The gears in my brain started turning.
I retreated to the front of the shop quickly, taking a sip of my own cocoa.
“Oh, by the way,” I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Do you need to borrow any silvers? For… whatever you need to purchase? I know that cauldron really drained you dry.” I shifted to the balls of my feet and then settled back on my heels again.
Kizzi dragged a hand through her scalp, yanking her fingers through any tangles she encountered. She sighed heavily. “I do, actually.”
I fished my coin pouch from my pocket. “How much do you need?”
She looked at the shopkeeper. “How much do I need? For the herbs… and also for the second thing.” She leaned over the counter to glance at something I couldn’t see from where I stood.
The shopkeeper looked worried. “I am really not supposed to?—”
“Please. You can trust me. How much?” Kizzi insisted.
A deep sigh echoed through the shop. “A hundred silvers.”
I nearly choked on my cocoa. “A hundred?” That wouldn’t drain my savings… but it would make a large dent.
Kizzi fluttered her hands nervously. “I’ll pay you back. With interest! I’ll pay you back two hundred!”
I examined her face for a moment. I knew she was good for it—her business slowed during some seasons, but it was always consistent. Someone always needed her brews.
And I simply couldn’t deny her.
I would buy the little witch anything she wanted.
“Sure. Of course.” I tossed the coin pouch onto the counter near the two women and dropped my gaze to my feet, carefulnot to appear too nosey. “Just bring back whatever’s left. I’ll be outside.”
“Thank you! Two hundred, I swear to the Old Gods!”
I flapped my hand at her. “I believe you.”
I slipped out of the shop and into the cold.
Puzzle pieces slowly clicked together in my mind as I decided to take a stroll along the base of the mountains. There were trails here, some leading up into the peaks, some weaving through the valley. I chose a simple-looking path, careful not to venture too far so I wouldn’t get lost.
Kizzi was trying to break a love potion enchantment.
I hadn’t caught a glimpse of whatever was lying on the counter, too shocked from the information that was revealed. Was there an ingredient that could counteract a love potion?
Who had she enchanted?
I knew love potions were outlawed, of course. Everyone did. The fact that Kizzi had cast one was cause for concern.
I considered how strange things were in Moonvale before our swift departure.
I thought about Linc, with his strange behavior and his vacant stare. Was he her target? Did Kizzi have feelings for the human? The thought wasn’t unbelievable—Linc was handsome, if a little strange. But she didn’t seem to appreciate his presence. I remembered how she had sighed and rolled her eyes when he had shown up.
My thighs burned as I picked up my pace, trudging the rugged terrain mindlessly, letting my thoughts wander as the path swept me away. A knee-height-tall critter crossed my path, but I paid it no mind. I didn’t even bother looking at it directly.
And then I remembered the other folk. How they had been acting… The strange behavior and vacant stares in the pub…
And it all clicked. I understood.
I barked out a humorless laugh that echoed off the rocky bluffs.
“Gods be damned, Kizzi.”
