“You could have woken us up.”
“I did,” Kell called over his shoulder. “Well out of stabbing range.”
Lorzok was back by the time Kell returned, sitting cross-legged with Timtim settled on his lap. He had his flask out, sharing it around with Saeldian and Jubilee while they packed their kits. Saeldian eyed Kell over the rim of the flask as they sipped from it, then their eyes went wide.
“It’s coffee.” They looked at the flask in wonder. “It’s perfect coffee—is this what I think it is?”
“A bottle of boundless coffee?” Lorzok smiled so warmly, little flowers bloomed all around him.
“Brilliant. Literally wizard. Hats off.” Saeldian handed it back to Lorzok. “This is the best magic item ever created. I’m not sure I should actually have one of my own. What’s yours, Jubilee?”
Jubilee gave a theatrical sigh as she handed the flask back to Lorzok. “Ajmeri Red Honey, pressure-brewed, topped with double-layer sugar-dusted milk foam.”
Saeldian shook their head. “You and your candied coffee drinks. Mine was a hand-poured Mezrothan. Perfect temperature, black as Timtim’s eyes. As it should be drunk,” Saeldian said, nodding to Lorzok as they accepted the flask again.
Jubilee wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned into Saeldian’s shoulder. “You like coffee desserts, Sheld, what’s it matter if the drink is sweet?”
Saeldian just shrugged. “I like potatoes. But if they’re mashed, they need gravy to be good.”
“Fair,” Jubilee declared.
“You don’t have to drink coffee like you’ve got something to prove,” Kell said. “Nothing wrong with a little cream and sugar, you know.”
Saeldian made a face as they passed the flask back to Lorzok. “Spend some time actually tasting it. You’re covering up the depth and complexity when you could get to know it. The truth of it is beautiful.”
“Huh!” Kell said. “Never thought truth would be on your list of things to appreciate.”
Saeldian’s shoulders twitched upward, but they slouched them back down and rolled their eyes. Jubilee stared at him so fiercely, Kell put his hands up. Lorzok met his eyes, disappointed, and then looked away.
Kell hunched his shoulders. “I apologize. That was rude.”
“Save it,” Saeldian said. “You’re only sorry because Lorzok doesn’t like it.”
He was sorry he’d ruined the peace. He wasn’t sorry that he didn’t get taken in by Saeldian’s relentless pull. Argue with them about coffee, and they’d talk about beauty. That was how they got you, and Kell was almost about to go along with it.
“It would be better if you would stop insulting Saeldian like you were trying to win a contest,” Lorzok said. “They explained that their exit from Baldur’s Gate wasn’t because they were trying to betray you.”
“And you believe them.”
Lorzok took another sip of coffee. “Don’t you?”
He wasn’t getting into it. “Fine. We don’t have a lot of time to find a domain of the Feywild and then figure out how to swap the real Kiss of Enduring Love with the fake. We need a guide, and the best way to find one is to look for my family. Once we find them, they can help us.”
Saeldian shook their head. “I already know where we need to go. I talked to Osalor about it yesterday. We need to go to Eightbridge and find a guide. They’re anywhere that has the sign of a traveler with a lantern staff.”
Kell counted to three in his head so he could have room for a reasonable objection. “Essanderon’s Rest had loads of travelers, and they’ll help me freely. A stranger would want a bargain.”
“Osalor didn’t think the cost would be too onerous. We need to do this quickly. Do you think your family would be happy to see you leave the moment you arrived?”
“They’d be happy to help me.”
Lorzok glanced at Saeldian before asking, “Are they closer than Eightbridge, then? Do you know where they are from here?”
Jubilee nodded. “Lorzok has a point, Sheld. We should go with the choice that’s closer.”
Lorzok gave the flask to Saeldian while Kell was sitting right there. “I agree. Which is closer?”
Still in the disappointed books, then? Fine. Kell could be reasonable. “To answer your question, I don’t know. But I can find out.”
