Page 5 of To Hunt a Ruby Remedy

I launched myself into the air, my wings barely fitting between the break in the tree line on each side of the river. If Scarlette had ventured away from the riverbank, I’d never spot her under the dense foliage. I wouldn’t know if she was safe.

Freedom didn’t mean much if it was built on uncertainties.

Three

Scarlette

I lasted about halfway to the village before giving in to the urge to glance under the cloth covering the charms in the basket. Mindful of Ranulf’s warning, I was careful not to touch them, but I wanted to see what I was delivering, at least. What I found was a handful of marbles, the glass smooth with a greenish tint, and stacks of wooden discs.

Each disc had a symbol carved into its surface. I spotted a bone, a willow tree, and what looked like a drop of water. The symbols most likely denoted what each spell was made to do.

I wanted to look through them and examine each one. The wooden discs would be enchantments, magical items that could be triggered as needed, draining their power based on usage. They were exactly what Ranulf had warned me not to touch. If I triggered the enchantments accidentally, all the effort put into their creation would be wasted. Most likely, a glancing touch wouldn’t invoke them. Ranulf would have made the trigger something like tracing the entire carving just to avoid such mistakes. But since I didn’t know for certain, I erred on the side of caution.

The marbles would be charms. Simpler spells, but ones that ran through power no matter how much they were used. A charm never turned off, but it failed after a set amount of time. Most charms had to be renewed every few weeks.

I picked up a marble, careful not to touch any of the wooden discs. I admired the way the color of the glass shifted under the sunlight, reflecting all the shades of green in the forest. I imagined the same tiny bit of glass dwarfed by Ranulf’s hands.

The healer was an odd mix of gentle and gruff. Shoving me out the door, but insisting I eat breakfast first. Drinking me in one moment—heat in his eyes—and glaring the next. I was no longer convinced that he wanted nothing to do with me. But he clearly did not appreciate whatever feelings my presence inspired.

His moods should have left me dizzy and ready to leave him behind. Instead, I was curious. I wanted to know all the secrets locked behind closed lips. I wanted to taste those lips.

I shoved the marble back into the basket and shook my head. My emotions were running wild due to stress. I had been so worried for so long about my mother, and now, here I was, about to get the remedy she needed. No wonder I couldn’t stop thinking about the healer. The hands that would hold the glass as he made the charm. The lips that would . . . no.

The charm. I needed to focus on the charm and what I would do if Ranulf didn’t bring it in a week. No, thoughts like that weren’t any better. But now I couldn’t think of anything else.

Maybe what I needed was to stop thinking. Switching the basket from one arm to another, I looked up at the sky. I was walking along the bank of the river, following it downstream toward the village. The sun would be high enough soon that I’d want to retreat to the tree line and shade, but for now I enjoyed the summer heat. It was mild compared to what I was used to back home.

As I watched, a shadow crossed the sky ahead of me. It soared overhead, circling slowly around, and my breath caught. A dragon.

I knew the creatures lived in the Gaboor Mountains, which defined the eastern and northern edges of the forest, but I hadn’t expected to see one flying overhead here. Then again, the Drakona Forest must have earned its name for a reason.

I stopped walking, stepping closer to the tree line to be safe, and watched the dragon. It was a majestic creature, with a long sinuous neck and wedge-shaped head. Its tail was half again as long as its body, but with only the clouds to compare to, I couldn’t guess at how large it was. The dragon’s scales glinted in the sun, a brilliant green that matched the leaves of the trees surrounding me. The same shade as Ranulf’s eyes.

I shook my head, refusing to think about the surly healer’s eyes, or arms, or any other part of him. But it was too late. My thoughts spiraled back to why he had insisted I leave. I prayed to Affenala, the goddess of hope, that it hadn’t been a ploy to get rid of me without needing to make the charm.

I always tried to honor the Affenala’s optimism, but it was hard in this case. If Ranulf didn’t come to the village in a week, I’d have to try again, and time was running out.

The dragon stopped circling, flying back toward the mountains with lazy wingbeats that propelled it through the air at a breathtaking speed. I resisted the urge to turn and watch it fly away. I needed to reach Wulfkin and find a way to pay for a bed for the next week.

The innkeeper smiled when she saw me come through the door, basket on my arm. “Back so soon? I’m glad the healers were able to help you.”

The inn in Wulfkin served mostly as the local tavern. Mistress Weslet rented out two bedrooms upstairs to the occasional traveler, but few visitors bothered to come so far into Drakona Forest. The healing charms and enchantments like the ones in my basket were sent downriver to larger towns and even the capital city. Few people needed to request specific charms like I had.

“Actually, these are for the village.” I set the basket on the counter. “Ranulf asked me to bring them into the village for him. He said it will take a week for my charm to be ready.”

Mistress Weslet made a disapproving sound. “I take it Grandmother Molle wasn’t at the cottage. Leave it to that boy to make you walk all the way back on an errand that could have waited until his normal delivery day. He doesn’t realize how long of a walk it is, probably thinks it is reasonable for you to walk to the village and back to the cottage on the same day. Well, I won’t have it. You will spend the night here.”

I bit my lip. “I’ll need a bed for more than one night, I’m afraid. He made it clear that I’m to wait here and he’ll deliver the charm when it is done. I can help around the inn while I’m here, of course. And a place in the stable is good enough for me.”

The innkeeper had allowed me to help her serve food and drinks to pay for my bed the first time I came through the village. She had even insisted I take an empty guest room instead of sleeping in the hayloft, as I had suggested. But what she offered out of kindness for one night might not be an option when I was staying for an entire week.

She frowned, and I tried not to let disappointment seep in. If I couldn’t earn a room at the inn, then maybe one of the villagers would let me stay with them in exchange for help around the house for the week. I was certain there were plenty of people with too much to do and a bit of empty floor and a blanket, if nothing else.

Mistress Weslet didn’t send me packing, though. At least not yet. “Here, you’re probably hungry after your long walk. Why don’t you sit and I’ll bring you a bowl of stew. We can discuss everything after you’ve eaten.”

“Oh, but I should really take care of these charms.” I couldn’t afford a bowl of stew unless the innkeeper allowed me to pay for it in labor.

She pulled the basket from the counter. “I’ll deliver these to Thalia while you eat; it will be easier than trying to tell you where to find her. Now go. Sit. I’ll send Alfred out with a bowl.”

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