22. Old friends #2
“Because she’s interesting, Felix. Whether she likes it or not, she’s possibly the most interesting person of our lifetime. No matter what happens, songs and stories will be written about her. Mine will be the first, the greatest, and it will be my legacy.” Her eyes glinted in the low light.
Felix didn’t respond. Mia wasn’t bluffing, she rarely did. Now that she knew they were here, the risk of letting her run off to the guard was far too great.
“I’ll make it worth your time,” she added. “Take me to her, and I’ll tell her what I know. I’ll keep your secrets. And I’ll write her a song for the ages.”
“How do I know you’re not lying? Or that we won’t be followed? ”
Mia scoffed. “If I wanted to sell you out, I could go to the city guard right now, and you know very well how much I hate mages. No, Felix. I meant what I said.” She took a step closer to him and reached out as if to touch his chest, but Felix’s hand shot out and clamped around her wrist.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he said in a low voice, “or you will, too.”
Mia stood still and studied him with narrowed eyes. A flash of recognition and surprise crossed her face, and she smiled again. “This isn't just a job to you, is it?”
“Shut up, Mia.”
“I’ll think about it, if you take me to her.”
There was no point in further debating his answer. Felix would not let Mia sell them out to the guards, and although he very briefly considered it, he wasn’t about to murder her in cold blood either. He hated she knew he wouldn’t. He hated having a conscience sometimes.
“Fine,” he said, releasing her arm. “We take you, you get what you need for your wretched song, and you go on your way.”
She flashed her feline smile at him and nodded. “It’s a deal.”
“We’ll leave first thing in the morning. I’ll get a room here for Leif and me.”
“Aw,” she crooned, “you are welcome to stay in mine.”
Leif looked completely lost. Felix held in a curse and all but snarled, “We’re good, thanks,” instead.
Without waiting for Mia’s reply, he turned and stalked back into the inn.
As soon as they were in the relative privacy of the shabby little room Felix rented for the night, Leif rounded on him.
“Who. Was. That.”
Felix shrugged. “An old friend. She plays in the tavern I used to frequent in Azuill.”
“She did not act like you and her were just ‘friends’,” Leif replied, his head tilted to the side.
Felix snorted. “She’s like that with everyone.”
“Hm,” Leif said, still looking at Felix sceptically. “Somehow I doubt that. Do you have a lot of these outrageously beautiful ‘old friends’? I’m going to take you up on that offer to show me around Azuill if that’s the case. ”
“No. Don’t let Mia fool you. She’s only in it for her own gain.”
Leif shrugged. “She seemed nice enough.”
Felix sighed. None of this was how he had wanted this day to go, but there was nothing he could do about it now, so he left Leif to watch over their things and went to find the bathing facilities.
When Felix returned to the room, Leif was bouncing with excitement.
“I’m going to head downstairs for a bit! Mia said there would be music. Would be a shame to waste our only evening here. You coming?”
“No.”
“Suit yourself.” Leif headed for the door, but Felix grabbed him by the arm before he could open it.
“Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t mention Isolde and don’t get drunk. Leave your things here. If someone tries to sell you something, you say no. Got it?”
“Fine, fine. I’ll be good, don’t worry,” Leif said with a wide smile. “I’ve had a few drinks before. You sure you don’t want to come?”
“Yes. Not in the mood.”
“Alright. See you later.” Leif shrugged and closed the door behind him.
Felix flopped down on a bed and listened to Leif walking away down the hall.
He twirled his dagger between his fingers absently as his thoughts wandered and landed squarely on Isolde.
Would she be safe? Was the camp hidden enough?
What if there were patrols? He shouldn’t have left; he should have made Garren or Luella go instead…
For fuck’s sake. Pull yourself together.
He threw the dagger at the far wall. The blade quivered as it sank into the wood. He retrieved it, then threw it again, and again, but it did nothing to ease the knot in his stomach.
Scarcely an hour later, the noise from below had increased to a lively din. The light footsteps in the hallway were barely audible over the racket. Not Leif – Mia. He tensed. What did she want now?
“Felix? I think you’d better come downstairs,” she called. “Your little friend is putting up quite a show.”
He cursed, jumped up and yanked the door open. “Why? What is he doing? ”
Mia smiled. “See for yourself.”
Felix followed her down the stairs and into the crowded, noisy taproom. He shouldered his way through the crowd until he spotted Leif – standing on a table holding a pint aloft, shouting at the top of his voice.
“– and she healed me! I saw the light, I did! Blood everywhere! But Lady Isolde used her leytouched magic and healed me, brought me back from the brink of death!”
Of all the hells-damned…
“Leif!” he barked. “Get the fuck down here!”
“Felix! Tell them, Felix!” Leif gestured wildly at him, swaying on his feet, liquid sloshing out of his glass. “This guy was there; he knows I’m telling the truth!”
“You fucking –” He grabbed Leif’s arm and dragged him down before he could say another word.
“Hey! Watch the ale!” Leif complained.
Felix didn’t answer. He merely hauled him toward the stairs, growling curses.
He caught one or two suspicious looks, and his heart sank.
“Don’t mind my friend,” he said to nobody in particular, trying to diffuse the situation.
“He’s a bit funny, horse kicked him in the head.
Never the same since. Sees fairies everywhere. ”
“Do you have any idea how many people were listening?” he hissed as they reached the top of the stairs. “Did I not explicitly tell you not to mention Isolde?”
“I thought –”
“No, Leif, you didn’t think, you just reminded half this bloody fucking town that there is a leytouched girl out there with a bounty on her head, painting a nice big target on our backs in the process! There is a mage tower here; do you think they won’t hear of this?”
Leif laughed, mumbling about mage flowers, as Felix shoved him inside. He stumbled and flopped face-down onto the bed. “You worry too much,” he mumbled into the mattress.
“You’re drunk.”
“I’m not, I’m fine…” His incoherent words faded into silence, and he let out a loud snore .
Mia followed them into their room, closed the door and leaned against it, folding her arms and looking at Leif with faint amusement. “Well,” she said, “he certainly made an impression. Not a bad storyteller. Do you know if he has any talent for music?”
“How many people left after he started talking?” Felix asked, ignoring Mia’s question.
The mirth disappeared from her eyes. “Enough. The word will be on the streets by now.”
“Shit. We need to go.” Felix grabbed Leif by the arm and dragged him off the bed. “Up. Now. We’re leaving.”
Leif startled, flailing his arms. “Wha –? I thought we were leaving in the morning?”
“We were until you decided to run your mouth,” Felix grumbled, shoving him with his foot.
Once Leif stumbled to his feet, they made their way down the stairs.
Mia led them away from the taproom and through the back, where a grimy-looking cook raised an eyebrow but did not otherwise comment on three strangers traipsing through his kitchen.
It probably wasn’t the first time someone made a quick exit here, Felix thought wryly.
Outside, the alleyway reeked of stale ale and rotting food.
Leif clapped a hand over his mouth, heaving, but Felix pushed him along without pity.
They were about to slip out into the street beyond when the sounds of boots echoed from around the corner.
Cursing under his breath, Felix pressed his back against the wall and dragged a staggering Leif beside him.
He listened intently – four men. Headed their way. As they approached, he could pick up fragments of a conversation.
“– true what they said? He claimed she healed him?” an elderly-sounding voice said.
“Several people in the tavern attest to his claims,” another, younger voice replied. “If it is true… If word gets out…”
Leif held his breath, his eyes wide in the dark .
The older person clicked his tongue angrily. “We cannot afford to let that happen. Every peasant with a bad leg will rally behind her. There will be petitions, and the nobility… No. Damn the Azuill circle for not acting when they had the chance.”
“The Duskrend have been hired to… deal with her.” One speaker halted, mere steps away from the alley. Felix’s heart was pounding in his ears so loudly he feared the strangers passing by would hear it.
“By whom?” The other voice said from up ahead. The second person still did not move. Felix’s hand crept towards the hilt of his dagger.
After what felt like hours, the footsteps picked up again, moving away from their position. He allowed himself to exhale slowly. Next to him, Leif gasped for air.
“An unknown party.”
“Hmph. If they have been unsuccessful so far, I expect little more. If this boy was here in the city, she must be nearby. We must –”
Felix strained to catch what they must, but at that point the two strangers rounded the corner, well out of earshot.
Leif heaved the contents of his stomach onto the cobblestones.
“Oh, lovely,” Mia said dryly. “That was my boot.”
Leif mumbled something incoherent that may have been an apology.
Felix ignored Leif. “Do you know who hired the Duskrend?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at Mia.
She glared right back. “I do. But I’ll tell her, not you.”
“Fine. We need to go. I want to get out of the city before dawn.”
***
They passed by a covered market stall when Leif stopped dead in his tracks. A faint, whimpering sound came from somewhere nearby.