Hellion Mage by James Green

Author:James Green [Green, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Twenty minutes later, we were back in Amber’s dining hall. In all this time, my companions hadn’t budged from the comfortable chairs around the table, simply drinking wine and chatting companionably. Lord Jancier was long gone, attending to whatever business he had. Ulmar looked pleasantly drunk while Anastasia simply looked relaxed.

“Grimjaw is gone,” I said. “Someone took him. The door was opened with magic that rotted the lock.”

“Who could have stolen that beast?” Ulmar sloshed a bit of wine on his tunic. “He’s as big as a house and ill-tempered from what I’ve heard.”

“Grimjaw is not ill-tempered,” Amber hotly retorted. “He’s a sweet old beast, and I’ll not have you speak ill of him, Ulmar.”

The dwarf raised a conciliatory hand. “My apologies, your grace.”

“Ulmar makes a good point, however,” Anastasia said. “It would be difficult to take Grimjaw somewhere he didn’t want to go. Is it possible Lord Mercer took him? He could have bound him and spirited him out of the catacombs somehow.”

“I checked on him two days ago and the old man was still there,” Amber said. “If Mercer stole him, he did it recently.”

“That doesn’t seem like something one of the Queen’s agents would do to the Duchess of Rarynwilde, does it?” I asked. “Your grace, if you would please tell them about the bottle and Fred?”

The bottle in question was sitting on the table in front of us. Whatever had been in it had a strong, earthy smell. Not an unpleasant one, but obviously some kind of potion.

“I recognize the seal on that bottle,” Amber said. “It’s Fred’s. He’s an herbalist and alchemist who lives in the Wyldwir forest. An odd man by all accounts, but his potions and tinctures are said to be very effective. “

“So, let’s go question this herbalist,” Ulmar said. “Maybe he knows who bought this potion.”

“I know Fred,” Anastasia said. ”He’s unlikely to be able to tell us who bought one of his potions. He sells a lot of them. I do know that he likes to collect secrets, however. He might be able to tell us what happened to Lord Mercer or where Grimjaw is now. It would be worth the ride to have a chat with him.”

It was all we had to go on, so we all soon agreed. Anastasia wrapped the potion bottle in a thick napkin from Amber’s table and placed it carefully in her pouch.

Lord Jancier entered the room and cleared his throat meaningfully.

Amber frowned at the man’s arrival. “Drat, I have business and must leave. Farewell to all of you. Ana, it was wonderful seeing you again. Ulmar, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. William, before you go, I’d like you to visit Garen, my court infuser.” She caught my eyes with her brilliant green ones. “I’ll instruct him to help you as he can.”

I bowed my head. “Your grace is too generous.”

“Nonsense,” she replied immediately. “I’ve found your visit to be very entertaining, and I hope to see you again soon.”

With a final smile to all of us, she swept out of the room with Lord Jancier trailing in her wake.

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