Page 77 of Forsaken Secrets

I looked over to the counter and saw Eli's note and the money still in a pile by the register.

"Did we leave enough for the supplies?"

She looked over, confused for a second, then smiled and nodded. "Yes. You actually left too much. I need to sort through it this afternoon and get the change returned to young Eli here."

Eli narrowed his eyes at her. "Just keep it! We took food, too, so that'll cover the difference."

She huffed, but nodded.

"Where do you get the rosaries from?" Eli asked.

"Mr. Harlsted is actually hoping to get more today while he's at the shops in Ellesmere. We had a rush for more this week."

Ellesmere? Of course. I should have known. If there were some sort of black-market dealings, it would have to happen down there. "Do you know where the shop is?"

She shrugged. "He found out about it through a friend of a friend when the pearls started getting popular. You could probably ask when he gets back?"

I started to reply, but Eli interrupted. "Thanks, Aunt. I think we'll just try to meet him there."

Mrs. Harlsted clucked her tongue, then motioned towards the counter. "Well, if you're going down, there's some food back there for you. It's the same as what you took this morning, but I'm sure you're both hungry."

My stomach let out a very unladylike rumble at that, and I coughed to cover it. Eli's lips quirked as he bowed deeply to his aunt. "You're the best."

"Oh, you." She shushed him and went back to work, a smile on her rosy cheeks as she dusted and organized the shelving.

I couldn't help staring at Eli as he wove through the shelves towards the back, fixing displays as he passed. He looked completely at home here.

We got to the kitchen, and I groaned at the sight of a fresh loaf of bread and sliced meat. Gods, I was hungry. Lynk had distracted us when we got to the ruins and we hadn't even eaten our other meal! Eli had pulled the sodden mess out when Renhira dropped us off and neither of us had wanted to risk it.

"Thanks, Eli."

Eli smiled as he cut into the fresh loaf and placed the slices on the counter, covering them with sliced meat and some fresh vegetables. He passed me a set of two halves, and my mouth watered as I brought it to my lips.

The first bite made me forget everything. "GODS, this is delicious!" I took another bite as quickly as I could, already regretting the loss of the first sandwich. It might have been worth eating soggy …

Eli just laughed. "She's a magnificent cook, isn't she?"

I nodded and stuffed the rest of the sandwich down my throat. Eli had already prepped a second set for the both of us. He wrapped it in wax paper and then a plastic sack of some sort before slipping it into his pack. "This time it's protected in case we decide to go on a little dive."

I smirked at him and stared at the new pack he carried. This one was a deep red with a brown leather flap on top. "How many packs do you have?" I asked, my shoulders oddly empty without mine. It had been too soaked to use.

He just shrugged and motioned for us to leave. I took a deep breath and followed him.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

I motioned towards the end of the road. "Why, to Ellesmere, of course!"

He grinned at me. "Sounds exciting."

"It isn't exactly safe … the entire area is a giant maze of ruins and it's full of thieves and criminals. Or so they say." I waggled my brows at him, and his smile just grew.

"Well, I did say I was craving some adventure, didn't I?"

I laughed. "So you did."

It wasn't like we had any other options, anyway. The longer we waited, the less likely we could find something on who was behind the pearls.

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