“I can,” Taroc said.
I tugged on his hand to get him to look at me. “You can pay for dinner, but I don't want you buying my clothes. That's too much, Taroc.”
He smiled at me. “You're adorable.”
“Taroc!”
“I've been a Wraith Lord for a long time, Ember. And I don't have a lot of needs. I'm a wealthy man with nothing to spend my money on. You are not yet wealthy. Let me spoil you. It will give me pleasure.”
“Well, if you put it like that.” I grinned.
Taroc grinned and it was his predator grin. Yup, he was hunting.
“Ah, this one!” He opened a door and ushered me inside.
The smell of lemon oil and leather wafted into my face. My stare instantly swept over the floor, walls, and then, the ceiling which were all made of the same polished wood—a deep mahogany. It made the place feel warm and cozy even though it was enormous, going several yards back from the street and up as well, with a second-floor balcony holding even more goods.
“Welcome!” A Dhon man came out from behind a long counter grinning. His footsteps faltered when he saw me, and his tail lowered.
“We can go elsewhere if you don't want to serve Wraith Lords,” I hurried to say before Taroc killed the guy for looking at me wrong. Or threw him into a wall as he'd done to Jathalion.
“Wraith Lords?” The man blinked at the pendant I subtly revealed. “Oh, my Goddess! It'syou! We've heard of you! Tales of you are sweeping the city!” He closed the distance between us and grabbed my hand to shake it. “I am Ruford, Wraith Lord. It's a pleasure and honor to have you in my shop.” He started to offer his hand to Taroc, then decided against it.
I looked over to see Taroc scowling. “Thank you,” I said and elbowed Taroc.
“How may I help you this evening?” Ruford asked.
“I need some clothes,” I said.
This broke Taroc's stony silence. “He needs a wardrobe. Cost is insignificant. He'll require a few fine outfits for going out, several casual outfits, and then some sturdy garments for missions. Include all the accessories he may need. Especially footwear. At least one pair of very sturdy boots.”
“Oh, my!” Ruford clapped his hands together. “You have come to the right place, my lords. We have everything you need here, from sturdy work clothes to fine evening wear, and all of the best quality.”
“Yes, that's why I chose your shop,” Taroc said. “I could see the quality in what you have displayed in your window.”
“Thank you so much!” Ruford bowed. To me, he said, “I will not fail you.” He put an arm around my shoulders and steered me toward some clothing racks. “We will start here. With your coloring, you'll look best in warm colors, my lord. I'll give you some choices to pick from.”
Chapter Seventeen
Over two hours later, Taroc and I faded to the citadel and back several times to transport our purchases home, using Ruford's backroom to fade safely. My men were at dinner so they didn't see me bring in the army of paper-wrapped packages. Taroc helped me set them in the dressing room, fading upstairs with me after coming out of the arrival chamber once we knew the suite was empty. That made things a lot quicker.
After our third trip, we returned to the shop, thanked the beaming Ruford for all his help, and headed out into the city for dinner.
“Now, what type of food do you like?” Taroc asked.
I bit my lip. “Well, I liked the Tytra food we had at lunch, and I've had Dhon food that I've enjoyed too. I've had Varraen once and that was good.” I shrugged. “I don't know. Something . . . not fussy.”
Taroc grinned. “Not fussy is perfect.”
Holding my hand, Taroc took me through the city at a leisurely pace. I enjoyed the sights of immortals shopping, socializing, and going about their business. Taroc was right about the crowds. And there weren't many alleys that we could have faded into. Most of the buildings pressed up against each other. And then he led me up some steps and into a gray stone structure that went too high for me to see the top of.
As it was in Ruva, the building had a lift. So I guess I'd been wrong about the Dhon not sharing their inventions. Or maybe one of them brought the idea to Balmara and got wealthy off it. We got into the box with a few other people, all of them secretly casting looks our way. Then we surged up to the fourteenth floor.
The aromas of many types of food hit me as soon as the panel slid open. Then Taroc was leading me out, into a vast open space with food stalls along the walls and tables set in the center in orderly rows. It was like the dining hall at the citadel, except instead of a buffet table, there were vendors of the sort you might find at a town festival. They weren't in carts though. The food merchants had counters right beside each other—open rooms with kitchens. People went up to the counters and perused signs that described what each vendor offered. There were so many types of food, it was mind-boggling.
“Oh, no,” I whispered. “I'll never decide.”
“Sure, you will.” Taroc took my hand and led me along the path before the stalls. “Let your nose lead you.”
