Page 22 of Jeweler to the Blessed
She glared at me. “I don’t, and if the seller were here, he’d say he doesn’t do virgins either.” Her head tilted to appraise me better. A smirk raised her lip as she toyed with me. “Though he might make an exception for you.”
My cheeks flushed again. I gritted my teeth. “I’m not here to have sex with him. I’m here to talk to him.”
She shook her head. “You should leave. You don’t belong here.”
I looked over her shoulder. I definitely couldn’t get into the tavern without her agreement. If the seller was the guard, he wouldn’t be here anyway. I needed information, though—information I was sure she had.
Given that I still had hours before a guard would protect me, I didn’t want too many people to know of my new positionor that Alaric was missing. But something about the way Ava had frozen at his name—about the way Alaric’s visitor had weaponized her to change Alaric’s behavior—I hoped she could be trusted.
I couldn’t leave without the youngleaf, so I didn’t have much of a choice.
“Do you know where Alaric is?” I asked.
The smile playing on her lips from our prior exchange faded. Any evidence of laugh lines at her eyes disappeared at the implication of my words.
She sidestepped, gesturing me into the building and pointing to an empty seat at the bar. “You’d better sit down.”
I’d heard consent for taking was enforced in Forest’s Edge, but I kept my guard up as I entered. Serena claimed the owner’s line was, “Why take when most will freely give?” They must be serious, as I’d seen with the man tossed out. How Ava, who didn’t appear Blessed, could control them was another question, but my logical side said it was good for them too. If this place was somewhere Blessed could reliably go to take from willing citizens, none would risk it by breaking their rules. And if someone did break the rules, like the man Ava had thrown out, surely no one else would risk their taking ground to defend him.
I sat as instructed while Ava tended to those waiting for drinks. The center of the room was open with wooden tables and chairs. It looked unimpressively like any other dining establishment. I scanned the corners, where curtains hung over more plush seating. One of the alcoves had the curtain pushed back, exposing the leather chairs and long couches. I could only imagine their uses.
Another alcove had sheer curtains. Though the pair within the space were unidentifiable, the act they performed was clear. One partner lay sprawled back on a seat long enough tohold their body. The other partner was on their knees, face bent between the former’s legs. One of the two must be Blessed because even from where I sat, the rapidly flashing orange light of the adamas stone was evident. One of the partners collected lust. It might be widely available here, but lust’s power to heal almost any wound was one Blessed liked to have stored.
I shifted in my seat as my mind roved to the other stories Jasmine and Serena had shared about this place. What would it feel like to have a Blessed take my lust? The memory of forest green eyes boring into mine through the mirror yesterday sent an inferno rushing through my body.
Sliding off the stool, I stood, if for no other reason than to stop my apparent squirming. I needed to collect the youngleaf for Mother’s tonic, learn what I could about Alaric, and get out of here—quickly.
Ava interrupted my spiral, sliding me a cup of coffee. I was momentarily stunned by the gesture. My regular cup at Alaric’s had been forgotten. Drinking coffee wasn’t uncommon in Kavios, but she passed it with a confidence I couldn’t help but question.
“It’s rude to stare,” she said, noting my perusal of the room.
“I doubt they would have picked the sheer curtain if they didn’t want someone to watch.”
“Touché.” Her lip twitched, fighting a smile.
I held up the mug. “Thank you.”
She nodded and turned to help the next customer. Every patron was served in moments, and there were no complaints or questions about what they received, though I didn’t hear any of them order. I couldn’t tell if Ava was that good or if the patrons feared her so much that they didn’t question what she delivered.
Finally, the line quelled, and she disappeared through acurtained doorway behind the bar. Anticipation prickled my skin.
Ava returned with a frown on her face. Her lips pressed together in thought.
“Everything alright?” I asked.
“He’s not at his workshop?” I didn’t need her to clarify whom she meant.
“No.”
She glanced up and down the length of the bar, determining who could overhear us. “Who knows?”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Everyone will know tonight. You haven’t seen him?”
She shook her head. “The seller isn’t here either.”
“But my uncle didn’t come last night?” I needed to confirm this.
Her head shook again. “I should have known …” She glanced at the ceiling. If I had to guess, I’d say she blinked back tears.
