A smile stretched across his face. “Of course you would ask that. Yes, actually.”
“See, it won’t be a total waste of time.”
He rolled over to examine my face. “No, not a waste of time at all.”
I wasn’t sure why that comment made my cheeks warm.
CHAPTER 18
Tandor
Sunhaven had surprisingly few accommodations available for such a bustling, crowded town.
There were three inns.
The first inn, near the entrance of town, was completely full. Though there were dozens of rooms, each one was occupied. The elf working the front desk was not friendly either—she was offended by my attempt of flattery.
The second inn was under renovation. By Redd’s woodworking family, coincidentally. They were laying down new wood flooring and expanding the kitchen and common areas. The entire building was out of commission.
The third inn was our last hope.
The front of the building was lined with potted plants—spiky, succulent varieties that would never survive in Moonvale’s milder weather. I glanced at Kizzi to find her admiring them longingly.
We strode into the front door. There were folk everywhere. In the streets, it was almost impossible to walk ten paces without crossing paths or bumping shoulders with someone. Inside the inn was just as crowded. There were comfy looking chairs spread throughout the large room, and every window was thrown openwide to let a breeze pass through. Every chair was occupied. There were even some folk standing in corners, chatting idly.
I didn’t have much hope.Maybe we can somehow curl up and sleep in the carriage…
We had left the carriage with Sunhaven’s stable attendants, as well as Daisy the horse, so she could be tended to until we left again. She was the smallest horse in the stable, of course. But I had to admit, her glossy brown coat made her look more beautiful than all the dusty, tan horses that were local.
A grinning, tall human man stood at the check in counter. “Hello, travelers!”
I smiled politely. “Hello. Do you have any rooms available?” I glanced at Kizzi over my shoulder. She was hardly paying attention, too distracted looking around the room. “Two rooms?”
The human hemmed and hawed. He idly flipped through a book, shaking his head occasionally.
A nervous sweat broke out over my skin. “Please, we’ll pay extra. The other inns had nothing for us.”
Kizzi elbowed me in the side. “Shh! Don’t tell him that, he’s going to charge us more,” she hissed quietly, stretching on her toes to try to speak directly into my ear.
I glanced at her, bringing my face close to hers. “I’ve got this under control. Just watch.”
She held my gaze for a moment before she shrugged, dropping back down to a flat stance and taking a step back. She returned to her folk watching.
The human tapped his finger onto a page. “Aha! I’ve got one.” He smiled broadly. “Such happy news! Looks like this is the last room available today. More should open in a few days, but you never know how long folk will stay, I’m sure you understand.”
“Oh, that’s great! Wait—” I gulped, and my blood warmed. “We need two rooms.”
The human’s smile drooped. He turned back to his book, flipping quickly from cover to cover. He looked back up apologetically. “I only have the one.”
I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth. “How many beds are in that room?”
The human hesitated. “One bed, sir.”
I sighed. “One bed. Excellent.” I turned to Kizzi, expecting her to offer up an argument of some sort, but she just looked at me expectantly.
“One room. One bed,” I repeated to her.
“Well?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Are you going to pay the man? We better get the room before someone else does. Besides, you can sleep on the floor.” I examined her face for long moments, searching for something I couldn’t find.
