Reyla and Airia stepped inside, their attention on the big bed.
Marla continued down the hall, opening the next door, nodding Zayde’s way. “For the lord and his lady.”
Another solitary bed.
“And for the single lord.” Marla’s gaze lingered on Brodine’s wide shoulders, traveling to his narrow waist before shooting to the gleam in his brown eyes. Her smile rising once more, she opened the next door on the right. “Why isn’t a nice-looking man like you with one of the ladies?”
“Because they keep turning me down,” Bro said with a snort.
My friend was back, and I adored his humor, like always.
“Fools.” Marla’s smile grew slick, and she studied his ass as he walked into the room and dropped his bag on the bed.
Bro might not be alone for long.
Marla leaned against the doorframe, watching as Brodine removed a few items from his bag.
“Our room?” Vexxion barked.
“Oh, yes, of course, my lord.” Marla startled, her cheeks brightening. She strode to the end of the hall, opening the last door. “Here you are.”
I walked into the room and glared at the solitary bed.
20
TEMPEST
“I’ll create a bed on the floor again.” As Marla walked back down the hall, I waved to the small open space between the foot of the bed and the only window.
Lifting Drask off my shoulder, I settled him on the bottom bed rail. Barely waking, he tucked his head beneath his wing.
As Vexxion shut the door, I crossed the small room, the rough wooden floorboards creaking beneath my feet, and looked out, studying the dark alley between this building and the next, devoid of insect lights. A chall played near the head of the alley with a scrap of paper, but other than dusky barrels for trash and puddles of grimy water barely catching a wink of moonlight, I didn’t note anything of interest.
I was about to turn away when a shadowy figure dressed in a cloak stepped into the alley from the main street. They stopped halfway down and leaned against the wall beneath me.
Despite pressing my face against the glass, I couldn’t makeout a face, but it didn’t matter. It must be a villager taking a break from work or meeting up with someone.
The latter was confirmed when another person dressed in dark clothing flitted into the alley. The powerful fae strode over to join the first. Were they both fae or was one Nullen? I wished I could tell.
They spoke only for a short time before the second flitted from the alley. The first pivoted and strode back onto the main road and turned right.
Vexxion came over to stand behind me, peering through the glass. “Anything out there I need to know about?”
“No. Nothing.” Stepping away from him, I dismissed the two outside from my mind. Their interaction played no role in my life.
“I’ll take the floor this time,” Vexxion said.
I leaned the back of my shoulder against the wall, facing him. “I don’t mind.”
“Or we could share the bed,” he offered.
With a snort, I lifted my eyebrows. “Shall we roll up a blanket to place between us? I wouldn’t want to accidentally touch you during the night and offend you.”
I truly wasn’t good with flirtation. I was finding it hard not to snarl at him all the time. But my heart hurt. My chest was one big hollow gap that I worried would never be filled. And my eyes kept stinging with tears.
I was tired, I told myself. Hungry. My sorrow had nothing to do with his rejection.
“We won’t need a rolled-up blanket,” he bit out. “I’ll go out of my way to make sure I don’t touchyou.”
