We reach the small structure indicated on the map given to us by Sadryn. There had been a note added in the margin statingthat while this place seemed unassuming, its proximity to the border had made the residents of this settlement more waryof new faces. Though it is true only mages can cross through the Spell, the uptick in missing people from border towns had made everyone jumpy. As we traveled along the fae border, Elora insisting the northern beaches would be the best place to look for dragon glass, places had not grown friendlier. Stares grew longer as the people sussed out whether our intentions were well-meaning or not. It gave us no choice reallybutto only stay for a few hours’ rest. Cass had been given enough coin by the council to more than compensate for our stays, and he made sure to tip generously to hopefully avoid anyone giving us trouble. So far, curious glares were all we had received.
The Inn, appropriately and simply named, is built entirely from dragon stone, its rectangular structure shining beneath the faint moonlight coming from above. Smaller buildings made from the same stone line the main road on either side, their insides glowing with amber light.
“I’ll see about getting the horses in the stable,” Cass says as we come to a halt. The hairs on my arms rise as the sensation of being watched washes over me, even though no one else is walking the dark road.
“Maybe you shouldn’t go alone.” My eyes scan the fronts of the businesses. An apothecary is next to the inn followed by what appears to be a weapons shop. A few unmarked buildings line the rest of the way, the sound of voices coming from them not the comfort it should be.
“Aw, worried about me?” Bringing his horse to a stop, Cass dismounts and walks over to take the reins of my own horse. I hesitate but relent when Elora pats the top of my hand.
“Let’s go secure our rooms so we can eat and get some rest before we’re back at it tomorrow.” Sighing, I release the reins and slide off of the horse, reaching up to help Elora down. Herhands plant on my shoulders as she swings her leg around and then dismounts, stumbling just slightly when both feet touch the ground. “By the time I’m able to get off of a horse without any help, we’ll already be home.”
I chuckle as my hands remain near her hips, making sure she is steady before letting go. “I don’t mind helping you.”
Her light gray eyes meet mine, and even in the cover of night, I can make out the pink that flushes her cheeks beneath her freckles. “I suppose it’s not theworstthing to be in need of your assistance.”
How else can I be of assistance to you?The thought comes on so abruptly, the tenor of the voice in my head so surprisingly deep, that I suck in a breath as I jerk back a step, leaving Elora to wobble for a moment.Fuck. “I’m sorry,” I rush out, moving back in to do…something. Anything. Elora just smiles as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose before turning to reach for her pack. I slam my eyes shut and silently berate myself.
Cass plants a hand on my shoulder, shaking me once and forcing me to look at him. His face, annoyingly, mimics my internal sentiments.
Elora and I watch Cass as he heads down a grassy side path to the back of the inn to look for the stables. He hums a tune and quietly sings about our “glass adventure,” prompting me to shake my head as I whisper to Elora, “Let’s keep the chatter to a minimum once we go in.” I reach over to take her pack. She doesn’t immediately hand it over, but when I arch a brow in question, she sighs and allows me to grab it. Her posture immediately straightens without the weight of all her books.
“You say that as if I can’thelpbut to chatter.” At my responding silence, she glances over at me and then slaps her hand against my arm in response to my expression.
I snort while we climb the wooden steps to the tavern’s front door. Pausing before it, I mentally recap where my weapons are—a dagger strapped to my belt and one slipped down into my boot. Another in my bag and, finally, one given to Elora. Dilan would have trained her to use it, but I know it’s been a while since she’s actually practiced with one. Still, I lean down to speak close to her ear. “Should things go south quickly, for whatever reason, do not hesitate to protect yourself with blade or magic.” Once she gives me a nod of confirmation, I take a deep breath and open the door.
While the inns we have stayed at thus far have all been fairly similar in their layouts, immediately upon entering, I can tell that this place isn’t going to be in line with the others. Where a quiet reception area with a desk had been the status quo before, here, we walk directly into a lounge of sorts. People are draped across the furniture as if they’ve been there all day, too content or perhaps too drunk to move. The air is thick with smoke and just a hint of magic, and a quick whiff of it makes me think it’s some kind of tobacco, except that it smells too sweet.
“Come on.” With a jerk of my head, I lead Elora through the lounge, drawing more heavily lidded gazes in our direction as we pass. My skin crawls with the attention, and by the time we reach the desk to request our rooms, my anxiousness has manifested into a twitch of my right eye. The man behind the desk observes us as we near, his gaze moving over me in an assessing manner. His focus then goes to the pack that’s slung over one shoulder before it lands on Elora. And stays there. “We need three rooms,” I tell him, reaching into my pocket for the small stash of money.
“Are you travelers?” he asks, a hand coming up to massage his long blond beard.
“Just passing through on our way home.”
He lifts a brow, eyes still pinned to Elora who shifts her weight. “And where is home?”
“Brago,” she answers before I can, earning the man’s smile.
Brago is the kingdom’s northernmost city and a place where a high number of mages have gone missing. Sadryn had been planning a trip to visit the city before the events after the Autumnal Ball. It’s not a place Iwantto visit, but in this case, Elora isn’t lying. Tomorrow, we’ll hit Brago, and soon after, if we’re lucky, we’ll find ourselves on the dangerous side of the Spell.
“Seems more and more people are leaving Brago, not returning to it.”
I shrug, hoping my face conveys the same nonchalance. “We have family there.”
He grunts before opening one of the desk drawers and pulling out three keys.
“Can we have supper brought to our rooms?”
“No,” he answers, his expression pained as he tosses the keys onto the counter just as Cass walks up. “Dinner is available in the dining room, through that hallway over there.” He gestures with his chin across the lounge, where I can barely make out an arched hallway through the smoky haze. “We don’t allow food in the rooms. It draws the rats upstairs. But I can have your bags brought up while you eat.” Before I can decline his offer, the man calls out to someone, his voice booming.
“Perhaps we should skip eating and just go to bed,” I whisper to Cass and Elora.
“Tomorrow’s journey will be longer than today’s by a few hours. It wouldn’t hurt to try and get a good meal in now,” Cass says, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “Well, maybe not a good one, given the rats comment, but a warm one hopefully.”
I open my mouth to protest, ready to argue that getting sick from the food sounds like thelastthing that we need, but Elora nods her head in agreement. “He’s right. Let them bring our things upstairs so that we don’t draw unwanted attention.”
Stuck between their gazes, I begrudgingly slide my pack off. A lanky man, his hair the same shade of blond as the one behind the desk, comes to stand at our side, his hands already reaching for our belongings. “You will be in rooms twenty-one through twenty-three, near the back.” He points to a different hallway at our left.
“Thank you, good sir,” Cass says, swiping the keys from the desktop. Elora gives a small wave, making the man’s eyes glitter lasciviously before we turn and reenter the vapors in the lounge. “Don’t breathe too much of this stuff in. Even just getting exposed to it like this can make you susceptible to some of the effects.”
