I was about to say my thanks and walk out, when Bindy said, “I need something that detects a lie.”
∞∞∞
On the way out of Kurney’s Enchanted Goods Bindy pushed the ring she’d gotten into my palm. “I know there is no class project but if you’re trying to figure out a vampire from a human, you can ask and if they lie, you’ll know. This is what you suspect that boy who threatened you from the party is?”
I nodded, inspecting the fingernail-sized ruby encased with silver vines and leaves swirling and interlocking beautifully.
“You think this is what killed Finnick?” Bindy asked.
“Yes.”
“I suspected so myself.” Bindy untied her horse from the post. “The spell solaris adonus should work against them.”
“Sunlight magic.” I licked my dry lips. “The only problem with that is I think some of them can walk in the daylight.”
A nearby torch lit and a note floated over to me. We’re at The Plank Walk
“I’m sure cutting their heads off will work just fine,” Bindy said, mounting her horse.
“That’s what Zyacus said.”
Chapter 21
As one might expect, The Plank Walk was a pub serving mostly seafood. The very distinct aroma this type of food carries, wafted out the door before we even stepped inside. Every table in the place was filled with patrons, while waitresses rushed around with drinks and trays of food. The walls were covered with seashells, and paintings of ships and merfolk. An old anchor with barnacles hung from the center of a massive beam, like a chandelier. A large fish tank full of colorful tropical fish, sea plants, and coral took up half the back wall. It was such a fun little place and I could see why they chose to eat here.
Legacy stood up in the middle of the room and waved at us. We made our way over and within seconds a woman with pink scales all over her forearms and mauve long hair, approached our table. With some magic, this mermaid on land had legs, and she smiled warmly. “Academy students, what a pleasure. My name is Namara and I’ll be helping you ladies today. We’re serving crab legs with bread or salmon and bread. And if you need a moment to discuss it, I can get drinks for you.”
“We’ll need a minute but yes, drinks.” Madison turned to the bottles of wine and liquor on the wall.
“What are you getting, Visteal?” Lora asked.
“I’ll have cherry kinikari, if you have it.” That was a sweet bubbly drink with a touch of mongleweed for energy.
The waitress gave me a long look but nodded. “Yes,” she said slowly and I wondered what she was calculating in her head. “I can get that for you.”
“Oh, me too,” Freya said, and eventually all the young girls ordered it while Madison got red wine and Bindy, an ale. For a meal, we ended up getting a huge plate of crab legs and a loaf of bread.
I was mid-bite when a tap on my shoulder drew my attention. Turning around, there stood three children about seven or eight, all holding wooden swords.
“Are you Princess Visteal?” the boy asked.
I put my hand over my mouth to cover my chewing and nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“Will you sign our swords?” One of the girls asked with a toothy grin. Her twin ginger braids and mass of freckles were adorable.
“Of course.” I didn’t have a quill and looked at Madison.
“Orlan tuacara,” she said. “It will engrave your name.”
The three of them beamed as my hand hovered over each sword and as I whispered the spell, my name slowly engraved, as if I’d used a hot poker to burn it in.
“Wow, thank you so much!” The three exclaimed when I finished, and ran off to their own table. They jumped up and down, excitedly telling their parents. I wished they hadn’t been so loud about it. Everyone would hear and it would cause a commotion.
“I wonder how they knew,” I said, picking up a slice of bread. I loved making the children happy but being out here with no guards to stop a crowd worried me. “I’m not dressed like a princess. I’m not wearing my crown.”
“The mermaid guessed I’m sure and probably has told everyone in here by now, and if she didn’t, they heard it from those kids,” Madison said, sounding a little annoyed. “Lora said your name when we were ordering. Your name isn’t common and everyone knows you’re at the nearby academy.”
Lora’s cheeks reddened. “Oh, should I not have?”
“We’ll see here in a moment.” Madison sipped her wine surveying the room.
Many eyes shifted toward our table and my stomach twisted. There were few times I was allowed to go out in public like this. The last time I was in Delhoon and when people learned who I was, a crowd started clamoring and pushing to see me. Fights broke out, grown adults cried when they touched my cloak, or if I even said hi to them. Guards had to surround me and shoved through the crowd to get me out.
The guests invited to the castle didn’t act this way, nor did the students but the general public was awestruck by my presence and I could not understand why. I hadn’t done anything remarkable in my life. I was simply famous because of my parents. I wouldn’t even rule Delhoon for hundreds of years, assuming my mother lived that long.
Bindy slowly moved her chair closer to mine. “We’ll need to leave soon. Eat up, girls.”
It was the fastest meal we’d ever had and even that was not quick enough. A group began forming near our table, pointing and talking loud enough that I heard them. They wanted to come and talk to me.
Madison grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s go.”
The girls formed a circle around me without being told, and we went out the door, to be met by an even larger crowd. I didn’t know
