Page 80 of Tusks, Tails & Teacakes
Sass got a faraway look in her eyes. “You can say that again.”
Lira joined Iris to stand in front of the low fire. “You’re sure we can convince the village to have a Night Faire so soon?”
“How soon are we talking?” Sass asked.
“We don’t know how long we have before whoever tried to get through the wall will do it again.” Lira exchanged a nervous glance with Iris, thinking of the sinister Rygor. “The Night Faires were always on the night of a new moon, and that’s this Saturni.”
Sass let out a low whistle. “You’re sure we can pull this off?”
Iris tightened the curl around her finger as she considered it. “I do, and we only have to get a few more vendors onboard to make it happen.”
“We already have the tavern and the town apothecary,” Sass said.
“Then we divide and conquer to get everyone else.”
Sass’s arm shot into the air. “Lira and I volunteer to talk to Pip and Fenni.”
“Cheat,” Cali mumbled with a grin.
Sass smirked at her. “Never let it said that a dwarf passed up a chance for food.”
“We’ll go first thing in the morning,” Lira added. “I need to go to the market anyway.”
“And I can talk to Tin,” Sass said.
Lira shook her head at the dwarf, certain that another visit to the haberdasher would mean more cushions for Val’s chair. “Then I can stop by the blacksmith and wheelwright workshops later. I need to stop by anyway.”
Sass arched a brow. “Do you?”
Lira ignored the burn of her cheeks.
“I can talk to the innkeeper since I’m staying there,” Cali offered. “She seems a friendly sort.”
Iris nodded. “Ginnie won’t say no. She loves a good party. I’m happy to visit the shop owners across from me and talk to the stall owners I know. I’ll also need to talk to someone about paper for the lanterns.”
“What about the laird?” Cali asked. “Won’t the castle want to take part?”
Iris frowned. “Not much of a staff left anymore, and the old laird stopped taking part in village happenings a long time ago.”
“What do you think Rygor will say when he finds out?” Lira asked.
Sass slipped off the end of the chair and yawned. “Hopefully he won’t find out until it’s too late to do anything about it. It’s always easier to ask forgiveness than permission anyway.”
“Why do you need to be forgiven?”
Their faces swung toward the doorway, startled that Vaskel had slipped inside. Between her own weariness and the crackling of the fire, Lira hadn’t heard a thing. Was she slipping?
Cal and Lira exchanged a speaking look, both nodding. They couldn’t keep the plan from their friend. Not when he could be put to such good use.
Lira walked toward the Tiefling. “Are you up for one last heist as a crew?”
Vaskel’s eyes flashed interest.
“If we pull it off, it will enrage the wyvern,” Cali added.
Vaskel’s grin was almost feline. “Name the time and place.”
Forty-Eight
