Erindil put a hand to his face, drumming his long fingers slowly on his jawline. Then he rested his gaze on Lira, a grin spreading across his face. “Why didn’t I think of it before?”
“What?” Vaskel and Lira said at the same time.
Erindil pointed a regal finger at Lira. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Vaskel stared at his friend, wondering what he was missing. As far as he knew, the half-elf woman had fewer powers than her uncle, and even those were hardly controllable.
“Me?” Lira blinked rapidly.
Erindil laughed, draping his hand on his niece’s arm. “Not you, dear, although I can see why you might think that.” He raised his finger to point directly at Crumpet. “Him.”
Everyone in the great room swiveled their eyes to the white, winged stoat with black markings around his eyes that gave him the unmistakable look of a bandit.
“You want me to take the wee beastie with me?” Thrain asked, looking baffled by the suggestion.
“No.” Erindil shook his head. “I don’t think that would be very subtle. Our little friend here is quite distinctive.”
Sass tilted her head. “And clearly enchanted, which is why we keep him out of sight of most folks.”
“But he can fly, can’t he?” Erindil reached up and scruffed the little creature’s head. “Which means he could reach windows.”
“Which could be the same as being able to see through walls,” Lira said, a look of understanding passing over her face.
Erindil bobbed his head up and down. “Vaskel can take our winged friend with him, and if Thrain goes into a room he can’t follow, the little fellow could fly to the window and signal Vaskel when to eat the potion cookie.”
“This seems only slightly less risky,” Iris said. “What if there’s no window?”
“It might be the best we can do,” Lira told her. “That is, if Crumpet is willing.”
The flutterstoat cocked his head to one side, as if considering, then let loose a stream of chatter and flew from Lira’s shoulder to Vaskel’s.
Vaskel reached up and extended a finger for Crumpet to shake. “I think that’s a yes.”
Thrain pushed away from the table and stood. “We’d better get going then.”
Sass handed him the bag of cookies when he’d walked around the table. “Don’t mess this up.”
His belly shook with a rough laugh. “Nothing like a pep talk from Sass.”
“Wait, it’s just the two of you?” Iris asked, ignoring Crumpet’s chattering protest at not being counted. “Shouldn’t you have backup?”
“I’m happy to go with them,” Erindil said. “I’m quite good at staying out of sight.”
Vaskel eyed the elf’s velvet robes that flared out behind him. Unobtrusive wasn’t a word he’d associated with the Lira’s uncle, but he would also never turn down help from an elf.
Korl stood from his overstuffed chair. “I can come too.”
“Count me in,” Val said, as she dumped her knitting on the floor.
Erindil put a hand on the orc’s sizable arm. “I don’t think you’ve ever stayed out of sight, dear boy. But perhaps you and Val could remain outside the castle in case the hellkin tries to run.”
Vaskel gave the assembled team a curt nod. “Shall we?”
He made a move toward the door but Iris stepped in front of him. “I hope this will work, but in case it…I mean, if you can’t break the bind…oh, hells and cinders.” She reached up, grabbed his lapels, and yanked his mouth to hers.
Vaskel’s body reacted instantly, his lips softening and heat pulsing through his veins and pounding in his ears.
Then Iris released him and stepped back, her cheeks flaming. “For luck.”
