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Faris leaned toward him and gave a wink. “I will keep you to your word on that one, old friend.”
“My coin purse trembles, but I’m willing,” Ben returned with glittering eyes before he released his friend and turned to me. “But we shouldn’t talk about business when there are empty stomachs to be filled, and I’m sure Salah has a good meal waiting for us.”
I was glad to Ben’s announcement and we trudged toward our temporary abode. The shadows had entrenched themselves everywhere, creating pockets of pure darkness inside the alleys and narrow side streets. Cloaked figures huddled in doorways and passed us on the street. Ben made sure to put himself between the strangers and me, and I noticed he kept a tight grip on his coin purse.
We had barely gone a few blocks when we arrived at a long, empty street that wound its way westward. All was still and quiet. So quiet, in fact, that the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“There you are!” The tiny voice out of the darkness like a threat, and that made me jump in the air and almost land in Ben’s arms.
The bemused smile on his lips, however, softened my fear. “It seems we’ve been caught.”
“And none too soon!” the voice added as a tiny figure sauntered out of the shadows ahead of us. I was relieved to see the familiar furry face of Qisa the cat. He held his chin high and his tail even higher as he trotted over to us. “I thought I wouldn’t find you before the sun had set.” I looked to the horizon and detected a faint sliver of light.
“I hope we haven’t worried Salah and his family too much,” Ben apologized as he reluctantly released me.
Qisa turned around in front of us so he faced where the direction from he had come and pointed his ‘cute’ end in our direction. “Of course they are! Not a word from you for several hours and the king being in such low regard for the family, there’s no telling what may have happened to you! Now follow me and don’t dawdle!”
The cat trotted forward and Ben and I followed. The arrival of our friend hadn’t lifted the oppressive silence that surrounded us. Indeed, I felt it grow even heavier on my shoulders.
We were halfway down the street when a strange chill struck me so hard that I jerked to a stop. Ben saw my sudden halt and turned to face me. He took one look at my complexion and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I wrapped my arms around myself and shook my head. “I-I don’t know. I just suddenly felt cold all of a sudden.”
Qisa sauntered back to us and wrinkled his nose. “It’s probably just the night-”
I jerked back as Qisa flew at me with his mouth open and his teeth bared. He snatched something from the air just a few inches shy of my face and landed neatly on all fours. I saw that he held a long, thin dart in his jaws and his tail twitched furiously.
Ben grabbed my shoulders and yanked me behind the corner of the nearest building. Qisa darted behind us with his prize still clasped in his teeth. He quickly spit it out at our feet and wrinkled his nose. “Disgusting flavor.”
“What is going-” I began, but a look of deadly warning from Ben’s cool glowing red eyes made me clamp my mouth shut.
He peeked around the corner and his bright eyes darted around. I could feel the tension in his body as he held his infamous black cloak at a hairbreadth away from coming out. Never had I so wanted to see the Dragon Thief than at that moment.
I heard a faint noise like feet scuffing against the ground. Ben inspected the area for a moment longer before he drew back. “They’ve gone, but we should start moving. They may change their minds.”
Qisa stood and caught our attention with his twisting tail. “Then follow me. I know a-” He paused and shook his head.
A glossy look in his eyes made my heart jump. “Are you alright?” I asked him.
He glared at me. “Of course I’m. . .I’m alright. It’s just the scent on the. . .on the dart-” His legs buckled and he collapsed onto the ground.
A gasp escaped me as Ben stooped and set a hand on the cat’s sides. I watched in horror as Qisa’s stomach rapidly moved up and down. His mouth was agape as quick breaths escaped him.
I knelt and caught Ben’s worried gaze. “What’s wrong with him?”
Ben carefully plucked the dart from the ground and studied the barbed point. Whatever that stuck in was staying stuck. “This may have been poisoned.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
My heart skipped a beat.“Should we take him home?”
Ben tucked the dart into a padded pocket and scooped the cat into his arms. “I have a better plan, but we must hurry. He may not have much time and our foe may want another chance at us.”
Ben took off at a sprint and I hurried after him. He kept his speed slow enough that I could keep up but fast enough that I was winded by the time we’d reached the northeast part of the city. The narrow alleys of the Huthala stretched out in front of us and I realized where Ben was taking us.
Dakin. The curse-knower.
“Does he know about poisons?” I asked my companion.
