“He told you to step down?” Griffin said again.
“That isn’t funny, Griffin,” Jasmine snipped at him. “Cassian is doing his best.”
“I’m aware,” Griffin said.
“Enough, let him speak,” I said.
“Thank you,” Cassian muttered to us. His bright, excited demeanor from just moments before was completely gone. “We’re going to offer free rooms with optional donations. It’s the best the curse allows for.”
Griffin guffawed, dominating all conversation with his disbelief. “You must be joking. Free rooms?”
“We’ll try it for a few days, and if people choose not to help, then we’ll discontinue the offer, but at least we’re tryingsomething,” Cassian said.
“Unbelievable. I suppose we’ll be giving away free food and drink too?” Griffin said. “What makes you think we won’t attract a bunch of vagrants?”
“There aren’t really vagrants on this trail… even if there were, everyone needs a little help now and then,” Cassian said with a shrug.
This time, I forced myself to look away from him. I couldn’t get distracted by this beautiful, kind man. My job was to help him solve this curse mystery, and then I’d be back to Ladiall.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Olive said meekly. “If it were me, I’d donate what I could to someone kind enough to host me for free.”
“Thank you, Olive. That’s a good attitude; optimism and the belief that good people exist. I don’t just believe they exist, I know it’s true because you’re all here with me right now,” Cassian said.
Griffin rolled his eyes, but Olive’s smile grew. I smiled too, but I refused to look at Cassian, even though I could feel his eyes on me.
“All right, here’s the plan. Griffin and I will go solicit passing travelers, and Jasmine, Olive, and Sterling will stay here to welcome guests,” Cassian said.
“Why me?!” Griffin demanded.
“It’ll be fun! Let’s go!” Cassian said with a grin.
Griffin trudged out of the inn and into the snowy morning, and Cassian fluttered behind him, waving goodbye to the rest of us with a dark cloak draped around his shoulders. The room seemed dimmer in his absence.
“We don’t even have a donation box,” Jasmine said, scratching her head as she watched the doorway. “He gets ahead of himself sometimes.” Jasmine disappeared into the office to search for something to use, leaving me alone with Olive.
Olive smiled at me, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Crazy morning! I hope your plan works, Officer.”
“You can call me Sterling,” I said.
“You seem mighty young to be in the Force, Sterling. How old are you? Twenty?” she asked, looking me over.
I chuckled. “I’m twenty-six, ma’am.”
“Don’t tell me you’re twenty-six and then call me ma’am!” she said, but she laughed too.
“Sorry,” I said with an apologetic smile. “So, how’ve you been doing with all the new changes around here?”
Olive swept a few loose strands of dark hair out of her face, the kind smile dropping a bit. “It’s been hard. I know Cassian is doing all he can, but… Griffin and I were very close with Boris. It was hard to lose him.”
“Boris? Is that Cassian’s grandfather?” I asked.
“Cassian hasn’t talked about him?” Olive asked, her smile completely gone.
“Cassian doesn’t call him Boris.”
“Oh, right.” Olive smacked her forehead with a self-deprecating chuckle. “Yeah, Boris was a good man. He really knew how to breathe life into this place, and it just hasn’t been the same without him. Not to mention Griffin and I have had tocarry on our duties while grieving our dearest friend, who has been replaced by someone so young and inexperienced.”
“I’m so sorry. It must be hard.”
