White Moon

Chapter 5

Phyllis locked the door to the shop just as the sun was setting, the last patrons of the days' patrons long since gone. She hung around the front closing the thick cream curtains over the windows and wiping down the last of the tables while I balanced the accounts of the day. Anya had also stopped by just after noon and was currently putting away the last of the cleaned dishes.

The opening had been a success.

The shop had seen a steady trickle of guests all morning. By midday, we had a full house that didn’t let up until just before sunset. Many of the noble women had come in hoping to find something to calm their nerves – and gossip – due to the rather ‘unfortunate incident’ that happened yesterday. Those who couldn’t make it, as they were just too distraught, had sent their servants to pick up their orders. It took all I had not to roll my eyes every time a patron came in requesting the same kind of tea. Safe to say I would need a new shipment of Mugwheat very soon.

"I honestly don’t think it was ever this busy during my time as a barmaid." Phyllis came up to the counter stretching her back as she walked.

"Better to be too busy than to have an empty shop," I replied distractedly.

She nodded as she moved behind me to put away the containers that were strewn along the countertop.

"You would think they had all been at the market yesterday with the way they were actin'." She snorted, "At most, the only thing currently hurtin' is their wallets from all the unspent coins."

I laughed giving her my full attention as I put away the books. "At least they could spend it here. I bet the physicians and the temple also befitted quite nicely today."

"No doubt."

"Any word from the guards?"

She shook her head. "Nothin' official. Garren said the council wants to put the city on lockdown but the Guardians, as with much of the city I would presume, are opposed to it."

"That seems a bit drastic."

"Tis," she nodded, "but with the queen due to arrive in a few weeks they aren’t about to back down."

That made sense. With the summer solstice weeks away they would want everything to go off without a hitch.

"Guards have been doubled especially at the gates and Lord Ashwood approved for Guardians to patrol at night."

That was news, the Mysterious Lord Ashwood liked to keep himself and Guardian business private, to the point that, if the gossip was to be believed, he never interfered with the running of the city although he had the power to do so. While his mysteriousness kept him safe as there was no bigger target that you could find, it was a serious sticking point for me right now.

"Will Lord Grave be seeing to the Guardian himself?" I asked keeping my fingers crossed although I probably already knew her answer.

She shook her head again. "No Garren says the opposition came by massive. The Lord’s still very much missin’. The city can’t afford a lockdown. Last year's harvest wasn’t the best and the stores are still low. Merchants were the only thing keeping the prices as they were."

"I’m guessing a Witch showing up unannounced not even five months later has tongues wagging." I can almost guarantee that the temple will be looking into the cause of the bad harvest, too much of a coincidence that the attack happened now just when most roads are clear enough to allow proper travel to the city.

"Yes," she nodded. "Just glad I was able to fill our stock before the attack. Callen says the prices have gone up as most are scared. Buyin' stocks to fill their cupboards and weapons to arm themselves"

"You're staying safe ?" I asked my concern about her and her family coloring my tone. The South Bend quarters weren’t the safest place on a good day. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it was about to get especially when it would make a great hiding place for someone not wanting to be found.

She nodded a frown marring her face. "Garren says no going out at night and not alone." She sighed her shoulders slumped. "Only good thing to come out of this is all the coin Garren will be gettin’ from the extra shifts. Fane might also be able to get a temporary guard position too"

She shook her head. It was hard to feel happy about seemingly good fortune when the money was coming as a result of a deadly threat.

In no time we finished closing up and the shop was tidied and locked up for the night. I packed up some leftover sweets and pastries for Phyllis and bid the two women goodbye as I watch their shapes disappear around the bend.

With the back door locked I moved through the downstairs area, turned down all the lamps, and made sure everything was good and quiet before retiring to my workroom.

The space was tidy and functional with shelves full of tea ingredients and a large storage cabinet for all the plates and teacups lining the back wall. On the opposite wall, was a large fireplace currently burning and lending the room a nice comfortable heat. There was a sturdy metal bar running just above the fire with three hooks on it, two of which currently had black iron kettles filled with water hanging on them. A large metal sink for washing dominated the space opposite the door with two large barrels of water flanking each side. Finally, a wooden worktable sat in the center of the room where all preparations took place.

I closed the door and walked over to the sink, shutting the window and pulling the dark curtains shut. With a few muttered words the orange glow of the lamps and the fireplace died down plunging the room into complete darkness for a few seconds before immediately being reignited with bright white flames.

While the layout of the room was the same, the contents were not. The ingredient on the shelves had been replaced with a variety of plants, roots, and spell paraphernalia. The shelves housing the cups and plates now had crystals of all kinds placed in neatly labeled rows and columns, and most importantly, the kettles had been replaced with a white and black cauldron made of obsidian and ivory sitting on a three-legged stand over the fire. The bright white runes glowing on every wall also stood out.

Razia’s spectral form phased through the door as I gathered the ingredients and tools I needed. The minute she was fully in the room, she began to take on more lifelike features similar to the wolf we became when shifted. Here she existed in an in-between state, corporeal enough to interact with her surroundings but not enough to be harmed.

“Tracing spell?”

I nodded. “I don’t want to be caught lingering out after dark especially if Guardians are going to be patrolling.”

She tilted her head in acknowledgment. “A shadow spell might also be in order,” she suggested.

I thought about this for a second and nodded, “Not a spell, potion.”

She chuffed in acceptance and got to work gathering the ingredients I needed.

Within minutes, I had the shadow potion simmering way in the caldron while I worked on the tracing spell.

"...Crushed Flume larvae, three Seperang seeds, a pinch of Garong tree ash, and an apple slice," I muttered to myself as I threw the ingredients into the mortar and ground them up with the pestle.

"All that's left is to add my blood to the mixture to activate it," I said scraping the paste into a small shallow container.

“Why apple?”

"It's not exactly the best-tasting mixture and it can linger in your system for days giving you minor heat flashes whenever you leave the vicinity of the object you were tracing. The apple means I can just smear a little bit on my hand through the burn is worse I can just wash it off afterward." I shrugged and turned to stair the bubbling cauldron.

"Now we wait."

~

It was midnight by the time the potion was ready. After concealing my workroom once more, we departed into the night heading towards the main square.

The streets were unusually quiet, with even the rowdiest of pubs closed down for the night. I walked briskly through the night streets taking the back alleys and narrow passages to get to my destination. As these streets were usually not lit, the bright glow of the moon overhead was the only thing lighting my way. Its silvery glow was mostly blocked out by the buildings and bearly illuminated the ground. The whole place had an ominous feel to it.

As I approached the main square I stopped right before the lip of the alley that would bring me out into the open. I retrieved the potion first, the blue-black liquid sloshing around in the clear glass vial. Popping off the stopper I quickly drank the liquid the taste of fresh mint coating my mouth before dissipating.

I retrieved the second vial with the tracing spell and pulled out the small needle dagger I used to pin up my hair. In my opinion, it was never good to leave the house unarmed. Pressing the tip to the pad of my thumb I nicked the skin and pressed the wound until several drops of blood welled up and I mixed it with the past. I put away the dagger and the empty glass vials – no need to leave evidence around – before smearing the paste on my right palm.

The burn was instant and I gasped.

"That way." I stood and without waiting on Razia, walked out into the open following the direction the burning on my palm indicated. It was like a very uncomfortable game of hot and cold.

True to Phyllis’s words several night patrol men were walking the area and I spotted two Guardians in the distance. I kept away from them as the spell pulled me closer to my destination.

We passed the carrier house, which shocked me as I was sure I misplaced the damn necklace there. I even made several turns around the place but my cooling palm told me it was the wrong location. We carried on well past the main square and it wasn’t long before the row of shops began to dwindle and give way to the lower-cost housing that marked the start of the South Bend. The patrolmen also seemed to increase which made getting around a lot tricker. I had to backtrack several times and almost bumped into a guard before Razia took it upon herself to be my lookout.

A few more minutes of walking and we came to a stop before a small abandoned shack at the end of a row of rundown houses.

"Well, this is ominous."

Razia snorted at the understatement. "But it keeps on par with things, no?"

While the other houses looked lived in and somewhat taken care of this one stood a little apart from the rest. The structure was decrepit and nearly all the exterior walls were covered in overgrown vines. Most of the window shutters were missing and those that were still there were broken. There were huge sections of wall missing, allowing a peek into what lay in the house if the lighting was sufficient. The roof was no better with more shingles missing than not and I thought I spied a hole in one section The structure looked so fragile that I would bet strong wind could knock it down with little effort. Another distinction was the fact that it was the only home on the row that was surrounded by a fence, although the iron was completely rusted, and it has a little garden just in front of the house.

Not bothering to wait for me, Razia passed through the fence sniffing around and investigating the structure.

I rolled my eyes, pulled my blade out again, and made another shallow cut. I let the blood drip onto the rusted fence muttering another spell. When the iron sizzled and became slightly transparent I walked right through the fence like it hadn't been there at all.

Though it was risky to do magic out in the open like this, not getting killed by whatever the rust was housing if I attempted to scale it, was a worthwhile exception.

"This doesn’t make any sense."

The feeling of cold emptiness radiated from the house and I bet not even the homeless or the countless thieves in the city used the place as a hideout it felt like this place was forgotten.

"Ask Phyllis the next time you have a chance. Maybe there’s some superstition surrounding the place that has kept people away."

I nodded tucking the suggestion away for later.

I moved up the path, and the burn on my hand intensified as I made my way closer to the front door and up the small wooden steps. By that point, it was almost unbearable. Just as I was trying to figure out a safe way to get in a ray of silver light caught something under the floorboards of the steps. Prodding the scab that was quickly forming on my hand I used the same spell as with the gate and reached beneath the floorboards.

My hand settled on something cool and I pulled it out.

The blue-green glow of the crystals that hung from my necklace sparkled in the light and I let out a sigh of relief at finding it.

"But how did it get all the way here?" I muttered to myself as I scanned the links and my brows furrowed.

"Impossible."

Not a single link was broken. This wasn't adding up. Not only could it have not fallen off as the links were reinforced with countless spells, the fact that it came off without being broken told me it wasn't a failure of the spells. Add that to the fact that it ended up in a place I had never been and I was just confused. Was Amalia playing with me again?

"I can’t get in. Something is stopping me."

My gaze snapped up to meet Razia.

"That’s not possible." Not only was she spectral but the magic that kept her here was as close to divine as one could get outside of the temples. It would take a lot of power to keep her out of any place.

"And yet I still cannot enter," She said as she padded over to me.

"I think we should leave. We won’t find anything more tonight and your potion will be wearing off soon"

I sighed and nodded. She was right. "Alright, we can come back another night."

As I made the move to leave another item caught my eye from beneath the floorboard, this one darker than my necklace had been. I bent to pick the item before my spell wore off and no sooner than it was in my grasp did Razia’s words float to me.

"That’s a problem," her tone was mildly irritated and somewhat amused.

I felt the presence at my back that wasn’t there just moments ago and I stiffened.

"Make a move. I dare you."