When Things Are Set Right by Jordan St. James

Author:Jordan St. James
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: House of Q LLC

19

The Man with the Cloudy Eye

Ophelia knocked gently at sunup. “Wolfe and I are going to step out. It’d be advisable for you to hunker here while we’re gone.”

“Oh, no,” Aeryn said. She stuffed her blanket into her backpack. “It’s time to say goodbye to The Bloated Heffer forever.”

“The situation with our contact here is sensitive. You can’t come with us to drop the message.”

“Then we won’t. We have to sell the scales.”

Wolfe entered the room behind Ophelia. “They’re not prisoners, Fifi. We gotta head toward the market district anyway.”

They collected their belongings, turned in the key stump to the empty desk downstairs, and stepped into the streets of Bywinter. The day was overcast and brisk. Wolfe squinted in the light and groaned. Aeryn passed him a sprig of gingerwort.

The further they traveled from The Bloated Heffer, Aeryn noticed an increase of maintained buildings and intact street lamps. The road was clear of glass, food scraps, and soiled garments.

There was no grass. It was like the entire city had been laid with the same gray stone.

“Where does one sell dragon scales?” Aeryn asked as they strolled into the market district.

“First of all, stop shouting,” Wolfe said.

“No one is shouting, Wolfe,” Ophelia said flatly. “A collector or jeweler is a good place to start.”

A shop called Poggin’s Antiques and Rare Items caught Aeryn’s eye. She pointed. “There?”

“Looks promising,” Ophelia said brightly. “Our business is nearby. When you’re done...” She scanned their surroundings until her eyes landed on an eatery on the corner called Applegriffon’s. “Meet there.”

ᛋ

“Grim, I’ve never had this much money before,” Aeryn said as they left Poggin’s. “We’re rich.”

The shopowner, thrilled about the scales, offered three platinum pieces. As intrigued as Aeryn was to hold a platinum coin, she asked for smaller denominations so she and Grim could split it evenly, and to minimize difficulty making change.

“We gotta resupply, but we should try to save as much as we can,” he said. “I want to find some work before we leave. We’ll need the money eventually. I don’t want to be dependent on anyone if I can help it.”

“I completely agree, but I’m going to buy a better hunting knife,” she said. “You should too.”

“I’m going to get breakfast before anything else,” Grim replied.

Applegriffon’s was cleaner and better furnished than the tavern the previous night. A tall young lady with a fresh face and a fiery red braid introduced herself as Jemma and took their order.

While they waited for their food, Aeryn scanned the dining room for a job board, but didn’t see one.

Jemma returned bearing a tray with two mugs of hot spiced milk and two plates piled with eggs, slabs of ham, and fresh bread. She cast an interested glance at Grim as she placed the food on the table, but he didn’t notice.

“Jemma?” Aeryn asked, which pulled her attention away from Grim. “Do you know anyone seeking to hire immediate help around town?”

Jemma considered for a moment. “Our usual busser got kicked by a horse last week, so we could use a set of hands clearing dishes.

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