“Fine,” Stone said. “The truth is no one really knows where Ravki is.”Or if it exists.“Who’s to say the king didn’t wander here, realize he was over his head, and stay hidden somewhere?”
He caught up to her side and could see enough of her face to see she was frowning again. “But the maps—”
“You mean the maps the king decimated with scribbles and notes and tragically bad folding?” They reached the Apothecary but Stone blocked the door before Aesira could open it. “We don’t know how viable they are. We don’t even know if they’re real. So in here”— he tapped the door three times—“if finding the king is your utmost desire, there’s a way.” Theastralamp outside of the Apothecary winked on, the light catching on her armor. “Also, you really should change out of that.”
“Trying to undress me, Odega?”
He grinned, readying his next remark, but the door creaked open behind him.
“It’s late,” a voice growled from the darkness. "Go away."
“Apologies, Soo. It’s Stone Odega and I’ve brought a friend.” He glanced over his shoulder and urged Aesira to join his side. “Can we come in for a tea?”
The door slid open another inch, a tiny slice of candlelight leaking out. “Did someone say tea?” the ancient woman asked through a soft chuckle. “Well you should have started with that.” She pushed the door wide open and a waft of sage and mint burned in his nose. “There’s always time for tea.”
Soo, a tiny woman with a severe hunch Stone couldn’t remember her ever not having led them inside. Her short cropped hair shone silver in the candlelight and her narrow eyes and deeply wrinkled skin stood out against the overflowing life that was tucked into every corner of the small space.
Aesira ran her fingertips along the green vines that stretched from floor to ceiling, eyes wide and curious.
Stone traced her movements and he couldn’t blame her for being so enamored. Each wall of the Apothecary was lined with wooden shelves and on top of each shelf was cacti, shrubs, dried herbs in tiny jars, skulls of various animals, and even a tortoise shell. The Apothecary was always this way. Stuffed to the brim with oddities. Plants. Warmth.
He’d found Soo shortly after Patch dragged him in from the open desert. She was just as much family as the cadre was, even if she was the most stubborn.
“What kind of tea can I make for you this time, Stone?” Soo stood behind a small counter, hands resting on top of each other, silver and gemstone rings adorning each knobby finger.
“Same as last time,” he said. “We’re looking for something–someone. Did you happen to see anyone out of the ordinary pass through?”
Soo laughed. “I’m an old lady. I don’t get out much let alone participate in gossip.”
Stone pushed his glasses up so they sat more firmly on his nose. He knew for a fact that wasn’t true. Old, yes. Not a fan of gossip? Hardly. If there was gossip, Soo was either starting it or feeding it. “Only a question, Soo. Which you didn’t answer by the way.”
Soo grunted. “You know where you need to go if you want answers in the Outpost.” She leaned closer, propping her elbows on the counter. “You know who keeps the desert's secrets.” She leaned close, pulling him down so she could speak softly into his ear. "What are you really doing here? Looking for something you shouldn't?"
He straightened, clearing his throat. The light in the Apothecary was dim and Stone wondered if Aesira could see his jaw clench at the mention of the desert's secrets, or where to go to find them. He needed to keep his composure. To make sure she didn’t see the rising panic in his chest. “Just looking for someone who's lost."
Soo grunted and he knew she didn't believe him. He'd tell her his plans, later, as he always did. "Then you know where to go, Stone."
"The last time I checked, he wasn’t pleased with me,” he said, choosing his words wisely. Vaguely. “Plus you know his general disdain for outsiders.”
Soo grabbed a glass jar from the nearest shelf, a moth with thick, furry wings fluttered inside. She reached in and pulled it out, letting it sit atop her hand. “Mmm,” she said, stroking the moth’swings. “I’m sure for someone so pretty”— she leaned around Stone and smiled at Aesira— “he’d make an exception.”
“She isn’t a bargaining chip.” Stone’s voice dropped low.
Soo laughed again. “Defensive.” Stone’s mouth dropped open but she shook her head. “You mentioned tea. Now do you want some, or did you truly wake me up to ask me unnecessary questions?”
“Fine, if you haven’t seen anyone unusual,” Stone said, “you must at least have a remedy to help point us in the right direction.”
Soo chuckled then immediately got to work. She shuffled about the small room with bare feet and brightly colored chiffon robes that draped onto the ground. She pulled vials from shelves, snipped flowers and leaves, humming quietly to herself, the moth perched on her shoulder.
“Wait here,” she said before disappearing behind a curtain of tiny bells and beads.
After a few moments of silence, Aesira cleared her throat. “How is tea going to help us find Desmond?”
Stone picked up a crystal from one of the shelves, examining it through his glasses. “Soo is a mage.” He set the crystal back down, leaned against the shelf, and crossed his arms across his chest.
“A mage? There haven’t been mages in…” Aesira’s eyes went distant, like she was trying to make sense of what he’d said.
Stone laughed. “Centuries. She looks good for her age. Or maybe she has a tea for that too.”
