Page 35 of The Oracle's Journey

I offered Oz a hand while she climbed down off her mount and escorted her into the cobbler’s shop. Upon seeing me, the balding, middle-aged cobbler pulled a pair of wine-red boots out from under his bench. He didn’t spare me a smile or any words, so I looked them over to make sure the alterations were in order before handing them to Oz.

“What’s this?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Boots,” I answered. “For you.” I had a good idea of what size she would wear after spending so much time with her. After all, her boots had been in my possession a fair amount of time before the crew had turned on us.

“What?” A smile crept across her gorgeous face. She shucked off her old boots and started to try the red pair on and then paused, her socked foot hanging in the air. “Oh Lhoris, these are amazing. I don’t deserve anything so fine!”

She pulled one of the pairs of throwing knives I had installed inside the calf high cuffs. The cobbler had added sheaths and slender pockets for the other things she liked to keep handy in the lining of her old pair. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed the corner of my smile. A warmth spread through my chest as I returned the hug. I hadn’t felt it since returning to the warband, the simple happiness of seeing a person I cared for feel appreciated.

The cobbler’s eyes crinkled at the corners and a crooked smile spread across his face, apparently pleased with our display. Odd, considering the man was barely civil the day before. Then a woman danced into the shop, the cobbler’s wife I assumed, and she playfully ran her fingers over his balding head. The cobbler laughed, drawing her in for a kiss. It was very sweet—until the kiss became uncomfortably deep and they started pawing at each other.

I huffed a laugh, shocked by how quickly they’d escalated. “I think that’s our cue to leave.”

I guided Oz to the door by her elbow. We paused on the front step so she could put her new boots on when I realized that just about everyone in the street had found a partner for similar inappropriate activities. Judith looked appalled. Lobikno looked amused. The princess and maid tittered. I glanced over to see them still engrossed in their book. It wasn’t outside of the realm of possibility for Emma to be causing this.

I shouted to Lobikno in elvish, “Get the girls out of town before this devolves into an orgy.”

Lobikno looked disappointed but got the caravan moving down the road and out of town.

Gradually, the frenetic townspeople slowed down and stopped their amorous activities, looking confused. Except the cobbler and his … friend. If what I heard was correct, they were a little beyond the point of stopping. I reached in the door and flipped their open sign to closed.

“They’ll want privacy,” I explained when Oz gave me a puzzled look.

“I think we may need to keep our little friend away from populations,” she said with a heavy sigh and pursed her lips.

We mounted our horses, and Oz stashed the old boots in her pack before following the cart.

Once we made it to the outskirts of town, I noticed she was holding herself a little strangely. “Are you okay?” I asked, unsure of how receptive she’d be to the conversation I needed to have with her if she was unwell.

She glanced at me and shrugged. “I’m okay. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind, that’s all.” She reached into her vest and produced a small cloth wrapped package and tossed it to me. “We must be more in tune than either of us realized.”

A gift? It didn’t smell like death this time. My heart surged and I gave her a lopsided grin before untying the twine. “Oz, you say that you don’t deserve fine things.” I looked over the exquisite artwork on the flask in my hand. “But you think I do?”

“I guess we both think highly of each other.” She offered me a shy smile. “The brandy inside isn’t great, but it was the best the inn could provide.”

“Thank you,” I said, staring at the flask in disbelief.

“You’re welcome.”

Guilt roiled up from my gut and squeezed my heart, forcing the warmth of our exchange from my chest. “Ozanna, I need to tell you something.”

She nodded and looked at me, expectantly. “Okay.”

“I noticed something this morning and I’ve been on the fence about telling you,” I said slowly, watching her face. Her neutral expression didn’t shift, giving me nothing to work with.

She urged her horse a little closer to mine as we followed Judith’s cart. “Lhoris, what is it?”

I cleared my throat before speaking. “Keep in mind that it is early, and it could be a false alarm.” After all, I had never been in this position before.

One corner of her mouth turned down, and her eyes pleaded with me to finish.

“I smell the magic of my people on you, but it wasn't there before ...” I tried to explain. “I think you’re pregnant.”

CHAPTER 15

Ozanna

Well shit. I was never traveling without contraception again.

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