Cauldrons and Cat Tails (Moonvale Matches #2)

33. Tandor

CHAPTER 33

Tandor

H allow’s Eve was only a day away, and with that came hours and hours of preparation at Ginger’s Pub.

I had unloaded all my purchases from the journey—some for the pub and some for my personal collection—before dropping into a deep, dreamless sleep the night before, and my treasures were waiting for me when I woke.

I needed a wheelbarrow to haul everything to the pub. I could carry a lot, but the pile of pumpkins exceeded my limit.

The pub was lively when I entered.

Ginger set down a goblet with a thunk, letting out a deep sigh of relief when I walked into the kitchen with my wheelbarrow in tow. “Tandor!” she called out. “Thank the Old Gods! I thought I was going to have to handle the Hallow’s Eve morning rush without you!”

“I would never do that to you, Ginny.”

The faun fluttered into the kitchen behind me, eager to sneak a peek at my bounty. Her hoofed feet hardly made a sound as they clacked against the stone. “How was the trip?” she asked. “New stuff?” She stretched out a hand to examine a bag of spices, but I swatted her away.

“It was great! And yes—but don’t touch, I’ll share but I’ve got to sort everything out first.”

She rolled her eyes, but a smile spread across her face. “Rude. So, the trip was great huh?”

I glanced at her sidelong. “Mhm. It was nice to get away for a while.”

“Sure. Because you love getting away so much. And your witchy companion?”

“She’s good. Got what she needed.” My ears twitched. She tracked the movement with her eyes. I shoved my wheelbarrow back to the corner of the kitchen—I would sort through everything and put it away properly later, when I had time to spare.

“Very ominous. I’m dying for more information here.”

I steered the conversation into safer territory. “How have things been? Falling apart at the seams? Missing me dearly? Can hardly function without me?”

She gave my shoulder a shove. “We’ve been hanging in there. Linc over there is pretty useless, but he’s a body in the room, so at least the folk think he might be able to help them.”

I glanced at Linc to see him idly running a rag over a table that was clearly already clean. The rag wasn’t even wet. He stood there, wiping the table for a few moments before he walked up to a table, grabbing an empty goblet and bringing it to the bar counter. And then he started running the rag over the counter. I stifled a laugh. “At least he’s collecting the dishes.”

She snorted. “You should see what he does when he washes them.”

“I’m not sure I want to know what that means.”

A family chose that moment to enter the pub. I snagged an apron, hastily tying it around my waist as I strode to the bar. I called out to Ginger over my shoulder, “I’ve got this one.”

She flapped a hand in my direction. “Glad to have you back.”

I slipped back into my pub routine easily, like slipping into my favorite pair of trousers. I served patrons, washed goblets, and checked on my cider barrels in the cellar.

Luckily, the brews I started before the journey were perfect.

And I now had more ingredients to toy with. Excitement hummed in my blood at the possibilities. Ginger was going to be so jealous.

When nobody was looking, I retrieved the jar of dragon eggshell powder, sprinkling tiny amounts into the bottoms of every single goblet, mug, flask, cup in the pub.

E vening came around before I knew it. Ginger and I had decided to close the pub early so we could prepare for the Hallow’s Eve festival—I wasn’t sure exactly what she would be doing, but every folk honored the holiday in their own way.

I was meeting up with other folk who preferred to take a wilder approach to celebrating Hallow’s Eve. We would gather, acknowledge the holiday together, and then we would let ourselves be free. Free to run, free to prowl the woods, free to let our inner beasts out.

We had decided to meet deep in the Greenwood Forest, in a spot where spongy moss padded the ground and cushioned every step. It was far enough from town that the more mild-mannered folk wouldn’t hear any suspicious sounds, but close enough that the walk home wouldn’t be too strenuous.

The perfect spot for what we had planned.

I was one of the last to arrive. Fae, orcs, shifters, vampires, and other folk were milling about, chatting excitedly. Some I knew personally, some I had only seen a few times. We welcomed anyone who wanted to participate.

I noticed Redd and Fiella among the crowd—the two vampires had decided to join us in the woods this year. I tried not to think too hard about what they would be doing to celebrate. Blood made me queasy. I drifted over to them. Fiella greeted me with a cheery smile and wave, while Redd simply nodded.

The group of folk began our discussion when the first of the dual suns kissed the horizon. Mayor Tommins kicked us off. “So, everyone, we’ll meet here again tomorrow, at this time. Come prepared. Eat beforehand, nurture your bodies, and bring anything you’d like.” He glanced sharply at a shifter man. “But no sacrifices this year. That’s barbaric.”

“Lame!” a voice called out.

“We don’t need to end another life to honor Hollow’s Eve,” Tommins argued. “We will light a bonfire—you can bring something to toss in. Incense, letters, herbs, whatever calls to you. And then we will run.”

An excited chatter kicked up throughout the small crowd. This was what we did—we gathered, we paid mind to the holiday, and then we let our instincts run free. We prowled the forests, we ran, we screamed, we let the wildness take over our bodies. Most of us chose to don masks and cloaks, hiding our identities so we could be our truest and most free selves.

“Behave yourselves. Or if you’re going to damage something, at least repair it before morning, so I don’t have to deal with it.”

I stifled a laugh.

“No violence of any kind. Keep your wildness away from anyone who is not privy to it. And don’t be an idiot. Now—is everyone clear on the rules?”

Murmurs of assent echoed through the forest. Most of us knew better, but occasionally someone got carried away and took things a bit too far.

“Great. Now, go get some sleep, and we will be back tomorrow.”