“There’s a stable at the side of the inn,” Cass says, but he throws his hand up to stop us. “No sense in all of us going to do the work of one. Why don’t you two secure our rooms, and I’ll get the horses settled and meet you in the lobby.”
Nodding, I climb down from my horse and hand the reins to Cass before turning to help Elora down. Her hands plant on my shoulders as mine land on her hips, her body swaying when her feet hit the ground. “Are you alright?”
“Fine. It’s just the longest I’ve sat uninterrupted before. My legs are used to moving.”
“Don’t you read a lot?” I counter, waiting until she steadies herself before pulling my hands back.
She laughs, turning to pat our horse on its side. “I do, and I’ve adapted. Reading while staying still is for the weak. I prefer to read and walk. Or shop. Or dance.”
Grabbing my pack from the saddle, I throw it on my back before reaching for Elora’s, its weight significantly heavier from all the books she brought with her. I lug it over one shoulder, shooing her outstretched hand as we move towards the inn. “Sounds like a dangerous way to read.”
She pushes her glasses up from where they’ve slipped down her nose before pulling the ends of her cloak in, wrapping herself up in the thick wool fabric. “You see it as dangerous, while I see it as practical. I can’t sit all day, and I can’tnotread either. So I combine both.” She turns to look at me, offering a sly grin. “Multi-tasking is a bit of a specialty.”
I stumble a step at that look, making her laugh. An unfamiliar feeling pulls at my chest, but I swallow it down as I quickly open the door and usher Elora through. The warmth of a fire burning brightly in a hearth hits us, and my musclesimmediately relax, the ache of riding all day beginning to catch up with me.
The lobby is tastefully decorated in shades of dark blue and green, its tan walls brightened by the amber light of spelled flames that lie in glass sconces every few feet. A desk is centered against the wall across from the entrance, and behind it, a woman around my age drums her fingers along the dark wood as she watches us with bored eyes. Dark ringlets frame her face and spill over her shoulder.
“Hello,” I say, crossing the space and dropping Elora’s pack at my feet. She comes to stand next to me. “We’d like to get three rooms, please.”
The woman tilts her head, peering past my shoulder at the door before straightening. “Unless my counting is significantly worse than I thought, there are only two of you here.” As if to prove that, she points first to Elora and then to me, pulling her red-painted lips to the side. “Two.”
“Our third friend is putting the horses in the stable,” Elora says, leaning her elbows on the countertop. “I like your dress.”
“Ah.” The woman turns, giving us her back as she scans a row of cubbies behind her, humming a tune that I don’t recognize. “It’s late for travelers to be here, and before a big storm no less.” She ignores Elora’s compliment as she squats down and looks at a row near the floor.
“We are coming from Galdr, on our way home to Palatos.”
“Palatos,” she repeats, reaching into one cubby and then standing, her hand darting into another. “So you aren’t from around here?”
My gaze darts to Elora’s before I slide a hand down to the dagger strapped at my hip, hidden by my tunic. “Not here in particular—”
Turning back around, she slams two keys on the table before reaching for a large notepad to her right and flipping to the lastpage. Her gray eyes lift to look at us, skepticism making them narrow. “Why don’t I wait until yourfriend—”
The door to the inn flies open, and before I have time to react, Cass is striding in, throwing a flirty smirk to the woman behind the desk. “Abi, my darling, it is good to see you.”
I cast Elora bewildered look, only to find that she’s smiling at whatever the hell is going on here.
“Cass? Oh my gods, how wonderful! Are they with you?”
Cass throws his arms over our shoulders, his leather vambraces chilled from being outside and seeping the warmth right from my body. “Yeah, they are. We need some rooms before we continue on to Palatos,” he says, at least ensuring our fake story sounds consistent. “We’ll take yourfinest,of course.”
Abi pouts her full lips, her brown skin gleaming beneath the light of the flame hanging above her. “I’m afraid we only have two rooms available, love.”
“That’s fine,” he answers, releasing Elora and I to pick up her pack from the ground. “We’ll figure out the logistics. Perhaps you could have some dinner sent up, though?”
She smiles as she hands him the keys before resting her chin in her hand. “Will do. Your rooms will be down the hall to your right and up the stairs. Rooms ten and eleven.” Cass offers her a mock bow and a wink before spinning on his heel. “And my room is on the first floor, room one, if you find that you’re in need of a distraction before bed.”
I nearly choke on my next breath, but Cass sends her a wink that makes her blush, and then we head towards the stairs, climbing them in a single file line until we reach our designated rooms.
“Elora, ten will be your room,” Cass says, dropping one of the keys into her waiting palm. “And Daje and I will take eleven.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, grabbing her pack from him.
“Of course,” I answer, yanking the key from Cass’s hand and shoving it into the lock. “We’ll see you in the morning.” Pushing the door open, I take in the single bed that makes up most of the room and groan.
“It’s about to get cozy, buddy.” He pats my back as he brushes past, dropping his pack onto the floor and digging out some clothes. “And I call dibs on the shower first.”
“How do you know that woman downstairs?” I ask, closing the door and setting my bag down on a threadbare armchair.
