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“‘Blysa,’” Ben repeated for me. “The literal translation is ‘firebrand,’ and it’s the title given to the lieutenant and adviser to their king.”
“Sounds important.”
“Second to none below the king.”
“Is the leader of the werewolves really a king?”
Ben nodded. “He may not rule over a very wide swath of land, but his influence in his domain is ironclad, as we saw for ourselves in how quickly we were spotted.”
I glanced at the trees as we passed out of the thick of the forest and into the fields. “He must be tough to control someone like Gasric.”
Ben pursed his lips as he stared ahead. “I hope so.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “You smell trouble?”
“Merely tension, but it’s mixing with the trouble already brewing in the fog,” he told me. “I only hope our magics are powerful enough to stop the headwind that I feel is coming toward us.”
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
It wasa tense ride back to town, not only because of Ben’s dark words and Ferox’s crazy driving. The storm Ben and Deor had warned me about now hovered over the horizon as we rolled back into town. The locals also took the hint as they hurried to and fro to finish their chores. Ben drove us to a southern backstreet to a large general store that covered half a block. The rest of the neighborhood was occupied by a stable some hundred feet wide and as deep as the store. They were separated by a wide private road with a gate that led to the main entrance. There was also a side door in the wall of the grocery opposite the livery.
The main building had the same timber-and-stone look as the rest of the buildings and featured an extensive upper floor with small balconies that looked out over the street. They had wrought-iron railings and long curtains hid the interiors. A large sign stretched across the front above the large doors that allowed entrance and read ‘Feormere’s Foods.’
“Wow,” I breathed as Ben helped me down from the carriage. “This place must do good business.”
“Feormere does half the merchant business for the surrounding area,” Ben explained as he nodded up at one of the nearby balconies. “And his upstairs suites are second to none in quality for weary and wealthy travelers.”
One of the balconies caught my attention. The curtains fluttered a little as though someone had retreated into the room.
Ben’s whispered voice made me jump. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “I swear somebody was peeking out from one of the rooms.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Which one?”
I nodded at the suspicious curtains. “That one.”
Ben followed my gaze and pursed his lips. “You’re sure?”
I cocked my head to one side and studied him. “Shouldn’t I be?”
“That’s the Emperor’s Quarters.”
“So?”
“Feormere keeps that suite open only for the highest paying customers, namely, those of royal lineage.”
“Hence the name,” I finished for him as I examined the curtains again. “Maybe they’re just cleaning it up?”
“Maybe,” was Ben’s inconclusive answer as he looped an arm around my shoulders. “But we should hurry before the rain starts.”
We followed a steady stream of people into the grocery, all eager to finish their shopping ahead of the rain. The store was laid out with wide aisles and shelving short enough that even I could reach everything. Barrels littered the end caps and were filled with every conceivable item one could imagine. Everything from pickles to candies to linen wrapping could be found inside the wooden containers.
A long counter at the front of the store had a dozen different cashiers ringing up the purchases. Ben walked over to one of the cashiers who had just finished helping a customer and smiled at the gentleman. “Good morning, Mr. Feormere.”
The aforementioned Feormere was slightly below average height with a balding head of otherwise white hair. He wore a crisp brown suit of the plainest material and a gold watch hung from his coat.
The bespectacled, middle-aged man leaned forward and squinted at Ben before his eyes widened. “Ben! Ben Castle!”
