CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

*~~~**~~~*

Kovey

*~~~**~~~*

23rd of Decepter, 935 PC

Dumrim was built around a pond, one that was nearly large enough to call a lake. Every building in the village was built roughly twenty feet from the edge of the pond and faced the water. Two wide, wooden bridges spanned the width of the pond and crossed in the middle. They sat so close to the surface of the pond that even a child could dangle their legs over the edge and the water would come up to their knees. A few people were pushing carts across them, others were fishing, despite the frigid wind that had nearly frozen Kovey solid, and children were hanging their heads over the sides looking at the water intently. By his estimation, there was no practical reason for such a layout but the aesthetics were undeniably interesting to look at.

Kovey turned around to see Belvedere flicking a smoke stick into the water. It laid on the surface of the pond, it barely touched the surface before it vanished, sucked below by something in the water.

She smiled at him. Oh, how Belvedere’s smile could wake his desires for a woman. Every time. No lust had been lost due to her new profession. That he knew as truth. I don’t care what she does for a living. She will always be sweet old Bel to me.

“What was that?” he asked in hopes of hiding his emotions.

“The people that live here call them stalker fish. I suggest you don’t dip your feet in to wash them.” Belvedere was wearing her hair down rather than in it’s typical braid. It made her even more angelic and tantalizing than usual. It gave her a softer look, one that made him want to hold her close, protect her.

“I’ll remember that.” Ask her to eat dinner together this evening. Without the others. There may not be another opportunity once we get further north.

Stopping in Dumrim was not part of Narah’s plan. She had made that very clear. Painstakingly so, in fact. Avoid Dumrim. Do not go to Dumrim. Too many Lotus. Too many drugs. Too many ways to get sidetracked. But Belvedere needed to see someone about her work that just so happened to operate in Dumrim. And to say she was adamant that they stop, was doing her an injustice. Even Elgar had found no courage to tell her no. When they arrived in the small town, she had begged Kovey to tag along with her as she visited her supplier, as if begging was necessary. What’s an adventure without a few hiccups? In addition to getting to spend time with his secret love interest, he was relieved to escape Corbin’s questions and Velvetine’s prickly personality.

“Still doin’ business… even now,” said Kovey.

“Most dealers are commoners. As are users. The purge of pure magic doesn’t stop their business,” she said. “And if there’s one thing I’ve learned since getting into this… profession, it is that you don’t cancel deals. At least not with people above you.”

“So this person… he.. she...”

“She,” said Belvedere.

“She’s above you?”

“Aye, she sits right below the pinnacle. Not someone to skip out on. We don’t need anyone else hunting us on our way to Iron Helm.” She was walking with purpose now. The swing of her hips would have normally drawn Kovey’s attention but he couldn’t focus on anything but his racing heart as he tried to keep up. If I survive this, I am going to get myself back in shape.

They were approaching the intersection of the two bridges when he finally spoke again. “Was Narah right? Are there Lotus here?”

“Typically,” she replied. “But don’t worry. Only off-duty ones. And truthfully, when they aren’t patrolling they don’t care much. Not the ones with pins anyway. Watch out for the ones that aren’t pinned. They’re always looking to prove something.”

No matter what Belvedere was saying, there was a kindness in her voice that made it seem as though she was simply talking about rainbows and butterflies. Her smile didn’t hurt that effect either.

A woman with a wagon stopped them inside the circular intersection by shoving a rickety old cart in front of Belvedere. Her clothes looked twice the size required and her hood concealed much of her identity. She hunched over, putting her elbows on the cart. Belvedere, as she always did, politely greeted her. Kovey’s eyes were drawn to a group of children tossing pieces of bread into the water. All over the pond ripples of water were fluttering outward as the stalker fish snagged the food sneakily, not one revealing itself. The children gasped and pointed as the breadballs disappeared.

“Wanna buy somethin’ incredible?” the woman asked. When she spoke her breath came out from beneath the large hood. Her voice was about as melodic as a rockslide.

“They don’t want none of your shit, Wilma” said another woman from behind them. The words were slightly scratchy and not entirely clear. They were accompanied by footsteps thumping across the bridge.

Kovey’s hands went to the hilt of his dagger instinctively as he turned toward the newcomer. It was a young woman, dressed every bit as homely as the woman with the cart but she had no hood. Her brown hair was tucked inside the back of her cloak, her mouth seemed to hang open at all times, barely closing as she spoke. If Kovey wasn’t mistaken, her jaw was misaligned so when her mouth did close it looked odd and ugly. Not once did her eyes meet his or Belvedere’s.

“Sorry folks. Wilma don’t know a stranger,” said the woman.

“No need to apologize. I’m always interested in souvenirs,” said Belvedere. “What kind do you have?” she asked the older woman.

Wilma pulled on a knob protruding from the flat door on the top of her cart. It stood upright as she reached down into the darkness. She was holding a doll when she revealed her hand. Now, Kovey avoided hyperbole as often as he could, but in this case, he firmly believed there was no more hideous looking doll in existence. It stood a foot and a half tall, had no shoes, wore a filthy, dirt-stain white dress and a coarse gray scarf around its neck. It’s hair was black as a starless night sky with patches missing here and there. And if it had stopped there he may have been able to forget the image of the unappealing toy, but it’s face was something from a nightmare. Brown bruising surrounded the empty eye sockets that sat deep inside it’s skull and somehow still managed to feel as though they were staring at him. The lips were a pale pink and the teeth were spaced awkwardly far apart and it’s pale, white skin was cracked and peeling much like the skin on a real human would do if dried out intensely from too much sun. But worse. No part of the doll should have ever ended up in a child’s hands. Or an adult’s for that matter.

As if gifted remarkable composure from The Creator rather than the ability to move objects, Belvedere was able to avoid mirroring Kovey’s shocked look.

“That’s quite a doll you have there,” she said as politely as she could.

The younger woman grabbed at the doll and tried to push it back into the cart but Wilma was not interested in losing a transaction. She held the doll out of reach.

“Sorry again folks.” She smiled at them awkwardly. “Put that thing away, Wilma.”

Wilma held the doll toward Belvedere who took a step back. I guess she does have limits. “Only thing those stalker fish won’t eat,” she said.

It was now that Kovey noticed the string tied to the doll’s ankle.

“Don’t believe me? Watch.” Wilma threw the doll over shoulder and into the pond. It hit with a splash. “Take a look.”

Kovey followed Belvedere to the railing and looked over. The doll was floating facedown on the surface of the water. Kovey was unsure that the stalker fish would eat anything that size, but Belvedere was impressed.

“Fascinating,” she said to the woman.

Wilma’s face was still mostly covered by her hood but a sense of pride could be felt permeating from her body. “Want one?” she asked.

Belvedere continued to look at the doll for a moment longer.

“We aren’t-” Kovey stopped.

“I’ll take one,” said Belvedere. What?

*~~~**~~~*

Belvedere carried the hideous doll with her fingers tucked into the eye sockets as she and Kovey crossed the rest of the bridge. It’s body swayed gently. When they reached the end, his curiosity was too great to remain silent any longer.

“What possessed you to buy that heinous thing?” he asked.

She stopped. Brought the doll up to chest height and looked at it. Pieces of the doll’s flaky skin chipped away and floated down to the planks of the bridge as she wrapped her hand around the doll’s face. With a slight strain the head popped off.

“It’s not the doll the stalker fish won’t eat,” she said and tossed the doll’s head over the side of the bridge. It was gone by the time Kovey moved to the side and glanced down.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

She tipped the doll over like a bottle of rum. The ruffled top of a cloth bag poked through the hole, the rest remained hidden within the neck of the doll. Belvedere plucked the bag free with her fingertips and tossed the rest of the doll into the water. Again, it was gone in a flash.

“What’s in it?” he asked.

“Lotus capsules. The only thing stalker fish won’t eat. Except maybe our souls.” She paused. “Well, mine… No offense.”

From any other lips the words may have stung, but not hers.

“How did you know?”

“No animal will eat a lotus capsule. Not knowingly,” she said.

“Yet, people do.”

She shook her head with a grin. “Like candy.” She handed him the pouch. “Here.”

“I don’t want these,” he said.

“I understand that, but they will prove most useful in getting you into Ceville’s den. Put them away. At once.”

He tucked them into the interior of his cloak. “When do I reveal them?” he asked as they stepped into the grass at the edge of the bridge.

“I’ll take care of that.”

*~~~**~~~*

An uncomfortable feeling grew in the pit of his stomach the moment they turned from the curved strip of land that separated the buildings from the water and ducked between two small businesses. He was aware they were going to meet another dealer, but for some reason he had believed they would be in a tavern or a living space in a well-lit house. When did I get so naive? Velvetine and I used to do things like this. I count on one hand how many times anything me and Velvetine did occurred in a well-lit house.

“Where are we going?” he whispered.

“Where real business is conducted.”

They swung around the building on the right, the cold wind punished his skin just as it had near the bridge. Belvedere crouched in front of a wooden cellar door that was in much better condition than the rest of the building. She made sure he had the pouch. He knew he did, but he patted his pocket to be sure anyway. Don’t need any mishaps.

Belvedere knocked on the slanted doors in a light but very specific fashion, then stood. Looked at him. Whispered.

“Don’t say a word. Even if they speak to you.” She paused. Thought. “Especially if they speak to you.”

Kovey nodded, figuring it would be best to start practicing his silence. Nerves began to build. He rubbed the top of his mouth with his tongue rapidly. Something he couldn’t remember doing once in his life. At least not as a nervous tick.

The cellar door opened with a skillfulness that told Kovey whoever was doing so had done it many times before. When the door was open, two sophisticated men stood on the stairs leading into the cellar, their heads barely above the ground level. The man standing lower in the cellar was too hard to see well but the one higher on the stairs looked like an easterner; long, narrow nose, extremely short hair like was a custom for men over there. It looked as though his head had been shaved and hair had been growing back for just a few weeks. But most of all, his eyes were sunken and set unusually wide. As eastern as it gets in men.

“Bel,” he said. Belvedere gave them a silent but polite acknowledgment with a simple wave of her hand.

“Who’s this?” asked the man. He eyed Kovey suspiciously.

“Kovey Walber,” she said. So much for anonymity.

“Never heard of him. He stays out here,” said the man.

“Not a chance,” she said.

The man reached for the cellar door. “Then we’re closed today. Come back tomorrow. Alone.” The door started to move but Belvedere put her hand on the corner.

“Have you forgotten what I am?” she asked. And with that, Kovey had heard the first words slip from her lips that were anything but pleasant and sweet.

The man took another step up the stairs. The other remained still, he may have even stepped further down into the darkness. Kovey wasn’t sure. He was fixated on the showdown between his love and the sophisticated dealer. Or lackey. Whatever the man was.

Just on the other side of town he had felt the urge to protect Belvedere. But now, minutes later, he knew that was nonsense. She was fine on her own. In fact, he was silently pleading with her to protect him.

“I know what you are,” said the man as he slipped a glove from his hand. His fingernails were purple. “Have you forgotten what I am?” His hand moved toward Belvedere, a single finger was extended. Belvedere didn’t flinch as he pressed it firmly against her chest. Kovey did. He could feel his face scrunching into a nervous, twisted ugliness.

“Not at all, Fiehel. Not at all,” said Belvedere. “That’s why I brought Walber.” Her head flicked toward Kovey slowly.

A plan would have been nice. A singal. Anything.

“Show him,” she said.

That’ll work.

He reached into his cloak slowly, making sure not to upset anyone. Revealed the small cloth bag. Held it in front of him at an arm’s length. Fiehel was unimpressed. Kovey quickly realized no one was going to take anyone’s word about anything. He undid the ties on the bag and pulled a single capsule from within.

Fiehel’s finger lowered from Belvedere’s chest. His eyes were locked on the capsule.

“How many?” asked Fiehel.

Kovey had no idea. In an attempt to avoid answering incorrectly he stepped forward and handed the capsule and pouch to Fiehel. The capsule was consumed instantly. The Lotus chewed on it loudly as he felt the weight of the bag. He undid the ties, dumped a few of the capsules into his hand and then handed the bag back to Kovey.

“Come in.”