Page 55 of Tusks, Tails & Teacakes
Lira clocked the half-eaten scone on her plate. “When did you get here?”
“I haven’t been here long.” The apothecary slid her spectacles from the top of her head where they were holding back her raucous curls and peered at Lira through them. “I’ve been chatting with your charmingfriend.”
Cali smiled, raising her own mug at Lira.
She and her former colleague had never discussed how much they would share with those outside their crew, but Lira hoped Cali hadn’t been telling tales about her, especially not ones about how green a rogue she’d once been.
“Have you?” Lira folded her arms across her chest.
Iris swiveled fully to face her, holding up the half of her scone that remained. “These are quite delicious. I think the addition of the spice might make them better than your gran’s.”
The compliment dissolved Lira’s concern. “I don’t know about that. I’m glad I remembered as much as I did.”
“Take the compliment,” Cali said.
Iris closed the distance between them and took her hand. “You haven’t by chance recalled your gran’s recipe for teacakes, have you?”
Lira lowered her voice and bowed her head, so it was close to the woman’s. “No, but maybe if I had her book of—”
“Yes, love,” Iris interrupted, tugging her hand toward the kitchen. “Of course, I’ll help you. All you had to do was ask.”
But Lira hadn’t asked, and before she could, the woman was hurrying her from the great room. Instead of slipping into the kitchen, Iris feinted and ducked through the cellar door.
“What are you—?” Lira asked as she was being pulled down the stairs in the dark.
“What do you think, love? I’m here to inspect the wall that’s keeping you from your gran’s book.”
At the bottom of the stairs, Iris paused. The two women breathed together, no sounds of footsteps overhead following them.
“I hate to be a spoilsport,” Lira whispered, even though it was only the two of them in the dank underground space, “but there’s no light down here and my illumination stone is in my bedroom.”
Iris uttered a familiar elvish word and the necklace she’d worn since Lira had known her, the one with a single stone held in place within the pointed pendant, started to glow.
Lira opened and closed her mouth before finally speaking. “You wear an illumination stone around your neck?”
Iris shrugged. “You never know when you’ll need light.”
Lira shook her head as she pointed across the cellar. It was hard to be angry at Iris for keeping secrets when the secrets were so obvious. “It’s all the way over there and around the corner.”
Iris led the way, her necklace casting enough light for them to see the barren shelves and the splintered baskets. She made disapproving sounds in the back of her throat as the aroma of decay reached them.
Lira put a hand over her nose. “We haven’t cleaned the cellar yet.”
“Nor should you. This isn’t your neglect, it’s Durn’s. And I hate to say that it isn’t only grief that’s brought this on. His wife indulged him and did too much. That man weaponized his failings until they became too much of a truth for him to undo.” Something scuttled away from them, and Iris sighed. “Yet another reason I’m happier on my own.”
When they rounded the corner, the woman stopped and braced her hands on her hips. “That’s some wall.”
Lira passed her, slapping a palm onto the smooth stone. “It’s solid, too. I’d guess it was made using river rocks.”
Iris joined her and also placed her hands on the wall. “Might be that Durn had to reinforce the cellar. The Tusk & Tail hasn’t had much in the way of repair since he built it.”
“I know. Sass almost fell through the roof.”
Iris glanced at her, but she didn’t ask why the dwarf had been on the roof. “I heard Korl and his friend were fixing it this morning.”
“Val,” Lira said, hating that her face warmed when she thought of the orc.
“Mmm. Attractive girl. Tall. But I suppose you would have to be sizable to serve as a guard.”
