I tried to relax into her hug, but when she pulled away, the hurt in her eyes proved it hadn’t worked. I didn’t like being touched, especially not hugged by strangers.
Our lunches were nothing like a sack lunch. They were more of restaurant-quality food. I’d get fat at this rate. The food was that good.
When I asked Isa why I never saw any overweight people, she explained that they did daily exercises. There were many choices for staying fit like yoga, martial arts sessions, fencing, and other physical activities. And, once I settled in, I’d be expected to train daily as well. I almost laughed. Training with swords wasn’t a hardship, it was a reward. Training with Miles had set the bar for a difficult training session. This place couldn’t compare.
Once I was back in my room, I made short work of the meal and started planning. I needed to find a way to see what was done with the blood. Out of everything, that was worrying me the most. Blood magic was dangerous. I’d seen what a skilled practitioner of blood magic can do. Frankly, Livinia scared me with her blood magic. It was so foreign and dark in a different way than my own magic.
And thinking of my magic, I needed to find a better way to hide my disrupters. Zora had seen them and I didn’t know if she’d keep her mouth shut about them. I’d need a good excuse to tell Jarl when he asked. It would only a matter of time before he found out. These people were completely devoted to him and couldn’t see Zora keeping that from him when it might mean that I was a criminal.
During the next sermon, I’d pay more attention to the disciples that collected the blood. Maybe I could follow them?
“Muffin, if only you could do surveillance. I’d love to know what happens with that blood.”
He barked and wagged his tail. I swear, at times like this, I thought he actually understood what I was saying. But, no dog, especially not a devil dog, was that smart.
“It’s you and me buddy. Hop up, you can cuddle while I read.”
He jumped up on the bed and wrapped around my legs. Before long, he was snoring and I was forcing myself to read through The Book of Truth.
At some point, I dozed off.
27
A knock woke Muffin and me up.
“Hey Marty, it’s me,” said Isa.
“I’ll be right there.”
I was hungrier than normal. It was the stomach clenching, shaky kind of hunger I got when I did too much magic. Maybe it was all the excitement of being undercover. I liked being undercover. It was a challenge to take on a role and become that person I pretended to be. And, my success was dependent on how well I acted. I hoped this would be the first and last time I’d need to join a cult to do it.
Isa guided me towards where dinner was being held. It was served a communal room the size of a cafeteria, but that was where the comparison ended. Round, table-cloth draped tables in neat lines took up the space. Lit candles rested on the linen table cloth and robed attendants weaved around the tables, serving the meal.
“Wait until you have dinner. It’s the best meal of the day. They will even have something for your pet,” said Isa.
She directed me to a table where four other people already sat. I took a seat and waited to see who would talk first. Everyone looked at me.
“Okay, I’ll introduce the group. Everyone knows Marty, our seeker. The brown-haired man to your right is Alton. Next to him is Teran, and the two women are twins, Nona and Nica. We were part of the same group of seekers and we’ve stayed close since our induction.”
“Nice to meet you Marty,” said Alton.
“Thank you.”
“What do you think so far?” asked Nona.
“It’s very different.”
“We all felt that way. Some of us came from religious upbringings and the concepts taught by The True One were similar, but different enough that many of us found it difficult to process,” Nona said. “You will feel more comfortable as time goes on.”
“Thanks, I hope so.”
“I know so,” said Isa.
“There are menus under the candles,” said Isa. “The attendants will be here soon to take our orders. Oh, you should try the steak, it’s amazing.”
“And, the trout,” said Nica.
Isa handed me a menu and I was surprised at the variety of food offered. There were appetizers, several options for entrees, and even desserts.
“Who makes all of this food?” I asked.
“Fae,” said Isa.
“Excuse me? Did you say fae?” I asked.
“Yes, everyone knows that they make the best food. We are lucky enough to have a kitchen that is run and staffed by fae,” said Isa.
That cost a pretty penny. Usually families in Uptown only had one or two fae chefs because of the cost. The expense was so high because many fae wouldn’t demean themselves to become servants for humans and other supernaturals. They were a proud and fierce race. How did they get a full staff and afford these luxuries?
“That’s amazing and must be so expensive,” I said.
“Not really. His highness’ family is well-off. We also pay tithes and have beneficiaries that provide for us.”
It would be suspicious to ask more about the beneficiaries, but knowing who backed this group would tell me who influenced them or who was influenced by them. I needed to get into the Jarl’s office and do some snooping. There must be some record of these beneficiaries.
I ordered the fried shrimp appetizer and fruity drink recommended by the disciples. I picked an entrée at random because they were all sounded so good that I couldn’t pick just one.
We continued making small talk, while we waited for food. The group was very interested in me and where I came from. Luckily, on the long walk here,
