Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 763(@200wpm)___ 611(@250wpm)___ 509(@300wpm)
“It could use a few things, but it’s decent for what we had available.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
I shrugged, continuing to eat. “What will you do when you can no longer have fires? Sylvester said we’d only get a few more nights since we were still somewhat remote? I hear we’re taking the long way.”
We’d seen some people on the road today looking at our procession in confusion, but not many travelers walked these lanes and roads. There were bigger thoroughfares leading to closer villages and the somewhat-still-distant larger towns and cities. Our path would take longer in order to remain less conspicuous.
“We’ll smoke some meat to tide you over until a couple of us can go into the nearest town and buy some cold meats and other supplies. The rest of us can hunt and eat in wolf form.”
I hadn’t even known that was possible. I’d never heard the people in the village eating raw meat when in wolf form—not that I had ever asked about it.
I ignored the burning frustration and betrayal about the magic situation. In a few days we’d get close to those larger towns and cities. I could wait to exercise my freedom until then, when it would be hard to find me in a bustling crowd.
I focused on the food, starting the winding down process again.
“I can organize a ground roast, if you want?” I finally said. “If you guys can hunt for a wild pig or something, I can cook it overnight. We can do it the night before we have to go to cold food. It’ll still taste good cold.”
His spoon scraped the bottom of his bowl. “That sounds like a rare treat.” He put the bowl to the side and leaned back, looking out as the pack got their food and settled down to eat it. “I’ve asked you this before, but things were . . . more strained. Do you remember Granny saying anything about who packaged your supply? Where it went after you?”
Things between us were still plenty strained. It was good for me that he didn’t seem to realize it.
I took a slow bite, really thinking back. “Granny almost never talked about her side of things unless she was telling me what needed to change about a product. Even then, it wasn’t specific to the operation, only the product itself. Alexander was the one that leaked Granny’s business stuff. He liked to brag. I always heard it second hand.” I shook my head. “He did mention right before you guys came that they’d started getting fancy with how they packaged the product. Again, I heard this second hand, so I don’t know specifics. It was said in conjunction with being in the royal market. I’m not sure if it’s a new thing or he’s just now bragging about it. Either way, it sounded like it was very upscale, whatever they were doing. I suppose they did need to take it somewhere to have that done, though I can’t for the life of me remember him ever talking about it. It always sounded like they were taking the product in. I thought ‘in’ meant to the city, I guess, where Granny kept her affairs.”
“Did you write that down in your journal?”
“No. I heard it the day after we, uh, met.” I looked away for a moment, a rush of heat coming over me. “We went looking for the Moonfire Lily that evening and then you guys showed up. I didn’t get a chance to write anything down.”
“Moonfire Lily?”
“It’s a glowing flower that has some amazing properties. It’s rare and hard to find. It’s easier at night because it glows.”
“Was that the flower you had in your workhouse?”
“Of course you combed through the work shed.” I hunched over my bowl. “Yes, it was. I picked that flower a couple months ago and though the stalk has withered, the petals are miraculously still perfect.”
“Granny’s product is purple and black. The packaging, I mean. Does that ring a bell?”
I looked over at Weston for a long moment. “Only because purple reminds me of fairies, and purple and black is my favorite color combination.”
His eyelids fluttered and then blinked twice in quick succession. This time he didn’t turn into stone, unlike when he was trying to keep the knowledge of my magic from me.
“Yes,” he said, his tone deep and thick. “You had purple accents running through your cottage. Your bedroom was purple, your furniture black.”
“And you scoped out my bedroom. Fantastic,” I said sarcastically.
“Obviously. It’s where I found your journals. You didn’t help Granny with the design?”
“No. I would’ve, but she never asked.”
“Was she ever in your cottage?”
“Of course. She bought it for me and visited from time to time. I was the only person she called on for tea. It was another thing that made me feel special. Not work special, but that we had a—a connection.”