Varina gives a gusty, beleaguered sigh and pushes the books aside, nearly knocking a candle over. “I guess I’ll have to wet this and make do. Got any water pulled up or do we need to head to the well?”
I try not to get too nervous at the wobbling candles near a flammable book. Surely candles are safe around Varina and Metta, or they’d have burnt up the place a dozen times over, right? They’re used to candles. I’m just being a nervous nellie because I’m attached to my book. I watch as the two women bustle over to a washbasin, thinking about the other book in the next town. If it’s a walk of a few hours, we could see it and be back before sunset, I think. It’d be a lot of walking, but Kalos is having a good day, and we don’t have Dingle with us.
There’s no better time, really. And since I can’t go back home and work on my book, I have a lot of free time.
“I think I’ll see if Kalos wants to head over to Eagleton after all,” I say as Metta and Varina start arguing over the water bucket.
“Go to the temple and tell them Varina sent you,” the priestess says merrily and shoves her hand out to Metta. “They know why I’m here. Now Metta, hand over that dipper.”
Metta glares at her, holding the dipper away. “Not if you’re going to get ink all over it!”
I head outside, shutting the door behind me. Kalos looks up from under the floppy brim of the hat. “Done already?”
I do my best to seem casual. “How do you feel about visiting a village just up the river? Eagleton?”
“I could care less, but you already knew that answer.”
“There’s a temple to Belara there and they have a book like mine,” I blurt out. “Are you still okay with visiting?”
He eyes me, pulling the hat off. “A temple to Belara, eh?”
I can’t suppress a wince. “I know. Not ideal.”
“I’m just wondering why she would have a book like that. It’s more Riekki or Anali’s purview.” He shrugs. “Then again, Belarans will take any kind of bribe. It might be that someone owed them and they paid for favors with a few books. You want to see this book bad enough? Doesn’t Omos have enough of a library for you?” Kalos gives me a crooked smile.
“If it’s going to bother you, I understand. It’s just…Metta’s friend is going to borrow my book,” I gesture at the cottage the women are currently inside. “And I figured if I had some free time, I wouldn’t mind seeing how this book compares to mine. What if someone has already done the same thing I am? But better?”
“I can assure you, no one has.”
“But I’m being told it’s very similar to mine. I want to see how, and if there’s more standard symbols I should be using. Or if there’s something I can learn from it.” My tone turns pleading.
Kalos gets to his feet, tossing the hat down in his newly vacated chair. “Elsie, you don’t have to persuade me. If you’re up to the walk, I’ll accompany you. It’s as simple as that.”
“Even if we’re visiting Belara’s temple?”
“We just won’t tell them who I am.”
I grimace, hands going to my hips. “They might already know. Apparently, no one around here can keep a secret.”
He just laughs. “And this surprises you?”
It shouldn’t, but it does. “I just don’t like that they’re compromising your safety.”
“Notmysafety, my sweet.” He taps a finger on the end of my nose. “Yours.”
Right. I keep forgetting that I’m the target, and that to get to him, they’ll go through me—literally. It does make me hesitate. “You think it’s a bad idea to go?”
“No more than visiting this hole of stinking filth and questionable hygiene.” He flicks a bit of mud from his sleeve. “And it’s not as if Belara’s going to be there, judging me for showing up.”
Because she’s trapped on the mortal plane, just like he is. “We’ll be quick about it, then.”
“Quick? After all that walking? Loiter as long as you like. Just make sure it’s worth the trip. I hate the thought of wasting time when you could have been sitting on my face instead of drawing pictures.”
Batting at his arm, I chuckle. He’s terrible, but he’s making me smile at least. “Come on. Let’s just go. My curiosity is going to get the better of me until I check it out.”
Kalos holds out his hand for mine, a silent invitation.
I slip my fingers into his and decide that it’s not so bad to spend the day walking after all. Not with my hand in his and a gentle breeze in the air.
