Page 50 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones
Thirty-Eight
“I can’t believeyou went to find Florin without us,” Lira said, one toe tapping rapid-fire against the tavern’s wooden floorboards.
Cali had uncoiled from the upholstered chair and was wearing her quiver of bows slung across her back again. “You should have at least asked me to follow at a distance. I’m very good at moving unseen.”
Sass had every reason to believe her and every reason to cringe at the look of betrayal on the Tabaxi’s face.
“I can’t believe you’re planning to go back,” Thrain mumbled as he gave Sass a slightly wounded look that was marred only by his grogginess.
Val cleared her throat as she and Sass stood in the great room surrounded by the friends they’d woken up when they’d returned from the forest. “She didn’t go alone, and she won’t be alone when she goes back.”
“That’s right, she won’t.” Lira’s toe-tapping paused long enough for her to brace her hands on her hips. “It’s too dangerous for her to go with only one person as backup.” She tipped her head to one side as she acknowledged Val. “Even if that one person is atrained guard.”
“The elf is right.” Thrain dragged a hand through his tangled black hair and then down the length of his beard. “Two are no match against Florin’s hunting party.”
“Half elf,” Lira and Sass said quietly at the same time.
Lira caught Sass’s eyes, and her scowl melted into a grin. “You know we’re just worried about your safety.”
Sass walked toward the freshly stoked fire and held her hands to it, grateful the ring had finally stopped prickling. Even though it wasn’t cold in the tavern, she was still fighting off the shivers that had been wracking her since she’d seen Florin. The dwarf’s proposal, while seeming fair, made her feel cold all over. “I know, but seeing Florin myself was the best way to keep all of you safe.”
Lira made a noise in the back of her throat that said she didn’t fully agree, but it was Korl who surprised Sass by speaking.
“I understand why you went and why Val went with you, but I don’t understand why the dwarves let you go so easily.”
“You wish they’d held them captive?” Lira asked, snapping her gaze to the orc with surprising heat.
Korl rocked back on his heels. “You know I don’t, but from what I heard about this dwarf hunting party, I expected them to put up more of a fight.”
Thrain stood and joined Sass at the fire, but he stared into it, wrinkling his brow. “I’m with the orc. It makes little sense that Florin would go to all this trouble to find you and then agree to let bygones be bygones.”
Sass thought back to Florin’s cold eyes and tenderly worded threat. “That’s not exactly what happened. She wants me to return the amulet.”
“And she wants to see Sass wear it one last time,” Val added in a low voice.
Lira swung her head to Val. “What?”
Vaskel and Iris had walked over from the bar to join the group gathered around the hearth, and the Tiefling’s tail slashed behindhim. “She wants Sass to wear the amulet when she returns it? Why?”
Sass shrugged. “Some kind of power play, I guess. It’s typical Florin to want to make others jump at her say-so.”
Thrain grunted at this. “Typical Trollbane.”
“And that’s all she wants?” Cali asked, the fur on the back of her neck fluffed up. “To see you in some necklace one last time?”
Vaskel scowled, and his devilish features morphed from sultry to terrifying. “It seems oddly sentimental for a dwarf warrior of her reputation.”
“Never try to predict what a Trollbane will do,” Thrain said with a grumble that told everyone precisely what he thought about the Trollbanes.
Sass knew Thrain was right, but her other friends weren’t wrong. Florin agreeing to release her from their bond without more penance had startled her, especially since Thrain had been sure the dwarf wanted to punish her clan. Instead, Florin had been reasonable and almost kind. Sass shivered. It was unsettling.
“Could I see the amulet in question?” Iris asked as she absently twirled one curl around her pointer finger.
Sass didn’t mind showing the apothecary the piece of jewelry, and she made quick work of going upstairs and retrieving it from under her mattress, exhaling with relief that it was still there. Not that anyone but her friends knew of its existence, and only she knew where she’d hidden it. Still, she wouldn’t have put it past Florin to demand the return of the amulet while simultaneously plotting to steal it back.
Sass felt the jewel through the velvet pouch as she hurried back down the stairs, and she poured it into her palm once she reached Iris. Everyone gathered closer to her, even though most of them had seen it before.
The center stone glittered, even in the muted firelight, and Sass marveled that the metal didn’t show any signsof age. It was as bright and shiny as it had been the night she'd received it. Sass swallowed hard. A night she’d rather forget.
