“I’m tired,” he said, “Didn’t get enough
sleep. I want to be ready for tonight.”
“I guess we could get something,” she said,
“But I can make coffee here.”
“I’ll pay for your cup if we go out,” he
said, “I just don’t feel like staying here.”
“Don’t like my house?” She asked.
“I don’t want your dad to come back while
I’m here. I think it’d be not fun.”
“He’s maybe
supposed to be gone for the night, but ok, we can head out,” she said, “Where
did you have in mind?”
“A place Downtown,” he said. “We can walk,
it’s not far.”
“Let me get some money first,” she said. She
disappeared into her room for a moment and left Dave alone. She returned and
led him to the front door.
When they left, Dave saw that it’d gotten a
bit darker out. It’d be busy Downtown, but that’s what he wanted. He didn’t
want to risk getting seen. A crowd would help him blend in if he needed to. And
he didn’t entirely trust Elys’ protection. He still had the knife in his
jacket, although he was sure she carried the staff in hers.
He wasn’t sure why he even trusted it a
little bit. Everything about the situation told him that he should be
abandoning his mission. That he should give up the hunt for the Candle Crown.
Neil had already been punished for accidentally overhearing it. What would
happen to someone who purposefully pursued it, he wondered.
And if Elys’ advice about not trusting Bira
Sharpdusk was true, hunting the Crown would be foolish. Even though Bira had
made it clear that hunting it would result in death, for him and everyone
involved. But something in the back of his mind kept driving him.
Elys was quiet while they walked, and he was
too. They got into Downtown, amid the crowds and lights of the evening. There
were a lot of out-of-towners, Dave saw, a lot of people he didn’t recognize. He
realized that a Saturday night would bring a lot of unfamiliar faces into town.
People who wouldn’t know him.
“Oh,” Elys said when they approached the shop,
“I’ve been here.”
“Who were you here with?” Dave asked.
“No one,” Elys said, “Why would you assume I
was here with anyone?”
Dave shrugged. He opened the door to let her
inside. She scowled and walked in. They ordered quickly; both got black coffee
with one sugar each. The girl at the cash register was someone Dave knew. “How
are you?” He asked her.
“Fine,” she said, “Do I know you?”
“I guess not,” Dave said.
After they’d found a seat inside the shop,
Elys looked over at the girl and said, “Who is that?”
“A girl Robb was dating.”
“Who?”
“A friend of mine.”
“It’s funny how you just assume I know
everyone you’re talking about,” she said. She sipped at her coffee and made a
face.
Dave ignored her and tried to enjoy his. After
his first sip he realized she’d made a face at the coffee and not his comment.
“You look like you’re getting nervous,” Elys
said, half a cup later, “Don’t get all fucking scared on me. Tonight’s the night.”
“I’m not getting nervous,” Dave said.
“It’s cute how awful you are at lying,” Elys
said, “Of all the people I’d of expected to get cold feet about illegal activity;
you were one of the last.”
“Sorry,” he said.
“Sorry? Are you saying you won’t go through
with it?”
“No,” he said, “I’m sorry you thought I was
an immoral criminal. I have standards.”
“Barely,” she said.
“But they’re there,” he said.
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