Giselle had never found Tru'Lis to be an appealing city to be in. The tall buildings hid the sky from view and seemed to absorb as much sunlight as possible, leaving the streets gloomy and unpleasant to be in. Despite its forbidding streets and dreary architecture, it was one of the three largest cities in the empire. Scattered throughout the three districts were quite a few locations of prestige known throughout the empire, bound to draw the attention of this wandering witch with a bag full of coin to spend.
Sunderarms was the most famous armory and smithy in all the empire, with people sailing across the Green Sea just to have the masters craft and enchant for them. Judging by the number of heads she'd cashed in, she was low on supplies or needed repairs made. Thus far, she knew that Valerie had been there and that the master smiths weren't being entirely honest about what they knew.
Then, there was Aradea's, an herbalist shop renowned for the proprietor's skill in alchemy. Mistress Aradea--a Halaani witch like Valerie--had a cure for most ailments but specialized in poisons used by bounty hunters and the Knights of L'Oriath in monster hunting. Surprisingly, Valerie had not stopped in to buy. But, Aradea was quick to deflect when pressed for information about her. Unfortunately, not even Auguste's charms could coax more than the claim that she was just a well-paying customer and that she didn't know much about her at all. With no luck there, that left only one spot worth checking:
Wornwick's.
One could never quite figure out what the place was supposed to be. At a glance, it was an old antique shop or a bookstore. On the inside, however, it was clear that it was more of a general store--a hectic amalgamation of all of Lady Arabella's many interests. She sold tomes, exotic antiques, charms, and occult artifacts. Lady Arabella also dealt with information, for the right buyer at the right price. If they were lucky, the Witch may have sold information to her or might have said something in passing about the vampires she slew. Either way, Giselle had a sour feeling she'd be leaving Wornwick's with her purse considerably lighter than when she went in.
The doorbell chimed as Giselle and Auguste entered the shop. Wornwick's main entrance was similar to an upscale jewelry shop. There were glass counters on either side of the room with various necklaces, earrings, bangles, and other accessories displayed. Some with prices, but most were intentionally left blank. Even more assorted oddities dominated the shelves behind the counters that went from the floor to the very high ceilings above them. The walls were all a deep ruby red velvet with black wooden accents. Added in for an undoubtedly more feminine feel were various house plants in glazed pots. Small clouds of mist clung around certain plants, undoubtedly the handiwork of the proprietor.
The only light came from the various candles and brass oil ceiling lamps scattered about the room. The curtains were drawn over the shop window, so little of the afternoon sun entered the building. It was not hard to see why the rumors of her secretly being a vampire persisted even after all these years.
The sales associate behind the counter greeted them quietly before turning to look at the one spot of bright light in the back corner of the dark room. Seated upon a black velvet armchair was Lady Montbelliard, fanning herself with a giant black fan with one hand while holding a book in the other. Her flowing white lace dress and large-brimmed hat made her the focal point of the room.
"Ah, the lone wolf graces my shop with her presence," Arabella said as she slowly tore her eyes away from her book and snapped it shut. She flashed a cheeky smile as she snapped her large fan closed and rose from her plush armchair. "Hello, Duchess. And hello to you, as well, Monsieur Baudelaire. Tell me, how is the empress treating her lap dog these days? I bet she has you chasing your tail in circles with all this madness."
"Hello to you, too, Lady Arabella." Giselle strained a smile. 'Lapdog' had become a common nickname backhandedly given to her by a great many people. The Labelle family had always had strong ties to the imperial throne, but they were not blind servants. "I do have a lot to investigate with the attacks here and in Gwardenveld. I trust you've been fairing well despite the dangers?"
"Business, as a matter of fact, has boomed in a way." Arabella gestured her black-gloved hands to the counter before her. There were lines of knives and daggers beneath the glass counter. Giselle found most of the prices to be extortionate. "People are desperate to have even a glimmer of hope of protecting themselves. It's the least I can do to ensure I have what the people want in these trying times. The people with money to spend, anyway.
"I trust you've heard the news about the Witch beating you to your job?" Arabella smirked ever so slightly. Giselle had come to expect nothing less from her. Even though her family had disowned her and sent her off with a moderate sum of money many years prior, she was still a Montbelliard—part of one of the most affluent and powerful noble families in the empire. Old habits died hard.
"That is actually why we are here. We were told she stopped by to sell some things to you?" Auguste said, giving her a polite smile. Giselle had never been more thankful for the strange allure he seemed to have with many of the ladies and lords at court. Everyone seemed to adore him.
"Oh, yes, the Huntress always has a way of finding some of the most bizarre things in her travels." Arabella couldn't seem to help but smile back at him. She gestured for her and Auguste to follow her as she walked toward the back of the shop. "This time, she brought something in that I've only ever seen once before. I believe you might even be familiar with it, Lady Labelle."
She walked up to one of the locked display cases she had behind the counter and unlocked it with one of the keys she kept on a ring at her hip. From the case, she gingerly pulled out a leather cord necklace with a very familiar golden symbol.
"The Eye of Attan." Giselle clenched her fists at her sides. The muscles in her jaw tighten at the sight of it. "This witch had one of these with her?"
"She's not just any witch, Dear. She is "The Witch". Best show respect where it is due." Arabella gave Giselle a chastising look. Giselle apologized through gritted teeth, which seemed to appease her. She wasn't sure if she had ever heard Arabella speak highly of anyone before. Just who was this witch, really? "As for the necklace, she actually had two with her. I bought this one from her as a keepsake. She insisted she needed to keep the other for whatever reason. It's a shame; I know so many ladies that would love to obtain such a thing."
"Did she tell you what it was?"
"Oh yes. How could a collector of occult curios such as myself not seek to purchase such an item? The secret sigil of a vampire cult... well, you know how much the girls at court love their mystics and their tarot readings. I'll be the center of envy." Arabella promptly put the necklace back in its case. She took her place upon her chair once more and snapped her fan open again. "No, it is not for sale at this time, if you were wondering, Darling."
"I wasn't. I have several of my own," Giselle shrugged. Arabella didn't show it, but Giselle had a hunch she was a tad jealous.
"Have you any specific business with the Witch, Duchess?"
"Yes. I wish to ask her about the cultists she killed. It's imperative for my report on these attacks for the empress."
"Is that so? Or, are you worried that your job might be given away to a random bounty hunter? After all, what good is a wolf at your side when you have the cunning eyes of a raven in the sky?" Arabella fanned herself dramatically. "If you're looking to stifle the competition, you'd best be careful, Dear. I've known many powerful witches in my life, and she's one of the slim few that has ever given me pause."
"We mean Huntress Valerie no harm," Auguste assured her. "Master Harold mentioned she would be going east along the Golden Highway. Did she mention anything specific to you?"
"Oh no, the Witch does not typically say much to me. She's so mysterious, all draped in black with those stunning green eyes. For a commoner, she has the air of a girl raised at court," Arabella said, giving one of the red curls of her wig a wistful toss. "She knows I'm trouble."
"Someone has a crush," The older gentleman behind the counter taunted as he polished a collection of silver coins. Giselle jumped when he spoke. She had almost forgotten he was there. Arabella looked up, stunned. She quickly burst into laughter, fanning herself.
"You're shameless, Gustave," Arabella laughed. "But I can't deny the allure of a woman that commands such mystique and has such wonderful manners. Surely you know what I mean, Lady Labelle?"
Blood rushed to Giselle's cheeks. She could practically feel the embarrassment radiating off of her skin. "I don't know what you're referring to."
"I believe Monsieur Baudelaire would agree with me in saying that you do know." Arabella cleared her throat to rid herself of the last of her fit of giggles, sitting up just ever so slightly. Auguste cleared his own throat, refusing to break his collected expression. After his comment at the Citadel regarding Isendra, she knew that Arabella wasn't wrong. "The Witch is going further east to the capital. She refused to say much, but she did say that there is a branch of the cult moving toward Cintois. Best make haste, Duchess. You've left your precious treasure unguarded."
"We appreciate your cooperation, Lady Arabella." Giselle bowed stiffly and turned to leave, more than ready to be rid of the place. There was no point in staying in the city any longer. She needed to give Duhain his new orders and try to catch up to the Witch.
"A word of advice for you, Darling," Arabella called. Giselle reluctantly turned around. She had stopped fanning herself, a very serious look on her face all of a sudden. "The Witch is your ally. The raven leads the wolf to carrion and plenty, after all. Play your cards carefully."
"I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that."
"Let's just say that you've met your match with her if my suspicions are correct." Arabella fluttered her fan in the direction of the door, signaling that it was time to leave."Charmed as ever to see you, Monsieur Baudelaire."
"Always a pleasure, Lady Arabella. Until we meet again." Auguste smiled at Arabella before following Giselle as she rushed out of the shop. Giselle raced to untie her horse's reins, fingers fumbling with the knots. She muttered under her breath, wanting to be off.
"What do you think she meant in there?" Giselle asked Auguste as she finally untied the reins and pulled herself up into the saddle.
"I'm not entirely certain myself. I have a few ideas, but none of them are truly possible. I believe she was just being metaphoric." He followed her down the street once he had mounted his horse. "I wouldn't pay her too much heed. Lady Arabella does love to stir the pot, so to speak."
"I suppose you're right. I should know better than to let her get to me."
"Whatever we do, we should keep her words at the back of our mind. Miss Arabella does much of her mysticism simply for display, but her magic is not all for show. It could mean something later on down the line."
"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you." Giselle had the unpleasant feeling that she would see a great deal more of Arabella in the near future as they put Wornwick's behind them.