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Ben walked up to the table and sat on a chair I hadn’t noticed before that stood opposite the woman. “How do you help him, old mother?”
The head turned slightly so she faced him. “I keep the curse at bay. Without my help his little flower would wither and die.”
“And yet you don’t know what the curse is or who’s causing it?” Ben countered.
The long, skeletal fingers twitched. “That is not my specialty,boy. I can only stop what was intended. I cannot discover who is the source of the trouble.”
Ben draped his arms over the top of the table and leaned in toward her. “As one who has lived a long time, and no doubt much of it among the dhaka, surely you have your suspicions as to the source. My cousin’s foe, after all, is no doubt not a dhaka themselves and had to hire someone as he did you.”
Jania studied him for a long, quiet moment before a low chuckle came from her. “You are very astute for one so young.”
Ben grinned. “I’d like to think I have an old soul, but you haven’t answered my question.”
Jania shifted and stretched her gnarled hands over the weak flame. The glow grew brighter the more she brushed her hands over the flickering light. “You may find it worth your time to visit the Huthala. There you will find a man named Dakin.”
“The Huthala is a large place, old mother,” Ben scolded her with a light smile. “Perhaps you might give us more information than that.”
Jania balled one hand into a fist. “That is all I will give you. Now leave me.” She used her other hand to extinguish the candle and her form disappeared. The door behind us creaked open, but only enough to let a splinter of light appear in the otherwise dark room.
Ben stood and bowed his head to the impenetrable darkness that lay on the other side of the table. “Thank you for your help.”
There was no reply from the shadows, and I was only too glad to leave the room with the others.
CHAPTERSEVEN
“My sincerest apologies for her behavior,”Sharif spoke up as he closed the door behind us. “I had no idea she would be so brusque to you.”
Ben smiled and shook his head. “The dhaka aren’t known for their pleasantries, but she did give us a name, and that’s more than I expected.”
“Do you believe she knows who is responsible for the curse?” Sharif wondered.
Ben folded his arms over his chest and cupped his chin in one hand. “I believe she has suspicions, but if she knew the name she would have already sold it to you for a high price. As things stand, we’ll find it cheaper and faster to ask this Dakin ourselves what he knows.”
Our host pursed his lips. “Normally I could not ask you to venture into the Huthala on my account, but I am desperate.”
Ben clapped a hand on his cousin’s shoulder and smiled at him. “We’ll do whatever it takes to clear this curse, and if we find ourselves discovering the source of the Thaqiba troubles then we’ll have benefits from the search, as well.”
Sharif’s face brightened and he set his hand on Ben’s arm. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart, cousin. Perhaps you would like a rest before you venture out into the Huthala?”
Ben turned to me. “Are you in need of some rest?”
I rubbed the small of my back and winced. “I think I’d like to stretch my legs. Besides, I want to see those Thaqiba up close.”
“Then we’ll set off immediately,” Ben announced as he draped an arm around his cousin’s shoulders and led him downstairs with me following behind.
“What will you do if you cannot find this Dakin?” Sharif asked him.
Ben winked at him. “I have other connections in the bazaar, should Dakin prove either elusive or unwilling to cooperate.”
We reached the main entrance hall where I found the cat still in the same position. Temptation and the lack of fear in its eyes made me move over to the feline.
“What a beautiful cat,” I complimented as I stroked the feline’s back. The cat didn’t arch as I expected, but he did slightly lean into my touch.
Ben and Sharif joined me at the pedestal, and Ben’s eyes danced with mischief. “It’s a family heirloom.”
The cat flattened its ears against its head. “I am no such thing!”
I started back and my mouth dropped open. The cat’s lips hadn’t moved, as I had heard the voice in my mind as Ben could do in his Dragon Thief form.
