The Wish Granter (Ravenspire #2)(18)

“Sounds perfect. I need to stop at the bookstore first to do more research. The spice shop is north of there, and the glassblower’s is closer to the docks, so can we do that last?” Ari steered Cleo to the opposite side of the street.

“I didn’t hear you mention stopping for pastries. I didn’t sneak behind Mama’s back only to skip our usual pastry break.”

Ari laughed. “Never let it be said that I skipped our pastry break. We’ll do that after the spice shop.”

The Open Page was a blue rectangle at the end of a narrow street, just past a milliner’s. Rahel, the owner, was a thin, birdlike woman with narrow features and a soft, pleasant voice.

There was another customer in the shop when Cleo and Ari entered, leaving their pair of guards outside the door. Both Rahel and the customer quickly bowed when they recognized Ari. She waved at them to rise and continue with their transaction as she turned to peruse the shelves of leather-bound books and scrolls of parchment.

“You have to stop doing that,” Cleo whisper-hissed in her ear as she took a book of her own off the shelf.

“Doing what?” Ari stared at her friend.

“Acting uncomfortable when people bow to you.”

“Well, I am uncomfortable.”

“But they have no choice. If they don’t bow and their disrespect is reported to the city guard, they’ll be fined. You can’t wave it off when failure to show you deference could cost them more than they make in a month.” Cleo flipped a few pages of her book and then set it back on the shelf.

Ari was silent for a moment as she considered Cleo’s words. “You’re right. I hate that it’s so awkward. I’m just me. If they spent any significant amount of time with me at all, they’d realize how ridiculous it is to bow to me all the time.”

“You’ll get no argument from me there.” Cleo grinned at Ari, and then turned as Rahel ushered her previous customer out of the shop and approached the girls.

“Your Highness, Cleo, what a delight to have you in my shop this morning.” Her eyes darted toward the store’s entrance. “But . . . this isn’t your usual market day. Where is Mama Eleni? Does she know you’re here?”

“We have guards with us, and Ari is the princess now, so she can do what she wants, and Mama Eleni doesn’t need to hear about this. Ever.” Cleo’s words tumbled from her mouth in a rush.

Rahel twisted her fingers together and glanced at the entrance again. “Quickly, then. What can I help you with?”

Ari couldn’t exactly say “Good morning. I want to know how to stop a powerful fae who happens to live in Kosim Thalas. Can you help?” Not without starting rumors that she couldn’t afford Teague to hear. Not until she really did have the ability to stop him from hurting her brother.

Pasting a smile on her face, Ari said, “I’m researching Llorenyae, specifically the fae and any lore surrounding them. I have storybooks of fae myths, but I’m more interested in the actual history of the fae.”

Rahel frowned as she examined her shelves. “Thirty-nine Summer Nights?”

“I have that one.”

“Magic in the Moonlight: A Nursery Primer?”

“I have that one too. I don’t want a storybook. I want a history book. Something that will separate fact from fiction when it comes to the fae,” Ari said.

Rahel ran her hands down the spines of the books in front of her. “There is one book, Leabhar na Fae. Have you heard of it?”

Ari shook her head.

“I’m not surprised.” Rahel left the shelves and walked to her desk, casting another glance at the doorway. Ari followed her gaze but saw nothing unusual in the street beyond. “Leabhar na Fae means ‘Book of the Fae.’ There are only three copies in existence, and two of those are in Llorenyae. One in the Summer Court and one in the Winter Court. The third copy is owned by a collector of rare antiquities in Balavata. He won’t sell the original to you, but his daughter has transcribed a copy that can be borrowed for a fee. Would you like me to order it for you?”

“And it isn’t a story? It’s factual?” Ari asked.

“It’s the history of the fae since time began. Of course, the language in the first quarter or more of the book is so archaic, it’s nearly impossible to understand unless you are a scholar of all things fae, but the latter part of the book is quite informative, I’m told. It contains the usual lore—fae substituting their changeling babies for human babies, humans killing younger fae with iron, the great war between the Summer and Winter courts—”

“Anything about using bloodflower against them?” Ari asked. “Bloodflower and iron together?”

Rahel’s pleasant expression dimmed into something alert and watchful. “May I ask why you’re looking into bloodflower and iron, Your Highness?”

Ari shrugged and tried to sound casual. “Just taking precautions. I’ve heard there’s a powerful fae living in Súndraille. He makes deals with people and I thought . . . Are you all right?”

Rahel’s face had gone clammy, and she looked faintly sick.

“Rahel? Did I say something wrong?” Ari asked.

“Why are you asking these questions, Your Highness?” Rahel sounded shaken.

Ari tried to sound casual. “I’ve heard rumors, and I just wanted to see if they were true.” When Rahel didn’t look convinced, Ari rushed on. “The king needs to know if we have a fae living among us, making deals with his subjects. I’ve heard the name Teague—”