Crumpet huffed out a breath and took the spoon from Lira, taking over mixing as she eyed Vaskel.
“Since I know that hellkins rarely get sick, is it normal for you to pop in to the apothecary’s at all? It isn’t like you’re into reading pirate romance.”
He spluttered, the words tripping over his tongue as he tried to explain himself. “Iris and I are friends just like she and Cali are friends, so it’s perfectly normal for me to visit her.”
This only seemed to widen Lira’s smile. “Somehow I don’t think it’s the same as Iris and Cali’s friendship, do you?”
He opened his mouth then clamped it shut, realizing too late that his tail was flicking nervously behind him. Lira knew him too well for him to get much past her, and her eyes went straight to his tail.
“I think I’ve been too distracted by the wedding to notice quite a few things,” she said with a smug grin.
“We’re talking about Cali,” Vaskel reminded her, “and trying to make sure she doesn’t get taken in by Marina.”
Some of the smugness in Lira’s smile vanished. “You’re right. You’re also right that Iris has been spending more time with her than anyone. If someone might know Cali’s state of mind, it would be her.”
Vaskel paused. “You don’t think Cali would tell Marina what’s in the castle dungeon, do you?”
Lira’s oven-warmed cheeks paled. “Why would she? She wants Malek to stay locked away as much as we all do.”
Vaskel nodded, wanting to believe her. Wanting to believe that Marina would never get that information from Cali.
“I can talk to Iris. I should check on the potion anyway,” Vaskel said, changing the subject and taking care not to meet Lira’s shrewd gaze. “I can tell her what we know about Cali and Marina and see what she thinks.”
“I’ll keep working on the cookies. If the potion is done later today, I’d like to get them made by this evening.”
“Then all I have to do is convince Marina to eat one.”
Lira opened the oven door, leaning back as steam billowed from inside. She used her knitted oven mitts to retrieve two pans of golden-brown scones and set them on the wooden worktable. The potent aroma of cinnamon drenched the air, and even Vaskel’s stomach growled.
“It will work, Vask,” Lira said as she waved an oven mitt over the scones. “Who doesn’t love baked goods?”
Thirty-Six
Vaskel hurried through the village,the sky leaden and warning of more snow. It was almost afternoon, which meant he didn’t have time to spare. Soon folks would drift into the Tusk & Tail for scones and chai, and some would linger until dinner.
He kept his head down, even ignoring the punchy aroma of yeast soaking the air near Pip’s bakery. As much as he wanted to stop in for a sweet treat or even a crusty roll, he needed to get to the apothecary.
Vaskel didn’t bother to slow once he ducked under the black-and-white-striped awning, pushing open the door and letting the bell jangle as he burst inside. But there was no one behind the counter. No Iris tending to customers. No sound of her bustling around in the back.
For a moment, he stiffened, and the tip of his tail quivered. He hadn’t sensed danger, but what if he was wrong? What if the soul bind and the marks burning their way up his arm had hampered his ability to detect threats? What if Marina was there? Whatif Cali had inadvertently brought the enemy into the very place where they were working to break her infernal magic?
Holding his breath, he walked as stealthily as possible toward the heavy brown curtains, his fingers hovering over the blade tucked in his belt. Just as he reached the velvet curtain, it flew back and a shriek rent the air.
“Hells and cinders, Vaskel!” Iris pressed a hand to her heart as she dropped the curtain and it swung in front of her, separating them again. She pushed it back, her eyes blazing. “What are you doing sneaking up on me?”
He couldn’t even claim not to have been sneaking up on her because that’s exactly what he’d been doing. “I didn’t hear anything, so I thought Marina might be here.”
Iris ran a hand through her dark curls absently and waved him back as she shook her head. “Why would Marina be here, of all places?”
Vaskel stepped into the back room, tipping his head to see the bookwyrms gliding high overhead as the skylights let in what gray winter light there was on offer. The chaos of the previous day was gone, but there was still an empty teacup and crumb-filled plate on the round table that centered the room.
He supposed there was no time like the present to tell Iris her friend was the hellkin’s latest target. “Because I thought Cali might have brought her. We saw Cali with Marina in the castle this morning.”
The apothecary whirled around, her long colorful skirt catching air and swirling at her ankles. “Why would Cali be at the castle? And why would she have anything to do with Marina?”
“Your guess is as good as ours how it all happened, but from what I could get from a drunk Thrain, Marina figured out that he had never run on a crew before but Cali had.”
Iris’s half-moon glasses slid so far down her nose Vaskel was sure they’d slip right off. “Does she know Cali crewed with you?”
