Page 35 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

Inhaling deeply, I take a brief moment to savor the delightful aroma of freshly baked bread wafting out from the small establishment before tugging open the door and slipping inside.

A small bell chimes, followed by a woman’s voice calling out, “Be right with ya, dear! Just gimme a moment to pull these last few buns from the oven.”

“Take your time,” I call back, roaming my eyes over the shelves full of berry preserves, honey, and all manner of mouth-watering pre-packaged pastries and desserts.

After a few moments of patiently waiting, a young woman steps through a curtain at the back of the room, her blood-red skin and horns protruding for the top of her head and spiraling around her ears making her devilish heritage obvious. I smile reflexively. It’s rare to see devilkin in small towns such as these, most tend to stick to bigger cities where it’s easier to blend in due to the larger, more diverse, populations. Which is a shame, they’re usually lovely individuals despite their wholly unearned reputations.

The woman smiles, wiping a hand on the apron tied around her waist as she looks me up and down from behind the display case doubling as a countertop. “Well, hello stranger. Haven’t seen you in here before. What can I get ya?”

I lower my hood, smile growing wider. “What would you recommend for a traveler merely passing through?”

“Hmm.” The jewels dangling from her left horn brush against her cheek as she cocks her head to the side. “You look like a woman with a sweet tooth. Perhaps one of these.” She gestures to what might possibly be the largest cinnamon roll I’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Yes, please.” Nodding, I take a step closer to the counter, mouth already watering in anticipation. “Best make it two. My companion would be most cross with me if I didn’t bring her one as well.”

The woman chuckles. “Can’t have that now can we?” Carefully wrapping two of the monstrous pastries in wax paper, she side-eyes me, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Now, stranger, what else can I help you with?”

Shaking my head, I also let out a quiet chuckle. There’s no fooling a devilkin. “Looking for an old friend of mine. Went by the name Slivo. Last I knew they’d been–”

Not waiting for me to finish, the woman cups a hand around her mouth and yells, “Oy, PaMa! Get ya lazy bones out here, got a friend here looking for ya!”

Before my confusion has time to settle in, I hear a familiar grumpy voice respond, “What en all de hells ye talkin’ ‘bout, Rosie.” The curtain behind the woman rustles. “Ye knows I ain’t got no–”

A tray of hot rolls clatters to the ground as our old friend, Slivo, steps out from behind the counter, the goblin looking much older than the last time we’d laid eyes on them.

“Vannaria?” they ask, their large yellow eyes widening.

I nod, dropping to a knee so I’m eye level with them. “Hello, old friend.”

“Ye damn fool.” Kicking away the rolls in their path, Slivo hobbles over to me and throws their arms around my neck. “I was sure ye’d be feedin’ de buzzards by now.”

Wrap my arms around them, I laugh softly, careful not to squeeze too tightly as I return their embrace. “You should know you can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m sorry I haven’t visited sooner.”

Pulling away, they swat me on the shoulder, eyes glimmering with tears. “Eh. None o’ dat. Ye here now, dats all dat matters.” They squint, giving a long look. “Why’s ye covered in blood, Vann? Best not be yours.”

Wiping away a rogue tear that slips free from the corner of my eye, I bark out a laugh. “Rest assured, it’s not. At least not most of it. My friend and I got into a bit of a scrap on the way into town.” I nod toward the devilkin woman. “Are you going to make introductions?”

Muttering a curse in their native tongue, they hobble over to the woman and grab her hand, leading her around the counter to join us. “Dis here Rosaline. Took ‘er in not longs after ye last visit. Foun’ ‘er wanderin’ ‘round de old well in de center o’ town. Put ‘er te work doin’ me cooking and dat how we gots dis place now.” They give Rosaline a fond smile. “Best thing te ever happen te dis ol’ fool.”

“Oh hush,” Rosaline mutters, brushing a lock of her black hair behind her ear.

“Well, I’m glad you have someone here looking after you. And vice versa.” I glance towards the door. “I hate to be that kind of friend, but…”

Slivo scoffs. “Out with it ye ol’ vermin. What ye need, Vann?”

I exhale heavily, the sound a mix between a sigh and a chuckle. “My friend and I could really use a place to stay for the night.” Making meaningful eye contact with them, I add, “The tavern isn’t an option.”

Understanding the hidden meaning behind my words, they nod. “A’ight. One night.” They look up at Rosaline. “Rosie, can ye do ye ol’ PaMa a favor and get de ol’ spare room ready? I’ll finish up out here. Wes closing early tonight.”

Rosaline nods, already heading towards the small staircase hidden in the back corner of the shop. “Of course, I’ll be back down in a bit to help clean up.”

“Dats my girl,” Slivo calls after her. Turning back to me they ask, “Wha’ else ye need, Vann?”

“Stalls for a couple horses if you have them.” Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and whisper, “My friend… She’s got a pretty large bounty on her head.”

They whistle through their jagged teeth. “Ye sure know how ta pick ‘em.”

I nod, unable to stop the grin creeping onto my face. “Not only that, but she’s a wolf Slivo. The gods seem to love toying with me in every way they can.”