anything you or I could have said.”
“I didn’t quite foresee everything that happened tonight, but it did occur to me that having a peacekeeper present might be a good idea.”
“Wise,” Jildarin said again.
Rylana beamed at the praise.
As the gnomes and elves carried the last of the unconscious diners out, Rolf picked up a few coins that fell from the pocket of one.
“Goblin tip,” he said cheerfully.
Ignoring him, Rylana said, “Thank you for making the special dishes tonight, Jildarin.” She was a little surprised that he had.
“The enchanted-morel-overdose dishes.” Jildarin shook his head, denying specialness.
“Yes. I know that must have been a hard decision for you, that it went against all you believe in and want as a chef.”
“To cause diners distress was quite unpalatable, yes. But…” Jildarin considered her. “You were clearly correct. The elves that sought to betray the queen—even putting her in the midst of an archery battle—deserved intestinal distress.”
Rylana thought they deserved worse than that, but she was content to let Captain Tassani and his people handle punishment.
“May it go on for many days,” she said, then felt compelled to add, “after they wake from their comas.”
Jildarin arched his eyebrows.
“Otherwise, it’s more of a punishment for those maintaining their prisons than for them,” she explained.
“I see, yes. But elves do not have prisons. I believe the enclave has a Garden of Confinement.”
“That sounds disappointingly serene, like you wouldn’t mind spending time there.”
“Confinement is a punishment, no matter how pleasant the surroundings.”
“Are there at least some iron bars?”
“I believe there are constrictive vines.”
Rylana looked toward the rooftop dining area, thinking of how the magical elven flora had delivered some effective blows. “That may be sufficient. But I’m going to hope the vines have thorns.” She held up her thumb and forefinger to indicate an appropriate length for such thorns.
“Yes.”
“Anyway, thank you again for deciding to help with that somewhat atypical plan. I’m glad you decided it was worth it, for the good of the elven kingdom.”
Jildarin’s silver eyebrows twitched. “I did it because you’re my partner, and you requested it.”
That surprised her, touched her, and even flustered her a bit, and she didn’t know what to say. He merely nodded and walked into the diner.
Sylin, who’d been close enough to hear the conversation, issued a, “Huh. I think that dragon is falling in love with you.”
“He’s just… a good business partner.” Rylana couldn’t help but sigh and gaze through the window, watching as Jildarin disappeared down the hallway and into his kitchen.
Sylin, observing her gaze, asked, “Are you falling in love with him?”
Rylana hesitated. “I don’t know.”