Page 59 of Forgotten Fate
He probably said “always” to Horus because he’ll always keep me safe as long as he gets paid in the end. He “won’t abandon me now” because then he’d lose half his bargain.
That’s all it was. That’s all it would ever be.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Elias asked.
“Fine. Let’s just go.” And we continued walking without another word.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
We went back to the StarMoon Inn first, to return the room key to Sam and to say goodbye.
“Don’t be strangers!” he said to us while hugging me tightly. “If you ever need a place to stay in Monuvia, you know where to find me! And if the rooms are all occupied, don’t worry. I don’t mind kicking old Gerdy out on the streets.” He whispered loudly, while pointing his thumb at the elderly woman who sat at the fireplace. She glanced over her shoulder and flipped him off with her bony middle finger. I stifled a giggle while Sam’s belly laugh filled the entire room. He offered Elias a handshake, likely sensing that Elias wouldn’t exactly welcome a hug, then we walked out the door.
Within half an hour, we were at the door of the Flaming Point. We stepped in, and Trybe immediately poked her head around the corner.
“Elias! Aura! Thank the gods. I was wondering when you wouldreturn.” She walked over and planted a kiss on each of our cheeks.
“Is now a good time to talk?” Elias asked her, glancing around for any customers that might be hidden around the corner.
“It’s perfect timing, actually. I was just about to close the shop for lunch.” She walked past us and locked the shop’s front door, then came back over and gently took me by the arm. “Come, sit. Did everything go okay with Prince Maksym?” she asked as she led me to a back room. “I’m so sorry, I should have been more mindful of the time.”
As we entered, I became too distracted to answer. The room was hot, with a large furnace in the corner of the room filled with hot coals. Tools were laid out on the stone table by the furnace, along with a half-finished sword. By the looks of her soot-covered apron, I would have guessed that Trybe had been working on that sword before we walked in. Shelves were lined with tools of all shapes and sizes, most of which I had never seen, and a large barrel of water sat on the floor by the stone table.
Trybe sat me down on a bench on the opposite side of the room, away from the heat, and made herself comfortable next to me. Elias stood in the doorway and leaned against its frame, arms crossed.
Looking at all the tools and half-finished weapons in the room made me realize how hard Trybe must work on a daily basis. “Did you make all the weapons in the shop yourself?” I asked, not meaning to ignore her earlier question.
She shrugged. “Most of them. Some of them are imported, and I sell them here for a profit. The really good ones are mine though.” She gave me a wink, and I replied with a genuine smile. “So how’d it go?” she repeated, glancing between me and Elias.
“Not well,” I admitted. “Princess Nevaria found us.”
Trybe’s eyes widened. “Oh no. What happened?”
I explained everything to Trybe while Elias stood silent in thedoorway. When I finished, Trybe let out a sharp breath.
“Wow. I guess that doesn’t surprise me too much. I have briefly asked the prince in our archery lessons what he thinks being King of Monuvia would be like. He usually avoids the question.”
I nodded. “Nevaria wants us out of Monuvia by sunset, or she will tell her mother that we’re here. We came to say goodbye.”
Trybe frowned. “That’s a shame. I would have loved to spend more time with the both of you.” She gently placed her hand on mine. “Maybe someday I’ll get to know you better. You’re special, Aura. I can tell.” I began to blush. “In fact, I have something for you.” I noticed her glance over at Elias for a moment before reaching into the pocket of her dirty apron.
She pulled out a necklace and handed it to me. When it was placed in my hand, I immediately began to observe every detail. The gold chain was intricately woven. It appeared delicate, but I could tell it was sturdy. In the middle of the chain, where a pendant or jewel would normally sit, there was a beautiful stone about the size of a large marble, but more of an oval shape. The stone was held in place by an array of small gold strings wrapped around it. The stone itself was light gray colored, but translucent, with little black lines all over the inside, like a spiderweb existed inside of the crystal. I had never seen anything like it.
“It’s tourmalinated quartz,” Trybe’s voice broke my concentration. “It’s a mixture of black tourmaline and smoky quartz. It’s quite rare around here.”
“It’s beautiful,” I found myself speaking gently, unable to take my eyes off the crystal.
“Black tourmaline and smoky quartz are both protection stones,” she said. “That makes this one a little extra potent.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant. She laughed as I looked up at her in confusion.
“If you ever find yourself in trouble, Aura, I want you to do something for me.” My confused expression did not change as I watched Trybe glance at Elias again, then back at me. “I want you to squeeze the stone on your necklace in the palm of your hand and think of something that makes you feel safe.”
I raised my brow. “Okay?” I said questionably.
“Just know that it will only work once, and only temporarily,” Trybe continued.
“What will?”