Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
The guard called this beverage ‘potent’, and it certainly smells that way. The boozy aroma tickles my nose even before I take my first sip. With the consistency of gooey pudding and a milky smoothness, it’s a drinkable dessert.
I turn to Kyran with wide eyes. “Delicious!”
He hands the seller some money and gets a cup of his own, pulling me away, to where two young ladies are decorating heart-shaped cookies with icing. I’ve seen some people wearing those on their necks, like amulets.
Kyran chooses this moment to press his cup to mine with a grin. “Your teeth are black!”
I cover my mouth in panic. “What? No! Will it come off?” I ask and lick my teeth. Who am I kidding though? I will be having more of it.
He takes a gulp of his own and stirs as if he never had anything like it. “Oh, that’s strong,” he says, revealing his own tinted teeth in a smile. He’s beautiful regardless, but I still laugh at him and get to my toes so we can kiss.
I should be using this opportunity to find Carol and speak to her, but as Kyran shows me around, I keep delaying my secret mission. We participate in a game of pouring wax onto water through a heart-shaped stencil. It’s meant to predict whether a couple stays together or grows apart, and while I don’t believe in superstition, when our wax heart breaks, I’m a little sad. But then Kyran dutifully uses a candle to glue it back together, and all is good again. We throw balls at towers of little wooden cups (and win nothing), and then get more cherin, which maybe we shouldn’t, because its alcohol content is clearly a bit too much for Kyran.
He acts as if every single thing I say is hilarious, but fortunately, the booze doesn’t affect his balance, so we end up dancing too, and he spins me in the air, just like I imagined. I wouldn’t have recognized the elves who gossiped about me, but I hope they’re watching.
“Is that Anatole?” I whisper with my head still spinning and point out the oldest Goldweed sibling by the bonfire.
He isn’t looking our way but must be aware of our presence, as we’ve been here for at least an hour or two now. Anatole is putting something into the massive effigy by the fire. It’s supposed to represent Heartbreak and will be burned by moondown. Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I trust Anatole as much as I trust a drunk driver, and his sheer presence here feels sinister. The Goldweeds have been busy groveling, but I didn’t buy any of it. Not after Kyran and I almost died because of Vinia’s actions.
A low growl comes from Kyran’s throat, and he hugs me so tightly I need to pull back for air. “Always in the way. What is he doing here?”
“He slid something into the effigy.”
Kyran sighs, stroking my back. “That’s tradition. Anyone can place something of their beloved’s between the dried branches. Then you check the ashes the next day. If it’s not burned, it’s a bad omen for your relationship.”
“Does he have a lover?”
“I never cared enough to find out,” Kyran says with an odd smirk.
He stirs when a lady with smudged makeup around the eyes grabs his shoulder, as if she’s forgotten propriety and decorum. Her lips are stained black too, which explains her conduct, but when she whines about being scared of the monster hiding in the ocean, I step away, leaving Kyran to deal with this one. I whisper to him that I will be around, and head for Crab, who awaits us on the edge of the square.
“Not just yet, boy,” I whisper to him, careful not to touch him as I pull out one of Kyran’s gloves from under the saddle.
Okay, maybe I’m a little lightheaded from all the cherin, but I will be putting something of Kyran’s into the effigy. Can the hand of destiny tell me the future of our relationship?
Though as I make my way toward the Heartbreak made of driftwood and filled with dry seaweed, I do take in my surroundings. This might be the perfect moment to search for Carol, so why am I wasting time on superstition that isn’t even my own? Isn’t that what I came here for? I could at least ask someone about her. I’d just need to go about it smartly. I’m about to go through with that plan, but my feet first lead me close to the pink bonfire that’s sending golden sparks into the air. After all, it won’t take much time. With a smile, I slide Kyran’s glove into the dry seaweed and only step away once I’m certain it’s secure.
But as I step away, heading for the stall with cherin, where I hope to get the information I need, someone steps right in my path. The hope in me dies at the sight of Anatole’s face.