He attempted to say something, but words failed him. Finally Sass thumped him hard on the back. “I also wish you luck, Vask, but notthatmuch.”
Forty-Two
Vaskel walked woodenlyfrom the tavern, Crumpet riding on his shoulder. Beside him, Thrain cleared his throat and swung his arms as he took long steps to keep pace with the hellkin and elf.
“No one kissed me for good luck,” the dwarf groused as they headed down the snow-trodden road toward the bridge.
“Nor me,” Erindil said, his hands folded neatly in front of him as he walked, “although my future doesn’t hang in the balance.”
“Sass kissed me,” Val called from where she and Korl were bringing up the rear of the party.
Thrain stole a look at Vaskel. “You have more to lose than the rest of us. You think that’s why she kissed you?”
Vaskel wanted to say that he didn’t know why Iris had kissed him, but that would have been a lie. She’d kissed him for the very reason he’d been making excuses to visit her shop, although he sorely wished that he’d known she felt the same before this moment.
“The apothecary clearly has feelings for our charming hellkin friend.” Erindil tipped his head to Vaskel. “Not that anyone could blame her. You’re a handsome chap, if you don’t mind horns.”
“Thanks,” Vaskel muttered, reasonably sure that had been a compliment.
“You and Iris, eh?” Thrain nodded slowly. “You could have mentioned something, you know.”
“There was nothing to mention.” Vaskel’s lips still buzzed from the kiss, and he wrestled the urge to press his fingers to his mouth.
“That kiss begged to differ,” Val said.
Thrain’s laugh was a rumble that shook his chest. “Aye, it did.”
Crumpet chittered softly, as if agreeing with the guard and the dwarf.
Vaskel’s mind whirled as thoughts of Iris flooded his head—her fierce expression as she’d pulled him to her, the dazed look in her eyes when she’d released him, and the softness of her mouth against his. For a moment, he forgot where they were going entirely.
“As much as I delight in discussing romance,” Erindil said, “we should focus on the task at hand, don’t you think?”
Vaskel gave his head a brief shake, as if to dislodge thoughts of Iris. “We should. Marina isn’t someone to underestimate. She’s clever and usually one step ahead of everyone else.”
“Except for us.” Thrain jerked a thumb toward his chest. “This time we’ve got the advantage.”
Vaskel wasn’t sure if that was true. They had some things in their favor, but Marina was no easy mark.
As they approached the bridge, he looked down the main village thoroughfare, but it was deserted. The shops were dark, and the market stalls shuttered and empty. Only a distant neigh from the stables and an even more faraway hoot of an owl broke the winter night’s hush.
“You said she’s staying at the castle,” the elf asked, his gaze going to the stone edifice peeking over the treetops.
Vaskel made a gruff sound in his throat. “Pretending to be a healer.” He remembered spotting the elf heading to the castle. “You’ve been there recently, haven’t you?”
“Me?” Erindil shook his head. “At the castle? My dear boy, I’ve been at the encampment all day. You must be mistaken.” He frowned. “But you’re not the first person to think they’ve seen me somewhere I haven’t been. That dear halfling baker was certain he’d sold me a bag of sweet rolls when I hadn’t even set foot in the village that day.”
“Is it possible you have a twin?” Vaskel asked.
The elf looked scandalized by this suggestion. “Absolutely not. There is no one exactly like me.”
“I’ll agree with that,” Thrain said, shooting Erindil a side-eye glance.
“You sure you don’t want us to smooth the way with the castle guards?” Val called up as they crossed the ice-slicked bridge.
“Too much fuss,” Thrain answered before Vaskel could. “The guards have seen me there before with Marina. They’ll let me through, especially if I sell them my sad story of heartbreak.”
Vaskel had to admire the way the dwarf had bounced back from his rejection. He’d seen lesser men fall into despair over the beautiful hellkin.
