Wards and Wonders (Gem Lore Series Book 1) by Kay L. Ling

Author:Kay L. Ling [Ling, Kay L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

When Tyla reached the kitchen to check on lunch, she was surprised to find Orma and Meckan there, watching the breghlin work. Maybe her comments had frightened them, or maybe they didn’t believe her but were curious. She was tempted to turn around and creep silently up the stairs, but then thought better of it and sat on the bottom step where she could see them but they weren’t likely to see her.

Breghlin had gotten their share of lectures about keeping work surfaces and implements clean, so they knew how to safely prepare food, though you’d never know it to watch them now. Tyla suspected they were purposely trying to nauseate the woodspirits, and Tina Ann was probably behind it.

Tina Ann and Maggie Ann were at the worktable, plucking feathers from two birds that would probably be the gnomes’ supper. Usually they did this outdoors, but not today. Two pairs of severed, clawed feet sat forlornly beside a gory knife. Blood dribbled from the birds’ headless necks, and feathers were flying everywhere.

“Gimme that knife,” Tina Ann demanded, and Maggie Ann handed it to her. Without wiping off the blood, Tina Ann started chopping turnips and tossing the pieces into a bowl.

“You wants the feet, dontcha?” Maggie Ann asked.

“Yep. Throw ‘em in.”

Maggie Ann scooped up the feet and tossed them into the bowl, then produced the birds’ heads from the pocket of her blood-spattered apron.

Tina Ann said, “Glad ya saved the heads.”

“Of course I did. Cookin’ veg’tables with a bird’s head an’ feet brings good luck.” She dropped them into the bowl.

Meckan said to Orma, “There’s food in the carriage for the trip back. We could use some of it now, don’t you think?”

“Yes, why bother the cooks when we can have that instead?”

“Ern’t no trouble,” Tina Ann said. “Jus’ need ter boil this awhile.”

“You should eat it so you have the good luck,” Orma said hastily. “We’ll get something from the carriage.”

Smothering laughter, Tyla retreated up the stairs, wondering where Raenihel was. He was missing all the excitement. She checked the library and the Ministry of Gnome Affairs but didn’t find him. Maybe he was in the office.

As she came down the passageway toward the office, she heard his voice.

“These gems have all been identified and labeled, and none of them have dark powers,” he was saying.

“But Sheamathan owned Dark gems. Lots of them,” came Kitana’s sharp reply. “There must be some here, and I demand to see them.”

“All we have are what you see here,” Raenihel said in a calm, pleasant tone.

“That’s impossible. They can’t have vanished into thin air. Someone must know where they are.”

“Ask anyone here. They’ll say the same thing. We don’t want reminders of Sheamathan’s evil. We burned her throne, and there was no reason to keep its Dark gems.”

“But they’re valuable!” Kitana cried. “You can’t just throw them away!”

Tyla ran down the passageway. She wasn’t sure who she was angrier with— Kitana for interrogating Raenihel, or Raenihel for permitting it. He was a good-natured gnome, but Tyla had been around him enough to know that he did have a temper.

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