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“Well, it sounds as though you’re prepared for anything. That brings me great comfort.” He smiled at each of them. “If it isn’t too much trouble, I was hoping my colleagues and I could venture out for some food. Stretch our legs after our ride. Knowing that you have a handle on things here makes me eager to recharge so we can be on our way.”
At the comment that he was leaving, the chief and others relaxed. The clerk visibly slumping down as if he’d been carrying a weight far too great for him.
If they were trying to seem normal, they were terrible actors. But what were they hiding? Or who?
The police captain rose. “There’s a very good tavern three streets over, toward the eastern side of the city. Your tavern is also very well stocked, but since you’ll most likely have cause to eat there later, I suggest the other.”
Noah stood, touching the captain’s shoulder. “Very good, sir. Thank you for the hospitality.” He turned to the rest of the group. “And thank you for meeting with me so quickly. It has been most helpful.”
Noah was once more fawned over as we exited and turned in the direction the police captain had recommended. We all kept in step with Noah, but no one spoke of the meeting or of anything as we shifted to our next stop.
It was like someone had copied and pasted what we’d seen on our way into the streets we passed now. Everything was the same. Shops, stores, and stands still hopping and bustling and still filled with people smiling and grinning at each other. Talking in hushed voices and flashing too large smiles at us.
The whole thing reminded me more of a horror movie than real life. The town with a secret, overly welcoming strangers was definitely one that I’d seen before, right? It was too familiar and eerie.
The tavern was right where the police chief said, with quite a few patrons. The murmurs and buzz didn’t stop when we walked in, and it seemed like we’d finally made it to a corner of the city where perhaps Noah was unnoticed. He lowered his head as we all made our way to a table. Vara went straight to the bar, talking to the bartender and pointing to where we sat.
“Never seen anything quite like it. We’re on display in most parts.” Charlie leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him with a lowered head, though his eyes shifted back and forth to every dark corner of the tavern.
Noah grunted in agreement. “But why? We have no qualms with Dukesburg, and the king and queen were here just a few short months ago. Besides the attack on the way home, things went well.”
“Rattling them more won’t do much good. If they don’t like us here because they think it makes them a target, we best move on,” Weston commented as Vara returned to the table. She brought six rusty mugs filled to the brim with a strong-smelling ale that sloshed over the sides as she set them in front of each of us.
“They’re skittish. They’re already a target for something, we need to figure out what.” She sat, chugging back her ale as she spoke.
“I said we’d leave and it immediately made the chief relax. I think we do need to move to some of the smaller outskirt towns for more information, knowing something is definitely amiss here.” Noah sipped his own ale. “I’m not sure I can be here when we explore. We’ll have to send a scout or two hidden as a traveler. I doubt we’d get information otherwise.”
Ryzel nodded. “I agree with the prince.”
“So we’ll head back to the inn tonight. We can rotate shifts among the four of us.” He nodded at each of the members in our group besides the prince and myself. “See if we hear anything in the tavern when we’re alone versus a group. Otherwise, we leave in the morning.”
Noah nodded. “That’s good. Guards up tonight though. Whatever may be wrong could make itself known by mistake the longer we’re here.”
We finished the ale, not bothering to order food. The stop had more so been a chance for the group to explore more of the city instead of actually finding a place to eat. My stomach growled, but with the urge to be back at our own tavern growing among my companions, I wasn’t about to argue and make them stay.
We rose, Ryzel paying the bartender for everything and then some, and we walked out. The tavern had more lights around it now that the sun was setting for the day. Torches were lit lining each of the streets, making it feel safe and secure in a way. If the people weren’t so strange.
The tavern was one of the last buildings in the city before a pine forest picked up. It ran the length of this side of the town that I could see.
And it hummed.
Not out loud, not a noise the others could hear. But I felt it. The forest. A stirring that ignited something in me.
“I think we should look in the woods,” I said to the group.
I spoke quietly, not wanting the stirring in me to stop, because it felt as though I’d discovered something. Maybe my intuition would be my contribution. Whatever it was, I felt sure that there were some answers for us inside those pines.
Noah was immediately put off by the suggestion and stared behind me. “Despite the stories, the woods rarely hold monsters that are lurking, waiting to attack. At least this close to a city,” he chuckled. “It’s been a long two days, Cora. We will rest and leave in the morning.”
The fae walked toward the center of the city, but I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to let this go.
“I really—” The others paused and looked at me. This time Ryzel walked toward me, standing shoulder to shoulder, except his gaze was focused on the wooded area behind me. “I really feel strongly about this. Something in my gut,” I added.
Standing up to Noah when we were fighting was hard. This had nothing to do with our disagreements, and I didn’t want to make it sound like I was arguing when I was speaking about this. I needed him to separate the two and listen to how I was feeling, to what I was feeling.
Ryzel looked over his shoulder. “We don’t ignore gut feelings, Your Majesty. You know that.”
Noah rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “We’ll explore a bit. But then I want us back at the tavern in shifts to see what we can hear.”
