Cauldrons and Cat Tails (Moonvale Matches #2)

18. Tandor

CHAPTER 18

Tandor

S unhaven had surprisingly few accommodations available for such a bustling, crowded town.

There were three inns.

The first inn, near the entrance of town, was completely full. Though there were dozens of rooms, each one was occupied. The elf working the front desk was not friendly either—she was offended by my attempt of flattery.

The second inn was under renovation. By Redd’s woodworking family, coincidentally. They were laying down new wood flooring and expanding the kitchen and common areas. The entire building was out of commission.

The third inn was our last hope.

The front of the building was lined with potted plants—spiky, succulent varieties that would never survive in Moonvale’s milder weather. I glanced at Kizzi to find her admiring them longingly.

We strode into the front door. There were folk everywhere. In the streets, it was almost impossible to walk ten paces without crossing paths or bumping shoulders with someone. Inside the inn was just as crowded. There were comfy looking chairs spread throughout the large room, and every window was thrown open wide to let a breeze pass through. Every chair was occupied. There were even some folk standing in corners, chatting idly.

I didn’t have much hope. Maybe we can somehow curl up and sleep in the carriage…

We had left the carriage with Sunhaven’s stable attendants, as well as Daisy the horse, so she could be tended to until we left again. She was the smallest horse in the stable, of course. But I had to admit, her glossy brown coat made her look more beautiful than all the dusty, tan horses that were local.

A grinning, tall human man stood at the check in counter. “Hello, travelers!”

I smiled politely. “Hello. Do you have any rooms available?” I glanced at Kizzi over my shoulder. She was hardly paying attention, too distracted looking around the room. “Two rooms?”

The human hemmed and hawed. He idly flipped through a book, shaking his head occasionally.

A nervous sweat broke out over my skin. “Please, we’ll pay extra. The other inns had nothing for us.”

Kizzi elbowed me in the side. “Shh! Don’t tell him that, he’s going to charge us more,” she hissed quietly, stretching on her toes to try to speak directly into my ear.

I glanced at her, bringing my face close to hers. “I’ve got this under control. Just watch.”

She held my gaze for a moment before she shrugged, dropping back down to a flat stance and taking a step back. She returned to her folk watching.

The human tapped his finger onto a page. “Aha! I’ve got one.” He smiled broadly. “Such happy news! Looks like this is the last room available today. More should open in a few days, but you never know how long folk will stay, I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh, that’s great! Wait—” I gulped, and my blood warmed. “We need two rooms.”

The human’s smile drooped. He turned back to his book, flipping quickly from cover to cover. He looked back up apologetically. “I only have the one.”

I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth. “How many beds are in that room?”

The human hesitated. “One bed, sir.”

I sighed. “One bed. Excellent.” I turned to Kizzi, expecting her to offer up an argument of some sort, but she just looked at me expectantly.

“One room. One bed,” I repeated to her.

“Well?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Are you going to pay the man? We better get the room before someone else does. Besides, you can sleep on the floor.” I examined her face for long moments, searching for something I couldn’t find.

“Okay, we’ll take it.”

“That’ll be seven silvers, sir.”

I recoiled. “Seven? Gods almighty. That should pay for an entire week.”

The human shrugged. “It’s the last room available in the entire town—the price is the price.”

I grumbled under my breath, pulling out my pouch of silvers and paying the man. “Thank you,” I forced myself to say.

He snatched the coins and placed a large brass key in my hand. “You’ll be in room twenty-three, just head up the stairs and follow the hallway to the very end. You’ll see it.” He retreated without another word.

An unexpected knot tightened in my stomach. I rolled the key between my fingers. “So, Kizzi. How about we drop off our bags and grab some dinner? I could eat an entire horse.”

“Lead the way.”

T he room was small.

Much smaller than I had expected. It was near criminal that we were being charged seven silvers for this place—it was more of a closet than an actual room.

My head nearly skimmed the ceiling as I walked; I had to duck to avoid cracking my skull on the light sconces. A small washroom was tucked in the corner, barely wide enough to stand inside. A tiny table was perched by the entryway, and a chest sat by the wall. There was hardly any floor space, just enough to walk from place to place and none extra. Our bags would surely occupy every remaining inch.

There was definitely not enough room for me to sleep on the floor.

The rest of the room was occupied by the large bed. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it—at least we would both fit comfortably. I sent a silent thank you to the fates, in case they were listening. Two fluffy pillows sat at the head of the bed, and a smooth, muted orange blanket was draped haphazardly.

I knelt and lifted the blanket, peeking under the bed just to see… nope—it was a platform style with no space beneath.

Was I really considering sleeping under the bed? Possibly. But the idea was useless.

Kizzi squeezed into the room and settled her bag gently onto the floor. She pulled it open and peered inside, sticking her hands in and fiddling with something before closing it again. She glanced at me, glanced around the tiny room, and then looked at me again. She seemed to be debating something.

I held my breath, words refusing to form on my tongue. I shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. My heart raced in my chest.

Long moments passed.

Eventually, her gaze settled onto the large bed dominating the room. She let out a deep sigh, her shoulders rising and falling with the movement. “Well, at least it’s a big bed. You better be a calm sleeper, and if you steal the covers, I’ll curse you to make all your hair fall out.”

I nodded sagely. “I would expect nothing less.”

“I mean it—your head will be bald and shiny.”

“Shiny?”

“Shiny.”

I held my hands up placatingly. “I will be on my best behavior. If you’d prefer me to sleep on the floor in the hallway?—”

“Oh, shut up. I was thinking the same thing, but the innkeeper would never allow that.”

I shrugged. “I could try it anyway.”

“If they kick us out because you’re clogging up the hallway, I’ll curse you twice. I’m starving, let’s go find something to eat.”

My stomach growled loudly, echoing through the quiet room. “I’m not going to argue with that.”

Kizzi stooped, reaching into her bag one last time and murmuring under her breath. I tried to ignore the strangeness of the situation… I was not in the habit of judging magical women for their eccentricities. She sighed and stood up, heading for the door.

She hastily tucked her hands into her pockets for a moment before pulling them out and rubbing her palms against her trousers. Nervous sweat, maybe? Weird.

I followed her out of the room and into the narrow hallway. Her shoulder brushed against my elbow. She didn’t immediately pull herself away.

We wandered out into the Sunhaven as the dual suns dipped below the horizon, determined to fill our stomachs with something besides bread and cheese.

“ Y ou know, for how often we see each other around town, we hardly know each other,” Kizzi said before shoving a spoonful of vegetable soup into her mouth.

I hummed thoughtfully. “You don’t think so?”

She shook her head.

“I know you’re the best apothecary witch in the entire realm,” I said. “I know that Fiella is your best friend and has been for ages. Your only true friend, if we’re being honest.” Kizzi looked like she wanted to argue but I interrupted her. “We both know it’s the truth. You don’t let anyone else get close enough to form a real friendship. You don’t mind Redd, though.”

She looked mildly startled. “You caught all that, did you?”

I nodded, munching idly on a chunk of bread. “You’re not very friendly, but you’re not unkind. You just speak your mind. You don’t tolerate bullshit, or niceties. You’re also the most impatient folk I’ve ever met, which is surprising, considering your line of work. One would think waiting for potions to brew would force you to tolerate waiting.”

Her cheeks flushed, deepening her complexion to a lovely, warm shade of green.

“Wow. That’s… okay fine, you know some things about me.”

I pointed my spoon at her. “See, I told you.”

She hummed in consideration. “And you…”

I brushed her off. “You don’t have to?—”

She interrupted me. “You love to chat. To an annoying degree. You’ll speak to any folk who’s open to conversation, even if other folk are waiting for you.”

I snorted out a laugh. “I guess you could say that.”

She continued. “You’re loyal—you could have left Ginger’s Pub and opened your own place years ago, but you stay. You don’t get close to folk either. Well, except for Ginger, but she’s technically your boss. Why is that?”

I ignored the question. “See, we know each other more than we think we do.”

“I guess we do.”

I picked up my pint of ale and took a long swallow. A shiver or revulsion worked its way down my spine. I ignored it and swallowed again. Kizzi watched me with a slight smile tugging at her mouth.

“Not up to your standards?”

I set the pint down with a thunk. “It’s dreadful.”

“Wow! I think that might be the first unkind thing I’ve heard you say,” she laughed.

“I might be a nice folk, but I am not a liar—and I refuse to give this horrendous ale any more credit than it deserves. I brewed better my first year at Ginger’s.”

Kizzi picked up her own pint and gave it a sniff. Her nose wrinkled. “You’re right, this smells like piss.” She took a tentative sip and immediately gagged.

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad!”

She forced down another swallow, holding back the gag this time. “No, you were absolutely right the first time—it’s dreadful.”

I chuckled, holding out my pint to clink against hers. “Well, here’s to shitty ales in new towns, then. It’ll make returning to Moonvale so much sweeter, knowing we have the good stuff to look forward to.”

She lifted her pint and gently tapped it against mine. “I’ll drink to that.”

We finished our ales quickly and then ordered another round. The second tasted much better than the first.

“So, what else should I know about you?” I asked, leaning back in my chair and kicking my feet out in front of me.

Kizzi shrugged. She leaned her elbows onto the table and rested her chin on her hands. “There’s not much to know, really.”

“Nonsense. There’s more to you than just an amazing apothecary witch. Do you have any family?”

“No.”

I nodded, giving her time to continue.

She sighed. “I’ve been alone for as long as I can remember. Well—not alone,” she interrupted herself. “The coven has always been there for me. Ani took me in when I was young and practically raised me as her own. And Fiella, of course. And her Ma and Pa.”

“It sounds like you have a wonderful family, then. Family isn’t always your blood and bones.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I agree with that. How about you, are your parents running around the realm somewhere?”

I took a large swallow of ale. “Not anymore. My Ma and Pa both left the land of the living some years ago.”

Her face scrunched. She reached over and patted the back of my hand where it rested on the handle of my pint. “Oh, Gods. I’m sorry, Tandor.”

I tried to smile, but it was weighed down by the painful twinge in my chest. “I miss them every day, but they lived a long, full life. They wouldn’t want to see me moping about them, wherever they are.” I glanced up to the ceiling, imagining the sky and the two moons beyond. I pictured my Ma’s face smiling down at me, her perfectly straight teeth and dimpled cheeks. And my Pa’s, wrinkled around the mouth and at the corners of the eyes from a life full of grins.

We sat in silence for long moments, lost in thought and surrounded by the idle chatter of the diner around us.

Eventually, she broke the silence. “No siblings, then? Any other Sablesmiths out there?”

I glanced at her face to find her watching me intently. Her hands were tucked into her tunic pocket.

“One—a sister. Rune. She’s a few years older. Settled down with a family in Tidegrove. She always loved the waters.” I smiled fondly. “I don’t see her much, but every time I do, it’s like we never parted. She’s just… easy.”

Kizzi’s eyes brightened. “She sounds lovely. Does she have the same incredibly silky hair?”

I choked out a surprised laugh. “You think my hair is silky?”

“I regret asking.”

I laughed louder. “Yes, she does. And her little ones do too.”

Her face softened. “I can just imagine it—tiny, green-skinned orcs running around with pigtails. Do you want to visit them?”

“I would love to, but I know how out of the way Tidegrove is. If the fates take us there—absolutely.”

“Up to the fates, then.”

I nodded, and then a question tickled at my mind. “What happened to your parents? Any siblings that you know of?” I asked gently, afraid that I was prying too hard.

She let out a huff of air, pulling her hands out of her pocket to grip her pint glass. “I don’t know. Isn’t that strange?” She stared into the liquid in the glass, but her focus was faraway. “I suppose they could be out there somewhere, but they left me behind. They didn’t want me. So why should I want them?”

“That’s a terrible thing to do to a little one.”

She nodded glumly. “They just dumped me in the park in town square. Left me on a bench all alone. I was three or four years old, I think.” She lifted her gaze to mine, and my chest squeezed with tenderness. “I try not to think about it too much. It makes me sad for little me. She went through a lot.” Her eyes bored into me with a painful heaviness.

I couldn’t help myself—I ached to comfort her. I reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. My fingers curled over her shoulder blade and my thumb rested softly over her collarbone. I tried not to notice how soft her skin was there. “They are fucking idiots for leaving you. Whoever they were, wherever they went, whether they be alive or dead—I don’t care what their story is. They’re the dumbest folk in the realm for leaving you behind. I would slap them if I could.”

She cracked a watery smile. “Wow, you’d inflict violence on strangers for me? How chivalrous.”

I released her shoulder with a careful squeeze and snorted out a laugh. “Only when it’s deserved. In this instance—yes, absolutely.”

Kizzi looked at me strangely for a moment, tilting her head and squinting her eyes.

“What?” I asked.

She sighed, and her fragile smile drooped a bit. She just shook her head instead of answering.

She turned to a passing server. “Two more ales, please?”