Jayna started forward before glancing back and frowning. “What do you mean, they aren’t conducive to them?”
“Well, if the stories are to be believed, they need dry heat, not the humidity we have here. That humidity should be protective.”
Jayna shook away the thoughts that came to her about Eva’s desire for overwhelming heat.
If she was one of the Ashara—and Jayna increasingly began to question if that was the case—he didn’t mean that she was some shape-shifting creature. Those were stories. That was it.
Jayna crept forward, then she traced a spell with a bit more restraint and tapped on just a little bit of energy from the ring. The wind gusted, heading through an open door at the end of the shop, carrying the smoke out.
The shop was empty, but there were shelves tipped over and items scattered all around. Raollet darted forward before she had a chance to grab him, keeping him from heading through the mess.
“I’m not able to protect you if they attack.”
“They have already attacked,” he said.
“Could they have been after anything in here?”
Raollet shook his head, sweeping his gaze around the damaged shop. “What is there to take? All of these are enchantments.”
Enchantments that were old and powerful.
She thought about what Matthew had said.
“Something’s going on with the dular,” Jayna said.
It didn’t quite add up for her though.
They wanted enchantments, and they were using some sort of smoke enchantment to attack and make it seem as if the Ashara were involved. She didn’t really understand that, but perhaps it didn’t matter. She just had to figure out who was doing this and stop them.
He continued to pick through the remains. “So much of this is rare.”
“You can just go ask the seven ruling dular for more of your items.”
“The seven?” He paused as he picked up what looked to be a wand similar to the one she had made out in the forest. “No. The seven have provided some items, but they are not willing to offer many. They feel anything you get from them must be earned then purchased.”
“That doesn’t sound like my experience with them. I know one of the seven’s sons. He made it quite clear that they were mostly interested in what they could sell.”
“Perhaps these days, but I’m talking about the original seven.” He shook his head. “Those were powerful enchantments, but they were helpful to others in the city.”
“Then what are you concerned about?”
“I’m concerned about enchantments from those who try to keep ancient magic active in the city.”
“And they are?”
“They are the Sheer.”
She started to smile. “What exactly is that?”
“Dular of incredible skill, who try to keep the old magic alive.”
“It seems to me that if a dular wants to keep old magic alive, they only need to go to the market.”
“Many do, but they also recognize that not everything can be sold there. Too much is dangerous or would be viewed as a threat to their authority—and too much would be claimed by the seven.”
“Which is why shops like yours thrive.”
He stood, wiping his hands on his pants. “Many cannot sell their items openly, Jayna Aguelon. Doing so only draws attention to them. It’s easier if people believe they are ancient relics.”
She smirked. “How many of your items are actually ancient relics?”
“More than you know.”
“And how many of them aren’t?”
She paused at a small oblong object laying in the middle of the floor. It was different from many of the others. Most of the enchantments around the room had intricate details on them, signifying the power they could hold, but not this one. Jayna leaned down, cautiously reaching for it. She could feel something radiating from it, a bit of warmth.
“Is this one of yours?” she asked, tentatively touching the enchantment.
Raollet leaned over, studying it. “Where did you find that?”
“It was laying here in the center of the floor.”
She lifted it, turning it from side to side.
Unlike the other enchantments, this one had been used.
She frowned, skimming her gaze around the room before coming to see another one laying on the far side of the room.
She hurried over to it.
As she picked it up, she saw it was oblong, like the other enchantment, and the patterns on the surface of it had faded, as the patterns on the one she had grabbed before.
An enchantment, but one that had been spent.
Why would there be spent enchantments in here?
Jayna didn’t think she had triggered these, not with her spell. If she had, then all the other enchantments within the shop would have been triggered.
But it was only these two.
She looked for more and found one near the counter. She must’ve stepped over it when she had come out of the backroom.
As she approached, she knew she would find it spent just like the others.
“What are you thinking?” Raollet asked.
Jayna set the enchantments on the counter. “We have these enchantments, so we know what it looks like when they try to make it look like the Ashara have attacked. Now we just have to understand why.”
Raollet frowned. “I suppose you want me to find out.”
“It wouldn’t hurt. Especially seeing as how they targeted your shop.”
But who would be responsible, and why would they attack here?
12
After leaving Master Raollet’s shop, Jayna took her time heading back home. She wandered through the streets, making her way gradually through the merchant section, looking at the distant sight of the dular with their merchant stands, trying to see if there was anything that suggested a similar type of enchantment as what she had seen in Master Raollet’s shop. There was nothing.
She continued through, occasionally pausing, though never for very long or with any clear direction. She just wanted to know who might be responsible—and, of course, what reason they would have for suddenly targeting Master Raollet.
That seemed to matter. Why would he have been targeted when he had served the dular up until that point? As far as she could tell, the dular should have no reason to attack him, especially as he sold their enchantments. It should have offered him protection.
That it hadn’t meant something had changed.
Unless it was only about the fact that she had been there. Perhaps Jayna was the reason they had targeted Raollet. Then she needed to be careful—then she would be worried about further revealing her presence.
She didn’t see anything in the marketplace that would tell her who or what might be responsible.
She headed back to the streets, making her way toward the central courtyard, and paused when she neared the fountain. She looked up at the homes, sweeping her gaze along them. Maybe it was one of the dular from there? But what reason would they have for attacking Raollet?
This didn’t make any sense to her.
She needed answers.
And everything she had learned from Raollet still troubled her.
She focused on the dragon stone ring, attempting to call power through it. If she could summon Ceran, she might be able to get some answers to her questions. She might learn what he had been doing, as well as the truth behind the different attacks that had occurred. She would press him on the bit of information she had uncovered, and wondered if he would even answer. Ceran needed to provide her with answers.