Barclay muttered a thank-you and began to walk away. However, for the second time, Tadg blocked his path, eyeing the woman warily.
“Do you have another joke to add?” Barclay asked sharply.
Tadg opened his mouth to speak, but then he seemed to think better of it. He shook his head and stepped back, letting Barclay pass.
Barclay stalked off down the street wishing that Sycomore could be—if only a little bit—more like home.
TEN
The farther Barclay walked in the direction the woman had pointed, the bleaker his surroundings turned. The trees, once sparse, now covered most of the street, forcing Barclay to climb and weave his way down the path. Branches and thorns snagged at his clothes. Four-eyed Beasts lurked in the treetops, watching him ominously as though tracking their supper.
The Bog’s Inn looked as dismal as its neighborhood. The sign creaked and swung even though no wind blew. Most of its windows were boarded up.
Barclay warily pushed open the door and entered a lounge. The innkeeper peered at him shrewdly from behind the reception desk. She wore an eyepatch with a brass button sewn in the center, like the eye of a doll.
“What brings you here?” she crooned.
“I’m looking for a man named Soren Reiker.”
She nodded and leaned behind her desk, looking at something Barclay couldn’t see. “Go fetch the man on the top floor.”
Barclay expected a small child, or maybe even a dog, but to his horror, a giant ratlike Beast scurried from behind the desk. Its tail was made of metal plates, and they screeched loudly against the wood floor as it scampered up the stairs.
The old woman gave Barclay a smile. Most of her teeth were missing. “Would you like some tea?”
Barclay would actually love a cup of chaga mushroom tea after so many days spent wandering in the cold, but he didn’t want any here. He rubbed his arms, but his hair wouldn’t stop standing on end. He was considering giving up on the creepy Bog’s Inn and finding Viola when a man appeared at the foot of the stairs.
“What can I do for you?” he asked in a chipper voice. He was clean-shaven and wore expensive clothes, and his teeth—unlike the innkeeper’s—were all accounted for and very straight. He was even sort of handsome, like a hero from an adventure story. “My name is Soren Reiker.”
Barclay shook Soren’s hand. “My name is Barclay, Barclay Thorne. I’m looking for someone who might be able to help me remove a Beast Mark.”
Soren gave him a sympathetic smile. “Took on a bit more than you could handle, did you?”
“It was all an accident,” Barclay explained.
“I’m sure it was,” said Soren kindly. “But it’s a tough job, removing a Mark. There are some questions I need to ask, as I’m sure you understand.” He placed his hand on Barclay’s shoulder, making him wince from his healing wound where the Lufthund had slashed him. “I charge fifty thousand kritters for all Familiar class Marks.”
That seemed a good deal higher than the posts Barclay had seen at the Guild, but Soren quickly soothed his nerves.
“It’s expensive, I realize. But like I said, it’s a tough job. And not many people can do it, you know.”
Barclay withered. “I only have Elsewheres money.”
Soren’s grip on his shoulder tightened a bit.
“That’s too bad. It’s not worth very much if the people of the Elsewheres don’t let us spend it. But don’t look so down. A boy your age with a Familiar class bond can get a good job in this town. Tell me, what sort of Beast is it? A Dizzisnuff? A Ziggopatch? They’re well suited to apothecary shops—”
“It’s a Lufthund.”
Soren’s eyes widened.
“That can’t be right. Lufthunds are exceedingly rare and difficult for even an experienced Lore Keeper to bring down. There are few Beasts like them in the whole Woods!”
Barclay hesitated. Viola had sounded quite sure, but it had all happened so quickly. She could easily have been mistaken. Barclay had always been more inclined to believe grown-ups.
“I’m not sure,” Barclay admitted. “But I think that’s what the Mark looks like.”
Soren paused for a moment, then he smiled wider. “Well, let’s figure that out for you. I’ll do it free of charge. After all, it’s important to know what Beast you’ve bonded with.”
