I ignored the uneasy feeling that slithered through my subconscious as I moved to help Rena stand. What exactly were we getting ourselves into?
The inn we were staying at was just as dilapidated as the rest of the little seaside town, peeling blue wallpaper and cracked wooden flooring greeted us as we entered. Rena leaned heavily against me as we waited near the entrance for Kairen to secure us rooms for the night. Roan and Bran were discussing strategy for how they would go about gathering information when the town was practically barren, and I took the moment to observe.
The little inn didn't have a dining hall as most would, so we would have to go out for food, but it did have a small seating area for tea and mingling. Only an older man sat at one of the little tables, his tanned skin wrinkled and his black hair peppered with grey. My gaze lingered upon him and I felt a chill as he glanced up and caught my eyes, his own dark andtwinkling with expectation.
My attention was pulled from him as Kairen approached, three keys held up in his hand. He passed one to me as he said, "A room for you and Rena." Then he glanced at the other two men with a brow raised and held up one of the keys. "Who wants their own room?"
Roan was first to snatch the key, before Bran could even comprehend the question and his groan was that of a child. “How are you so Goddess-damned quick, it isn'tfair!"
"Time and tide wait for no man," Roan teased, his arms stretching overhead. “Now if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to go take a nap in my room before we head out to the taverns for food."
His steps were swaggering as he took the inn stairs two at a time and I had to stifle a laugh as Bran's mouth hung open. "I swear we left Captain Delmar back in Amori City because who in theNine Hellsis that?"
Kairen patted his shoulder comfortingly, his own mischievous grin tilting the corners of his lips. "It's the sea, it brings out the best and the worst of him."
"Emphasis on theworst," Rena murmured, her face still bone-weary, but finally a small bit of color was beginning to return.
"Let's get you upstairs," I grumbled, wrapping an arm around the woman's waist.
The hot desert sun was setting when Rena and I finally emerged from our room, revitalized from an afternoon nap and warm baths.
I prodded gently at the once tender parts of my body as we walked down the stairs, pleased to find no pain remained after Rena's careful ministrations. The golden healing light had soothed away any of the bruises that hid beneath my skin, as well as a cracked rib that had left me breathless for the last stretch of the seafaring. Rena had scolded me when her healing magic had settled upon that injury, chastising me for waiting to speak of it.
Adjusting the white cloth that was wrapped around my head like the cowl of a cloak, my hands smoothed down the airy white long sleeve shirt and matching loose pants. Kairen had delivered the clothing, a nearly identical set for Rena in cerulean blue. When his cousin had grumbled about the long sleeves, he had merely rolled his eyes claiming it would keep the sun from scorching her to a crisp when we began our journey.
The town was still quiet when we stepped into the desert twilight, though few people now milled about. Fishermen with nets hung over their shoulders and grim-faced mothers with a toddler or two running between their legs. Wherever I looked it was solemn expressions and bone-weary exhaustion, my heart squeezing at the sight.
"There." Rena murmured softly, pointing out an old shop near the end of the street, its sign crooked and partially concealed with sand. I assumed it had meant to sayFable & Ink,but with the sand it read more likeble & Ink. “Bit shabby, isn't it?"
I shrugged, linking arms with Rena to pull her along. “Old and shabby might be just what we need for this.”
Kairen had assigned us to see if we could root out any local myths on The Fever while he and Roan went to secure us passage through the desert. Bran's job—the lucky prick—was to find us a decent place to eat for the night.
A little bell rang through the shop as we entered. The outside may have been shabby, but the inside was a book lover's paradise. The smell of fresh ink and old parchment immediately invaded my senses as I took it all in. Gleaming wooden shelves, clearly well loved and cared for, stood sturdy and proud, near bursting with the books they housed. Everywhere I looked there were great stacks of tomes artfully placed, and dancing across the ceiling was a painting that made the entire thing mimic an open desert sky.
"Well they do say to never judge a book by its cover, 'suppose the owner took that to heart, huh?" Rena's voice was as awed as I felt and a small, shocked laugh slipped past my lips as I moved further into the shop.
"Old or new, the pages within the cover still hold marvelous stories," said an old voice, deep and filled with amusement. A man emerged from a little doorway towards the back of the shop, the same man I had seen sitting in the Inn’s tea room. Not a traveller then, but a local?
His dark eyes were sharp as he took us in, his back hunched with age. “What brings you to my little shop then? Perhaps an adventure filled with romance, or something with suspense written into every page? Whatever you are looking for, I can find it upon my shelves."
Rena and I exchanged a look, our brows raising.
"Actually we were looking for something a bit more historical, maybe myths from the area?"
The old man hummed thoughtfully, waving a hand as he led us towards the back. "This wall here is all of the local material I have. Was there a specific myth you were looking to investigate?" His eyes were piercing, as if he already knew the answer before he had even asked the question. My skin prickled with awareness, but I couldn't glean any underlying malice within him.
So I answered truthfully, my tone hesitant. “We were actually curious about The Fever, as we heard this city had the first documented case."
He turned away, his steps shuffling as he headed towards a door that led to an adjacent room. "Why don't you two join me for some tea?"
The tea was chilled—a pleasant surprise in the sweltering heat—and tasted of lemons and the earth. I sipped at it as the old man settled into a chair at a little rickety table, his hands clutching his glass.
"This is delicious," Rena complimented, giving him a grin as she took a hearty sip of the drink, her energy seemingly returned after the restful sleep and a lack of rocking ocean beneath her feet.
He gave a kind smile in response. “You want to know of The Fever?"
I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, if you have the time."
