Chapter 24

T he man looked up at Coren, nearly tottering backward in his boots, then bobbled his head and took off like a spooked mare, racing down the cobbles. "This way!"

Evelyn and Coren exchanged a look, then hurried after him. With the man's shortened stride it didn't take much effort for them to catch up and then keep pace as he headed up the hillside. He called back again before darting down one of the roads that passed the main plaza, which was dark but for the soft blue-green glow of the mounted fairy moss lanterns.

Nareen barked and raced ahead, though her age made her loping gait a bit stiff.

"This way!" the man shouted again as they scurried down a narrow alleyway where the lanterns had nearly gone out. They were in an older part of town, where the homes stood packed together in neat rows, their roofs made of clay shingles, and their walls of salt-blasted stone.

Faint yellow light spilled from the open doorway of the home at the very end of the row, and the man swung inside it, calling them again. Nareen looked back at them before she, too, went inside. Evelyn stepped ahead of Coren, her hand already reaching for her satchel, but as they shuffled inside, it was apparent the home was vacant, but for some cloth-draped furnishings and the lone lantern giving off faint golden light as the fairy moss dwindled low.

There was no sign of fallen shelves, let alone an injured party, no grunts or cries of pain from the adjoining room, its doorway draped in thick shadows.

Their guide stopped in the center of the room and before Evelyn could ask if he'd gotten the wrong address, the door behind them closed with a definitive click.

Coren and Evelyn spun, and found that two men—much taller and larger than their guide—had slipped in after them, and were now blocking the bolted door with their wide bodies.

Nareen lowered her head and let out a deep, rumbling growl.

Coren moved closer to Evelyn. "What is this?"

Heavy footsteps scuffed on the stone floor and Evelyn turned back again, to find Fiona's father emerging from the darkened doorway of the adjoining room, and on his booted heels was Jarvis.

"You!" Evelyn seethed.

Coren took a step forward, putting himself slightly in front of her. "I don't know what's going on here, but you need to let us leave. Now."

Jarvis flashed a sardonic smile. "So soon? But you only just arrived." As if reminded, he flicked a gold sunmark off the tip of his thumb, sending it toward the man who had led them into the trap.

"What do you want?" Evelyn demanded.

"It's quite simple, witch ," the orc said, disdain dripping from the final word. He folded his thick arms across his barrel chest. "We want you to leave Shieglas."

Jarvis nodded his agreement, his beady eyes locked on Evelyn. "We don't need your kind, or want you here. And since you didn't heed my earlier warning, we thought we'd arrange this little meeting of the minds, to make ourselves more clear."

Evelyn's lip peeled back into a snarl, even as her pulse thundered in her ears. "So, what now? Are you going to beat me? Is that the plan?"

Jarvis and the orc exchanged a look.

Nareen growled again.

"You won't put a finger on her," Coren spat, then darted a look over his shoulder, ensuring the two by the door hadn't made a move toward them.

"No, no," Jarvis said, tutting with his tongue. "I'm a healer. To hurt someone would go against my principles, even someone as dangerous as a witch."

"Dangerous?" Evelyn almost laughed. "And what is it I've done to earn such a reputation? I've only tried to help the people of the harbor and the farms." She paused, looking between the two men. "If you care so much about helping folks, I'd think you should be glad of the extra hands!"

Jarvis's eyes sparked. "I won't be shoved out by a witch! I was born in this town, and my father and grandfather, and his father, before him! We've always cared for the people here, and we certainly don't need the so-called help of a witch, with your potions and strange herbs. Our ways have been good enough for centuries."

"Have you asked the people in the village if they want me to leave?"

"As a matter of fact, I have." Jarvis's smile turned more pointed, the edges jagged like a shard of broken glass. "It seems many of them have taken note that the blight on the land has only gotten worse since you started poking around. Some of them have seen you in the early morning, or late at night, rooting around in the ground. They think you're making it worse, and asked me to look into it."

Evelyn blinked. Was he lying? Or were there some who truly thought she was behind the recent spread of the curse? Surely if that were the case, Lenora would have said something. Wouldn't she?

"I don't believe you," Coren said. "I spend more time in the village than either of you, and the people there are grateful for Evelyn's help. No one thinks she's somehow making the blight worse. How can you say any of this? Evelyn doesn't even ask the people for money! How could you fault her?"

"Oh, we know what you're really up to, witchie," the orc added with a s nort of derision. "You'll get the folks to rely on you, to turn to you and you alone, and then you'll start to make them pay. You'll bleed this town dry, and when there isn't anything left, you'll curse it and move on to the next. We've seen it before. But it won't work this time. Not on our watch."

Jarvis took a step closer and Coren drew himself to his full height. The two men were nearly eye-to-eye, though Coren had quite a bit of muscle on his side by comparison. The look between them was pure violence.

"I'm not above breaking an old man's kneecaps," Coren snarled, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

Jarvis flashed his teeth. "Is that so?"

"One more step toward her, and you'll find out for yourself."

Evelyn placed a hand on Coren's back, finding the muscles tensed, hard as stone. "Enough," she said, her tone low as she swept past Coren. He bristled, but stayed back. Evelyn raised her chin, meeting the healer's eyes, and relished a bit in the glimmer of surprise there. He'd clearly expected her to go racing home, pack her things, and take off by broomstick, not even bothering to wait for the sunrise.

What the grizzled old man didn't realize was she'd had enough of people abusing their power and status to last not only the rest of her lifetime, but also that of her children, should Caele bless her with them one day. Despite the slamming of her heart against her ribs, she wasn't going to cut and run. There was more than her freedom on the line, now.

"You've said your piece," Evelyn continued, looking between Jarvis and the orc. "If that's all, we'll be leaving. No blood needs to be shed. I will speak with the farmers directly, and explain myself to them."

The orc jutted his jaw from side to side, drawing her eyes to his menacing tusks. She swallowed and tried not to think of the damage the thick bone-like spears could do to her, or to Coren.

"We will let you go," Jarvis interjected, steepling his hands together. "But you might not find the farmers quite so understanding, and that's to say nothing of the merchants who rely on the crops for their own business. If you keep going, you're bound to make far more enemies, Evelyn Rosewood."

Smiling, he glanced at the orc. "Those shops on Sailcloth Row have been quite neglected. The smokestacks must be filled with debris, and you do tend to keep a fire going, don't you? I doubt it would surprise anyone if one of them were to… let's say, go up in flames. Accidents do happen, and it's been so dry as of late."

The orc's eyes widened as a flinch of surprise slipped past his stone mask. "Jarvis, you?—"

The healer narrowed his eyes at his cohort, and the orc fell silent.

Coren took her hand. "Let's go, Evelyn."

They turned and the men at the doors stepped aside, though only the man who'd tricked them had the decency to keep his eyes on the floor as they passed.

Evelyn felt as though she couldn't draw a full breath until they were back in the open plaza, surrounded by the light of half a dozen lanterns.

Her chest heaved as she sucked in gulps of the balmy evening air.

"Are you all right?" Coren asked, turning her gently so their eyes met.

She nodded but could not yet find her voice.

Coren ran his hands down her arms and back up to her shoulders, his eyes searching hers. "You can't go back to your shop, Evelyn. Not tonight, at least."

"You think they'll try something? Now?" She darted a glance past his shoulder, up the shadowed alley they'd just left, relieved to find it empty.

"I don't know, but it's not worth the risk. Come on," he said, taking her hand. "We'll go back long enough for you to get whatever you might need, and you'll come and stay with me tonight. "

Coren led the way back to Sailcloth Row. The other shops were already dark, their occupants sleeping or gone for the night. Evelyn released the magic binding on the door and it opened. Wordlessly, she went up to the loft and packed a few things into her satchel.

When she returned to the first level, Coren was packing away what was left of their meal. Absently, Coren tossed a hunk of bread toward Nareen, and she caught it with a flash of her silver-streaked muzzle, then trotted to the door with her treat firmly gripped between her teeth.

Turning, he looked at Evelyn and offered a reassuring smile, though it was a bit reserved, and worry lingered in his eyes. "Are you ready?"

This was not the way she had envisioned spending their first night together, but she did not see much of a choice. She somewhat doubted Jarvis and the orc would manage to rally a group of angry farmers so swiftly, but Coren was right, it wasn't worth the risk.

"Let me just see this," Evelyn said, crossing to the cauldron. She hovered a hand above the rim and felt a bit of heat radiating from the liquid and iron. It still needed time to finish cooling. She only hoped it would all be left alone. The thought of getting so close to a solution, only to have her work destroyed, was too much to bear in light of everything else that had occurred.

"Is it all right?" Coren asked.

She nodded. "It will keep. There isn't anything I can do with it now, anyway. "

"You never did tell me what it's for."

Another needle pricked into her, a reminder of what would happen if the cure worked as intended. The decisions she would need to make…

"Later," she said, trying to smile as she turned back toward him. "A witch must have a bit of mystery, after all."

Coren returned the smile, though it held as much reticence as her own. "Oh, you might also want your cloak," he added.

"My cloak?" Evelyn repeated, glancing to where it hung by the door. The nights had grown warm enough she hadn't needed it lately, even at night. Where were they going that she would have need of it now?

Coren shifted, his faint smile vanishing. "Just, um, go ahead and bring it along."

Evelyn nodded and swept it from the peg, then gestured toward the door.

Outside, she locked the door with both the key and magic, hoping it would prove strong enough. When the key was back in her satchel, Evelyn let Coren take the lead, as she realized not for the first time that she had no idea where he lived. Was it inside the city wall? Somewhere in old town? Or did he live on the other side? In a cottage near the farming village? She'd always seen him coming in from the woods, but surely he did not live out in some remote clearing like a vagabond.

The first question was answered quickly enough, as Coren turned right at the end of Sailcloth Row and led them down the main road, toward the city gate. The streets nearest the docks were still lively, as workers and travelers gathered in the taverns and eateries along the water, and the lights in the boarding houses and inns still glowed.

"So, you live in the village?" Evelyn asked as they passed through the gate. It was kept open at night, though more guards were posted than she typically saw during the day, both at the opening and above, on the wall and in the stone turrets.

"Not exactly," Coren replied.

Ahead, Nareen trotted along the road, clearly already guessing where they were heading. For a moment, Evelyn looked at the trees and thought of Archie. He'd taken to staying out all night, and she imagined he was either on the hunt for a late supper or sleeping in a tree, waiting for daybreak to come back to the shop. He would undoubtedly be grumpy when he arrived only to find her gone and the doors and windows sealed shut.

She would have more than a little to explain when next she saw him. It was time—or, likely, past time—to tell him about Jarvis and the threats. He was her familiar and deserved to know, but she could also use his abilities as a lookout, to keep her and the others on Sailcloth Row safe.

Nareen continued straight at the crossroads, not taking the bend that led to the village. Coren looked at Evelyn. "I have a cottage in the woods. "

"It must be quite a ways out. I've spent a fair amount of time in the woods and haven't seen a cottage."

Coren nodded, his gaze straight ahead as they diverted from the dirt road altogether and wandered toward the dense tree line.

They walked hand-in-hand until they reached a small clearing in the thick forest. Evelyn heard running water nearby, a small creek from the sound of it. Owls hooted in the swaying branches, and crickets chirped their own nocturnal melody. Nareen walked up to a thick tree and stared at it expectantly, her tail wagging softly.

"Are we almost there?" Evelyn asked, glancing around for any sight of a dwelling.

Coren cleared his throat. "I've never brought anyone here before."

"Here?"

Coren released her hand and turned toward the tree. He spoke a soft word, his voice soft enough that Evelyn could not make out what he'd said or even guess at its origin. She was about to ask when a shimmer of gold appeared at the roots of the tree and shot upward, carving a thin fissure in the bark, like a crack in a plate of glass. The gold light continued, forming a wide archway in the tree, and when it reached the roots again, a door solidified. The tree bark was gone, the wood beneath smooth and lacquered with ruddy brown paint. Lastly, with a soft crackle, a golden knob and hinges appeared.

Evelyn reared back, her eyes wide .

Nareen scraped at the door with an impatient swipe of her paw, and drew Evelyn's eye to several shallow scratches in the painted wood.

Coren gave the dog a disapproving look and tutted his tongue. Then, raising the lamp, he studied Evelyn's face.

"What—what is this, Coren?" she asked, only managing a whisper. "I've never seen magic like this."

Nareen sighed heavily and plopped into the dirt, lowering her head to rest on her front paws.

"This is my home," Coren replied, then he reached for the knob and opened the door.