Page 36 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
Lost in her roiling thoughts, Sass didn't notice the hand reach for her arm from behind until it was too late.
Twenty-Six
The scream was already formingin Sass's throat when she recognized the familiar interior of the apothecary shop. She breathed in bergamot and lavender as the cool hush enveloped her and the heavy door swung shut behind her and Lira.
Sass spun around to see the apothecary and then pressed a hand to her chest, trying to slow her galloping heart. "Sweet simmering cauldrons, Iris! You nearly scared the life out of me."
Iris glanced behind them at the shop's darkened windows, muttering apologies under her breath. "I didn't mean to frighten you, pet, but I didn't want to draw attention by calling out in the street."
Lira looked like she was working to calm her own racing heart, her green eyes still wide from the shock of being suddenly yanked from the idyllic festival preparations. "Then maybe next time you shouldn't abduct people from the sidewalk."
Iris laughed the accusation away with a dismissive flap of her hand, the bangles on her wrist chiming. "Oh, love, if I were kidnapping you, you'd never have seen me coming." She gestured for them to follow her toward the back room. "Now come along, both of you. We have important matters to discuss."
They hesitated at the threshold, exchanging uncertain glances, when Cali's distinctive feline face appeared through the gap in the heavy curtain that separated the front shop from Iris's private domain.
"Hurry," the Tabaxi urged. "You're going to want to see this."
Sass and Lira exchanged another wary look but followed Iris through the curtain.
Overhead, the bookwyrms fluttered in lazy circles, and the air smelled less of potions and more of chamomile and book dust, with just a hint of the almond cookies that Iris nibbled while she read.
"Why are you and Cali being so secretive?" Lira asked, sinking into one of the overstuffed chairs tucked in the corner of the room. "Is this about what you're planning for the Harvest Festival?"
Iris chuckled as she moved to retrieve the kettle, her turquoise skirt swishing. "Well, even though I rarely set out wares for the Night Faires, I am planning to have a table for the Harvest Festival. Folks always want healing tinctures and warming draughts once the nights grow longer and the shadows deepen." She paused in her tea pouring to fix them with a significant look. "But that's not why I pulled you in here."
"Then is this about Lira's uncle?" Sass asked, eyeing Cali’s self-satisfied grin.
Iris shook her head. "No, although I admit I'm intensely curious to learn more about this mysterious Erindil." Her expression grew more serious as she turned to face them fully, bringing the kettle with her and spilling tea in the saucer of one of the flowery teacups. "No, this is about protecting Sass."
Sass opened her mouth in surprise. She’d been touched when Iris had given her some herbs for luck, but she’d thought that would be the extent of it.
Lira sat forward in her chair. "Korl and Val are on high alert, and so is Vaskel. Between the three of them, no one's getting toSass without being stopped.” She nodded toward Cali. "And no one can shoot as straight as our archer here."
Cali preened at the compliment, twirling one side of her whiskers with obvious pleasure. "I have excellent aim.”
Iris nodded briskly as she handed out teacups. “All of that is well and good, and I'm glad to know we have such capable defenders. But that assumes we'll see the dwarves coming." She turned to fix Sass with an intense stare. "You said this Florin is skilled in battle and always gets what she wants, correct?"
Sass nodded reluctantly, her stomach twisting at the memory of her former fiancée. Florin Trollbane had always been like a force of nature—beautiful, terrible, and utterly relentless in pursuit of whatever she desired. The thought of that focused determination being turned toward hunting her made Sass feel slightly queasy.
"Then we can't assume she'll play fair or announce her arrival with trumpets and banners.” Iris brought her own teacup to her lips and blew on the steaming contents. "Someone that determined and resourceful will likely try stealth and surprise rather than a direct assault."
Sass wasn’t sure she agreed. Dwarves rarely bothered with stealth. But Iris was right that Florin was more strategic than your average dwarf.
Iris took a sip of tea, winced from the heat of it, and put the cup and saucer down on a stack of books. She moved to one of the many shelves that lined the room, her fingers searching among the various leather-bound tomes until she pulled out a battered one. She flipped it open and retrieved something wedged between the brittle pages, and when she turned back to them, she was holding a small silver ring.
“This might help even the score," she said, extending the ring toward Sass.
They all leaned closer to examine the delicate piece of jewelry. It was clearly masterly crafted and engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to catch the light, but it appeared to be just a ring.
"This is from the days when I ran with Lira's gran and worked as a rogue," Iris explained. "An elf gave it to me after my quick thinking saved him from a band of trolls who'd been terrorizing the passes in the Riddle Vales. Nasty creatures, trolls.” She grimaced. “Absolutely no sense of personal hygiene."
"What does it do?" Lira asked, reaching out to touch the ring with one careful finger.
Iris handed it directly to Sass, who was surprised by how warm the metal felt against her skin. "Put it on, love. It's sized for slender elf fingers, but it might fit your pinky finger.”
Sass ignored the slight on her pudgy hands and slid the ring over her smallest finger, only jamming it a bit to get it over the knuckle. The metal seemed to adjust itself to her finger, and the warmth that radiated from it was oddly comforting.
"This ring was forged by a renowned crafter in Lananore using a special metal imbued with powers I honestly don't understand," Iris explained, retrieving her teacup and taking another sip. "All I know for certain is that it will prickle noticeably when hostile intent is directed at the wearer. Think of it as an early warning system against dwarf search parties.”
