Lira looked up at her and nodded. “Exactly. That’s what I thought. I also found a spell that can bewitch someone into forgetting you, but it would have to be cast on a lot of dwarves if an entire search party is descending, so I’m not sure that will work either.”
“One question.” Sass cocked her head at Lira. “I know you have your gran’s book, but she was a mage and you’re not. Do you have any idea how to cast any of these spells?”
Lira took a moment to pull her long hair into a high bun, and she jabbed a wooden skewer through it to hold it in place. “Notexactly, which is why I stopped looking up spells and started reading recipes. That’s how I found my gran’s crumpet recipe.”
Sass cut her gaze to the white, winged stoat, who was fastidiously licking his paws clean. “Crumpets are food?”
Lira laughed. “Of course they are. Where do you think I got Crumpet’s name?”
“Crumpets aren’t part of dwarf cuisine. I assumed it was just a cute name you made up.”
Crumpet flew to Lira’s shoulder and let out what the dwarf would have sworn was his version of a laugh.
“I know.” Lira shared a look with the tiny creature. “I can’t believe it either.”
Sass held up her palms. “Laugh all you want, but are you going to tell me more about these crumpets or not?”
Lira turned a few pages of the book until she grinned. “Here it is, Gran’s crumpet recipe.” She let out a wistful sigh. “I don’t know how to describe them. They’re more savory than sweet, but once you slather a hot one with butter and jam, they’re nothing short of addictive.”
Even though Sass had just eaten a sweet roll, her stomach rumbled at the thought of anything slathered with sweet butter and sticky jam.
“The nice thing about crumpets,” Lira continued, “is that they can keep, unlike Pip’s spectacular rolls, which are best eaten when they’re hot and soft.”
“Not that we’ve ever had a problem finishing anything Pip bakes.”
Lira tapped a finger on her chin. “That is true, but just imagine being able to keep a tin of crumpets in the kitchen on the off chance you forget to eat one night.”
Sass snorted a laugh at this. It seemed like they were so busy that she forgot to eat most nights. “Sold. Let’s make crumpets.”
Lira reached for an earthenware mixing bowl and made quick work of scooping flour and several other dry ingredientsinto it. Just as she added the water and mixed it all with a wooden spoon, there was a yelp from outside the doors.
Sass stiffened. Had Florin found her already?
Lira snatched up one of her old rogue’s daggers that had been given a second life as kitchen knives and hurried to the swinging doors, mouthing for Sass to stay behind her. Sass didn’t argue, as the yelp had devolved into the shuffling and scuffling of boots.
When Lira pushed open the doors and rushed out, she almost instantly lowered her blade. “Hells and cinders! What are you doing?”
Nine
Sass ducked around Lira,gaping as she saw who was making all the racket. It wasn’t Florin or the dwarf search party. But itwasa dwarf. Well, a dwarf and a Tiefling.
“Vaskel, let him go!” Lira’s hands were squarely on her hips as she eyed her former crew mate grappling with Thrain.
Vaskel jerked up, which gave Thrain a chance to slip from the Tiefling’s headlock. “But he was sneaking around the tavern, and I’m pretty sure I saw him skulking around last night.”
“I wasn’t skulking.” Thrain’s face was red as he brushed his hair off his face and tugged his tunic back into place. “I came down to see if there was breakfast to be had.” He sniffed the air, which carried a hint of the spices bubbling on the stove. “It smells good.”
“That’s the chai,” Lira said, quirking her lips when the dwarf’s grin faded.
“What do you mean you came down?” Vaskel flicked his gaze to the stairs that led to the rooms over the tavern, which had only ever been occupied by the former tavernkeep, Durn, and then Lira and Sass. Then he seemed to notice that the dwarf wore nothing but a long tunic over linen breeches. “What’s going on? Are we letting out rooms now?”
Sass cleared her throat. “Not exactly. Thrain is a friend of mine from home.”
Vaskel’s fiery expression inched toward embarrassment, and his pointed tail ceased slashing behind him. “Well, why didn’t you say you were a friend of Sass?”
Thrain rubbed the back of his neck as he peered at the tall, crimson-skinned creature. “You didn’t give me much time for introductions.”
Vaskel pivoted to Sass and pinned her with a stern look. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a visitor? Is this why you were so jumpy last night?”
