Lira braced her hands on the table and leaned forward. “You’re sure you can convince her it’s an attempt to win her back, so she won’t be suspicious?”
Thrain shifted on the wooden bench. “If I didn’t know what I do now, I might try to win her back. I might not have thought of cookies, though.”
Sass jutted one hip out as she stared at her friend. “You’re going to have to convince her you would. Remember, Pip made these, and they’re a special recipe he created just for you to give her. That should sweeten the pot.”
Lira frowned at this as Crumpet chittered indignantly on her shoulder. “Do you really think they’d be less appealing if she thought I baked them.”
Iris patted the woman’s arm. “You’re too close to Vaskel. If she knows you crewed together, she might suspect you of having ulterior motives. No one would suspect Pip of doing anything covert.”
Vaskel grunted his agreement. “She’s met and charmed Pip. She’s also tasted his baking. I can’t imagine her not being tempted by the idea of treats created specially for her by him.”
“Fine.” Lira sniffed, with the fultterstoat mimicking the action with a haughty jerk of his tiny chin. “But if this works, I want credit for making the cookies that broke a soul bind.”
“We can put a sign outside the tavern if you want,” Sass told her with a grin. “Although I doubt that will have folks beating down our doors.”
Lira shot her a look but seemed mollified. Crumpet seemed less so.
“When do I need to take her the cookies?” Thrain asked.
“Tonight,” Vaskel said before anyone else could speak. “It has to be tonight.”
He didn’t explain that he was running out of time before Marina came to claim him or that Cali was planning to leave with the hellkin. He didn’t need to. Thrain was enough of a loyal friend that he didn’t require explanations.
The dwarf nodded and then shrugged. “As good a time as any, I suppose.”
He reached for the plate, but Sass shooed his hands away.
“You aren’t going to take them like that.” She produced a slightly crumpled paper bag from the pocket of her full skirt. “This is one of Pip’s bakery bags. It’ll be more convincing.”
“Good thinking,” Iris said.
Lira eyed her, lips twitching. “You happened to have a bakery bag on you?”
Sass straightened as if affronted. “You never know when you might need a bag.”
“Mm-hmm.” Lira’s lips curled into a wry smile. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the last sweet roll that went missing a few days ago, would it?”
“Don’t know what you’re going on about.” Sass unfurled the bag and began sliding the cookies into it.
Vaskel stopped her before she added the last cookie to the bag. “I need one to eat at the same time Marina’s ingesting hers.”
Thrain’s forehead bunched. “How’s this going to work then? I find Marina, pretend I’m desperate to win her back and offer her a gift, and then what?” He locked eyes with Vaskel. “How are you going to know when she’s eating the cookie?”
“I’ll have to go with you,” Vaskel said, “but I’ll stay far enough away that I’m not spotted.”
“What if she’s in the castle?” Thrain asked. “There aren’t a lot of places to hide in those corridors, and if she invites me into her room, you won’t have any way of knowing what’s going on.”
Iris exhaled heavily. “He’s right. There are too many variables we can’t control.”
“We don’t need to control all of them.” Erindil spoke for the first time since they’d approached Thrain. “We only need to figure out a way to get eyes on Marina.”
Lira turned to her uncle. “I don’t know everything about elvish powers, but I didn’t think you could make yourself invisible or see through walls.”
He chuckled. “I can’t, my dear, although wouldn’t that be delightful fun?”
Vaskel fought the urge to roll his eyes at the elf who seemed to move through life as if nothing was ever worth fretting over. Perhaps if he lived thousands of years, he might feel the same way. As it was, he only lived a few hundred, and he didn’t want to spend the last half of his life bound to Marina.
“How do you suggest we get eyes on Marina then?” Vaskel asked.
