Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 161535 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 808(@200wpm)___ 646(@250wpm)___ 538(@300wpm)
He flicks his fingers at me, indicating I should come closer. “There’s not a moneylender in town, but I might be able to help you with exchanging your valuables for coin. Show me what you have.”
“Excellent.” I swing my pack off my back and settle it onto the nearest stool. As I do, Dingle puts his hooves up on it and tries to see what I’m doing.
The barkeep recoils. “Is that a goat? No livestock in the inn.”
“He’s a pet,” I protest.
“No livestock.”
“He was born on the day of the Anticipation,” Kalos says suddenly. “Our priestess said he was blessed and that we should take him on pilgrimage with us. And who are we to question the will of the gods?”
“My husband is right,” I chime in. “He’s a blessed goat. He was supposed to be sacrificed but he was saved. The gods must have a plan for him.”
“And who are we to question?” Kalos says again.
The barkeep eyes us both, clearly reluctant.
“Us simple, pathetic mortals,” Kalos continues. “Who—”
“Okay honey,” I chime in, squeezing his arm again. “That’s enough. He gets the idea.”
“Goat or no goat, I only have one room,” the barkeep says. “I’m going to need to see what you’ve got to pay for it. Room comes with food and drink and water for bathing, but it’ll cost you. Town’s full and I can sell that room to anyone, just so you know.”
I pull out the bag of jewelry and extract one necklace with a heavy stone pendant and golden filigree. “Will this pay for the room?”
His eyes light up and he grins. “It does and I’ll even pretend not to see the goat.”
I smile with relief, beaming over at Kalos. “Wonderful.”
“Superb,” my “husband” echoes.
“You want to show me what else you have? I’ll change you out for coin and I won’t cheat you. I know a jeweler that comes through from time to time, and I can sell pieces to him. You’ll be lucky to work with me for a fair price.”
The more he talks about how “fair” he’s going to be, the less I trust it. But what other choice do we have? Reluctantly, I spill a few more pieces out of the bag, keeping some back just in case. “This is everything.”
“Fine work,” he grunts, pulling out what looks like a cartoonish monocle and peering at things. It takes everything I have not to giggle at the ridiculousness of the moment. “I think I can purchase these from you, aye.”
“That’d be lovely. We need to resupply before we move on.”
He looks up in surprise, his eye enormous in the monocle. “I thought you were looking for gods.”
“We are…?”
“Well, you’re in luck. That’s why the town is crowded with people. We’ve got an Aspect here right now.”
Chapter
Fourteen
My first thought is panic.
We’ve been found out. Someone noticed Kalos’s lithe build and grace, his silvery hair and the otherworldly vibe to him. They know he’s a god. They’re all far cleverer than I’d realized and we’re totally obvious. Or they saw the other Kalos and realized that my Kalos is the same guy.
But the barkeep lobs that bomb at me and casually picks up a bracelet on the counter, scratching at it with his thumb. He grunts, pleased. “Real gold.”
I remember to breathe again. If it was Kalos they were referring to, he’d be a lot more worked up. No one wants the god of disease lurking around. I somehow manage to keep a straight face, hiding my panic. “Yes! All of it is real gold. Did you say an Aspect is here?”
“Aye. Why do you think everyone’s so busy? And the little ones shoving flowers for sale under everyone’s noses?”
“I thought it was a local thing,” I say, glancing at Kalos.
“My wife is from a very small village,” Kalos adds. “They are exceptionally crude and uneducated.”
Carefully I step on his foot, still smiling, and turn my focus back to the barkeep. “So which Aspect is it? Who are we blessed with?”
“Oh, you hadn’t heard? Lord Gental is in the city. It’s why everyone’s in such a festive mood.” And he gives Kalos a rather gross wink.
“Not Hedonism,” Kalos says, his expression repulsed.
The barkeep laughs. “Exactly that. Bar sales are through the roof, too.”
I search my memories for who the heck Lord Gental is. The pantheon here has twelve gods according to what Jemet told me, but for some reason I can’t recall who Gental is. It’s a bad thing that he’s hedonism? “Why is that bad? Better than some of the other Aspects, isn’t it?”
Now both Kalos and the barkeep give me pitying looks. “She is innocent, isn’t she?”
Kalos just shrugs. He focuses on the barkeep. “No army, then?”
“An army of concubines, perhaps. You might wish to tie down your wife before he sweeps through the town again. He’s collecting all the women for his personal harem.”