Elwis doesn’t startle, but he does throw me a second glance showing that I surprised him at least a little bit. “Your skills are growing, my dear.”
I smile at his praise.
He leans back in his chair and folds his pale fingers across his chest. He is dressed in a black tunic which matches his ebony black hair that hangs down around his shoulder. Likewise, his eyes are dark, in the same manner that mine are light, evidence that we are two different races of elves. Our people are supposedly enemies, but Elwis took me in and raised me as his own, not caring for a second that my skin was the color of stones and his the color of gold.
There is nothing I wouldn’t do for him.
Elwis reaches out his hand, the rings on his fingers reflect in the flickering candlelight from the candelabra on his desk. Hetrails a finger over the rim of his glass before he glances at me. “Do me a favor, dearest. When you bring a boy home, bring home one like Wilder. Not an insufferable fool like Evengi.”
I stare in horror as Valentine hands the spellbook that should bemineto the innkeeper’s son.
I have been tracking that priest across half of Ruskhazar, following the trail of his past healings so that I can find him and find a way toconvincehim to give up that spellbook. And I missed my opportunity by not being the one standing closest to him?
Now that man has it, he has no idea the power he holds.
I comfort myself with that fact; hopefully, I can convince him to give it up peacefully if he doesn’t know what it actually is.
Suddenly strong arms wrap around my waist and lift me off my feet just as the wine rack collapses, seemingly of its own volition.
“What are you doing?” I demand as Lief drags me backwards and out of the room.
“Making sure that you don’t die,” he says with a grunt.
Sasha is just on the other side of the door. “What is happening in there?”
Before I can think up a response, the guardsman Ibram stumbles through the door behind us. He is clutching his arm which appears to be bleeding heavily. His eyes round when hesees us already out in the hallway. He stumbles back, clumsily grabbing at his sword. He draws it from the sheath and points it to us. “Stay back!” he barks. “I can’t trust any of you.”
Then without another word he takes off down the hall. Lief grabs me again and pulls me down the hallway toward the entrance room. He yanks me behind the corner just as the other Lowlander man, a local I think the others called Lek, races out as well, and Sasha bursts into the wine cellar with the two girls in tow.
Once the coast is clear, Lief grabs my arm and hoists me to my feet. “Ow, I can walk by myself!” I snap as he half drags, half carries me down the hall before he turns into the nearest room. Lief shuts the door and then sags to the ground, shaking all over. “S-sorry,” he gasps out. “I guess I got carried away.”
He offers me a faint smile which I return.
I tuck a loose strand of hair back behind my ear as I begin pacing in front of him. “While I appreciate the gallant rescue, I need to get back out there. The spellbook—”
“Give it a moment, love,” Lief says, pushing to his feet. “People are dying, we need to play this safe.”
I draw in a sharp breath, glancing around to make certain that no one overheard us until I remember that we’re alone.
Lief lets out a chuckle, he always seems amused by my paranoia, but then he hasn’t met my father yet. He doesn’t know my reason for being paranoid. He had this same look on his face when I’d told him that anytime we are in public together we must act like we don’t know each other and any interaction should be antagonistic. He thought it was overkill, but he has no idea just how far my father’s reach extends. “Relax, it isn’t as if the walls have ears. We’re alone.”
I chew on my lip. It seems so strange to drop the charade, and actually acknowledge Lief, let alone that he is the man I love, but finally I nod. I look him over with concern. “Are you all right?”
He nods. “I think we got out just in time. Did you see Ibram’s arm?”
I blow out a long breath and press the heel of my hand to my forehead. How did this job get like this? It was supposed to be a simple hit. I steal a spellbook from an unsuspecting healer. I sent Lief here ahead of me so I could tell my father that he was instrumental in helping me claim my spellbook. Just like that Lief would have a way into my father’s good graces.
Then I could finally be free to love him openly without having to worry that my father might be plotting to kill him.
I just wanted to introduce the man I love to my family in a way that would make it so they wouldn’t immediately disregard him for his profession. Instead, I put him in danger.
How could I have known that I wouldn’t be the only murderous sorcerer staying the night in this inn?
Lief steps forward, encircling his arms around my waist. “I’m sorry I’m not a warrior,” he whispers as he leans down, his beard scratches at my cheek as he nuzzles me. “Then I could have gotten your spellbook and stopped any sorcerers, and you wouldn’t be ashamed to have your family meet me.”
“Oh no you don’t mister,” I snarl as I lean back. I rest the palm of my hand against his cheek. “Don’t you ever wish to change and next time you accuse me of feeling shame of you, I’ll gut you like I have an assassination contract on you.”
His lips turn up as he smiles at me adoringly.
