Page 44 of The Demon's Discovery
Vassago chuckled, his breath tickling along my cheek. “Let’s move along, yes? Grace has this well in hand.”
I nodded, overwhelmed by the crush of bodies in the main square.
He signaled to her that we were going a certain direction, and she waved back that she understood but never broke stride in her negotiations as she moved from one spot to the next, collecting everything she had on her list.
Vassago directed me onto one of the side streets, which was still busy but far removed from the bustle and noise of the central market square.
I made eye contact with several smiling merchants as I walked past their tables, which I quickly realized was mistaken as an invitation. One draped me with a bright-blue scarf she claimed was made from a fabric that came from special worms. That was not a detail I personally would have used to peddle silk, but it did feel wonderfully cool and smooth against my skin. Flustered, I handed it back, but I trailed my fingers over a similar one in green as we moved past her stall, loving the richness of the emerald color.
Several men and women offered me little treats to taste, and each seemed to hit more flavor notes than the last, all unique and nothing I’d ever experienced before.
“Which is your favorite?” Vassago asked with a grin, taking the little paper cones they’d given to me from my hands.
“The third one for salty. For sweet, the first. I love them all though. There’s nothing here I wouldn’t eat.”
“I’d have to agree with you.” He chuckled, staring right through me.
My cheeks heated as I stared back, taking in the clean lines of his silver vest and trousers, the way his hair was held back by two thin braids he’d formed on the sides then linked in the back with one of his ribbons. It should have been pretentious, out of place. But his regal beauty fit in wherever we went.
My eyes were dazzled by the colors and sparkle on the tables, my stomach thrilled by the selections everyone wanted me to sample. By the time we’d made a full loop down both sides of the alley and were headed back into the main square, Grace had finished her business and was coming toward us with a bright smile.
“How are you getting on?” She looked at my empty arms and clucked her tongue. “Nothing at all yet?”
“I’m not sure where I would start, to be honest,” I admitted. “Though, I don’t have any money.”
“Of course you do,” Vassago said smoothly.
“No, I don’t.” I frowned, eyebrows coming together in my confusion.
He shook his head, a playful grin on his mouth. “You do, Dragonfly. Ask for something, anything at all, and it shall be yours.”
“I wouldn’t want to take advantage.” The blush crept up my throat and onto my cheeks, deepening as he stared down at me with his head tilted, the tip of his tongue resting in the corner ofhis mouth as though he were planning to taste me again. I hoped he was.
“You can’t abuse something freely offered.”
Grace linked her arm with mine. “Come with me, Greta. I need a cup of tea, and there’s a place just here”—she pointed to the building ahead of us with one hand, making sure Vassago understood her intent—“that makes the best muffins. Then I’ll take you to my favorite street for shopping, and you can choose all the little trinkets your heart desires to take back to the collegium, yes?”
I followed along because I had no choice, and Vassago said he’d be right behind us, that he was going to go get the salted licorice Magnus had suggested for Ophelia, as the vendor was nearby.
“I prefer the blueberry ones with the big granules of sugar on top,” Grace said as she maneuvered us into the line for the counter. “But they have an apples-and-cinnamon kind with this brown sugar topping that’s lovely too. I keep saying I’m going to try to make them, but I never get around to it. It’s just too easy to get my fill when I come here instead.”
“I think the apple for me,” I said, mouth watering at the thought of the warm cinnamon flavor.
“Wonderful. Go on and get us a table, yes? I’ll get our order in.”
I sat down at an iron table set for four, waving Vassago over as he strolled in through the door with a large white paper bag bearing the candymaker’s stamp. Grace was just behind, carrying a plate overflowing with a variety of muffins. She gestured, and he accepted a steaming pot of tea and cups from the woman behind the counter.
Grace took up the conversation, as she had a habit of doing, describing how more than one merchant knew better than to try the price gouging that first had done and what she’d do ifshe had to trade which vendors she gave d’Arcan’s business to. Vassago chimed in where it was appropriate and smiled kindly the whole time, though I worried something was bothering him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but he no longer seemed as open as he had the rest of the morning.
The blueberry muffins were good, but the apple was as delicious as I’d hoped. Grace had even picked out some others to try—one made from bananas and one a lemon flavor with tiny sweet black seeds in it.
It was an entirely ordinary thing, sitting at that iron table sampling those delicious muffins and drinking mediocre tea, but it was one of my favorite new memories.
After fortifying ourselves,we took a slow meander down Grace’s favorite market street. On the way back to the carriage, we walked the long way around so I could see the library as well as the cathedral. Both were stunning feats of architecture, and I couldn’t wait to visit the insides of them. She pointed out several other important locations throughout Revalia as well, albeit all from a distance. The observatory at d’Arcan was a constant compass point, however, being the tallest and most recognizable building in the city.
Vassago frowned, fingers trailing down my arm as he focused on someone at the end of the street and took several steps away from me in their direction. I saw nothing more than the normal crush of people, but something had drawn his very serious attention.
“Stay with Grace. I’ll be back.” He looked at Grace, who nodded seriously, but turned on a bright smile as she led me tothe next table. I glanced the direction he’d gone several times as we shopped, but he was nowhere to be found.
