Gniknik nodded in relief and led the way toward the dining room.
Rylana bit her lip, tempted to remain in the kitchen while Jildarin dealt with the elves, but if she avoided them here, they might wait outside for her to leave the diner. And if she had toworry about a new threat, it would be better to learn about it with a powerful dragon by her side.
After bracing herself, she walked out behind him. A male and a female elf in leather armor, muddy boots, and with their green-streaked blond hair back in ties had left their table and stood with their arms folded across their chests. They wore bows and quivers across their backs and had swords in scabbards on their belts. Even though magical tranquility ribbons were knotted in such a way that they couldn’t draw those weapons, Rylana tensed.
A memory came to mind of elven soldiers leaping out at her squad in the steamy southern jungle. Blood had flowed as weapons found flesh, the ambush turning into a deadly skirmish that only she and three others had survived. For a moment, the memory was so intense that she didn’t see the diner around her, only the claustrophobic jungle, and she had to grip the edge of the bar, willing reality to return. She was back in the north, the cool spring air outside and temperate climate around Luminous Lake a reminder that she’d left the war far behind.
The elves acknowledged Jildarin with respectful nods, but their cool gray eyes locked onto Rylana immediately. Since entering the city, she’d crossed paths with several of their kind—one pair hadtried to grab her and take her to their enclave for questioning—but these were the first who looked like they might be fresh from a battle. Further, with golden-brown skin, they were more similar to their kin in the south than to the lighter-hued northern elves. Might they have traveled up especially to look for Sylin? Or even for Rylana? She hadn’t been an assassin, but her arrows had killed enemies as surely as Sylin’s blades had.
“They didn’t leave a tip, Chef Jildarin,” Rolf said from the booth where the elves had apparently dined, only a few smears of a light-brown sauce remaining on the plates that had held their mushroom dishes.
“That isnotwhat brought me from the kitchen,” Jildarin said,barely glancing at the goblin. “If you elves found the food adequate, you will depart. You will not accost any of my staff. You will certainly not lay fingers upon them.” He looked back at Gniknik, who’d stayed in the hallway to watch.
The elves glanced at the gnome, then looked longer at Rylana before facing Jildarin. He lifted his chin, gazing back at them, his expression more perturbed than inviting. They shared long looks with each other before speaking, as if each would prefer if the other addressed the dragon.
Even when Jildarin stood in his human form, he emanated magic, the power of his kind.
“We do not wish to inconvenience you, Lord Dragon,” the female elf finally said, “but we are on a mission of urgency and must find one who has been deemed a threat by the elven residents of the Tranquility enclave.”
“My bookkeeper is not a threat. Neither is my gnome.”
“No, we do not believe so. But your…bookkeeperhas been seen frequentlyin the presence of the one we seek, someone whoisa threat.”
Both elves scowled at Rylana.
She was a little relieved that this appeared to be about Sylin again, and that the elves hadn’t declared a war on her, but she did worry for her comrade. A couple of times, Sylin had implied that she might leave Tranquility soon since people—elves—were looking for her, but she kept showing up, sometimes to visit Rylana andalwaysto visit the coffee shop across the street. It seemed the rich, fresh roasts delighted her elven tastebuds.
“That is not a concern for me and does not involve my diner,” Jildarin said. “If you have consumed your meal and paid, you will leave now.”
“Lord Dragon, we will certainly do as you wish,” the male elf said, speaking softly to Jildarin, “but as an ally to our kind, you may wish to know that the elven queen will soon travel from thesouth to visit Tranquility for a political meeting with the gnomes and other species leaders. It is important that she be kept safe. With a proven assassin in the city, oneknownfor targeting her own kind, it’s paramount that we make sure she will not be a problem during our beloved monarch’s visit.”
This was the first that Rylana had heard information about the queen, and she began to understand why the local elves were concerned about Sylin. Maybe they didn’t have a problem with soldiers and mercenaries in general, even those who’d fought on the opposing side during the war, but with Sylin specifically. That didn’t make Rylana feel that much better. They might kill Sylin because of her reputation, without knowing if she had a mission to attack their queen or not. Rylana doubted she did. The last assignment Sylin had taken had been some kind of undercover work for the gnomish peacekeepers who kept law in the city.
“What do you wish for me to do about your concern?” Jildarin asked.
“We’d like to take your, ah, bookkeeper for questioning.”
Rylana propped her fists on her hips.
“She serves me and works in my establishment during all her waking hours,” Jildarin said. “She is not available for questioning elsewhere. Soon, she will begin construction on my new rooftop dining area.”
“I’m actually just getting bids from contractors at this point,” Rylana murmured.
“She will beverybusy retiling the roof and installing apergola.” Jildarin pronounced the unfamiliar word slowly, then gave her an arch look.
Maybe that was his way of saying he didn’t mind adding more seating on the roof but expected her to do some of the work herself. That was fine. Better than being dragged off for questioning at the elven enclave.
The female elf pressed her lips together. “The queen would surely be pleased if you assisted us in this manner, Lord Dragon.”
“Please tell Queen Fareesa, whom I’ve met before, that she is invited to dine at my establishment when she visits. No assassins would dare attack her here.” The look that Jildarin gave to Rylana said that Sylin had betternotdare.
“I’m sure the queen would enjoy the pergola,” was all Rylana said. “We can add decorative vining plants in pots that can be trained to grow up the posts.”
The lips ofbothelves pressed together with displeasure as they walked out.
“I’d better warn Sylin that the hunt for her may grow even more determined,” Rylana murmured.
“You will inform your comrade that the elven queen isnotto be assassinated,” Jildarin said firmly.
