Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“Petru is also a healer,” Safia explained. “The vampire ripped through my skin and took my blood. It was a ghastly wound. My arm was black to the bone. I’d never felt pain like that in my life. He took that away, too. I can’t see a mark on my skin. The vampire leaves behind these vile little parasites in the bloodstream.” She couldn’t help the shudder that ran through her body. “He got rid of them as well. I’m not sure I can learn to do that.”
A group of female customers came down the aisle, laughing and talking in French, pointing excitingly to several of Farah’s beautiful shirts. Two of the women admired Amara’s necklaces, and one of the older women studied Illi’s teapot from every angle, clasping her hands together and nodding as what appeared to be a relative—her sister, most likely—nodded and agreed that the teapot was the nicest they’d seen.
Safia always engaged with her customers, finding out about their lives. Where they were from. What they were doing in Dellys. She was genuinely interested, and that always came through. This was three generations of women vacationing together, and they were clearly having a wonderful time. They had taken a walking tour of the Casbah already and loved it. They’d seen the lighthouse and planned on visiting the harbor. They had heard of the various myths surrounding the area and wanted to see the ruins.
Safia cautioned them not to go out unattended at night but gave them recommendations for various places to eat. They got down to serious negotiations on pricing. The two older women definitely wanted the teapot and two of Illi’s vases. They were not inexpensive. Her custom work was nothing short of artwork, and her family didn’t allow it to be undervalued. Safia would come down only so far, and the women seemed to sense her bottom line and capitulated. Amara wrapped the pottery very carefully for them.
The three youngest girls loved Farah’s clothing and couldn’t make up their minds on which tops to buy. They consulted their mothers and grandmothers and ended up purchasing two each. There wasn’t much in the way of bargaining, but there was a lot of laughter.
The two women admiring Amara’s jewelry took their time, going over every piece. It was clear they were mostly interested in the necklaces rather than the earrings. They did look at the earrings, but only to see which ones matched the necklaces they really wanted to purchase. Amara was doing her best to look very businesslike, but the way the women were exclaiming over the jewelry was bringing in more customers, making Amara’s face light up. Safia couldn’t help but be proud of her.
This was a great day for the farm. Business was brisk. Not only did they do amazing sales with just the ladies on vacation, but more and more people stopped by. That always seemed to be the way. Safia should have been ecstatic. She told herself she was, but as time passed, she found it harder to concentrate.
Safia found her mind continually reaching for Petru despite being occupied with bargaining, which was one of her favorite things to do. Meeting new people and learning about them was always fun, yet a part of her was uneasy, concerned that Petru had decided he didn’t want her after all, or worse, what if he had run into a vampire during the night and was injured? She wouldn’t have known. He had left her to guard her grandfather, and she had fallen asleep there in the cave, as she often did. When she woke, it was morning, and Petru, like Aura, was nowhere to be found.
Her brain couldn’t seem to settle but bounced all over the place until her skull felt too tight and her head pounded. At times, she felt physically ill, worried that Petru was hurt and needed help. She had never been out of control. She’d always been capable of discipline, and yet she couldn’t rein in her runaway thoughts, even though she felt they were illogical.
A tall man with stern features but kind dark eyes approached their booth. Behind him, an older couple walked, both dressed in the more traditional clothes worn by some of the Imazighen. Safia smiled in welcome, but her stomach knotted even more.
Aabis Kalaz owned the most successful restaurant in Dellys. He was a good man, a good businessman. He was a good son and treated his parents with respect and love. He had made an offer for her on two occasions. She knew he would make an offer for her again and that he didn’t understand why Amastan had refused him. She detested hurting the man. She wasn’t the least bit attracted to him. It was strange, now that she thought about it. He was a very handsome man, kind and successful. Most women would have been thrilled to have his attention.