She falls silent, but those questions keep building.
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” I keep my voice low. “Without drawing an audience?”
Kaelith nods. “There are rooms at the inn we can use. They’re private and we keep them warded.”
The inn sits at the center of the village, larger than the other buildings, with warm light spilling from its windows, and the smell of cooked food filling the air. Kaelith leads us inside, where a fire crackles in the hearth.
My gaze sweeps over the room, and I stop in the doorway. There are eight fae sitting at various tables, a couple are alone,the others are sitting with human companions. One of the fae is laughing, his hand on a human’s arm.
Conversation falters as we enter. A fae male looks up, and his mouth drops open. He’s on his feet before I take another step. One by one, the other fae rise. The humans look between them, frowning … and then the male sinks to one knee, followed by every other fae in the room.
A middle-aged human woman looks up from behind the counter. She smiles warmly at Kaelith, opens her mouth to speak, and then notices the kneeling fae. She tracks their gaze to me, and goes very still.
“Sharla.” Vessara steps forward. “We need the top floor.”
“Of course.” The woman’s voice is steady, but her hands tremble slightly as she reaches beneath the counter and holds out a heavy looking bronze key. Her eyes dart to me again.
I turn to the kneeling fae. “Please, there is no need.”
They rise slowly, eyes still fixed on me. The male who knelt first opens his mouth, closes it, then shakes his head.
Vessara turns to me. “The top floor of the inn is kept for our use. For those we bring here who need … space. Time. It helps, having somewhere quiet to adjust.”
I don’t reply. My mind is already working through everything I’ve seen and heard, cataloging details, and wondering if there’s a trap being laid that I haven’t quite worked out yet. But the bond tells me my warriors trust this place. And for now, that has to be enough.
Kaelith is already moving. “Sorel, food. Vessara, get them settled and find Fiena. Tell her we have six who may need her.”
Sorel clasps his shoulder as he passes, heading for the kitchen. Vessara gathers the six fae and guides them toward the stairs ahead of us. They go willingly, too exhausted and overwhelmed to do anything else.
Kaelith turns back to me. His eyes flick to Alleria then away. “We can arrange a room for?—”
“She remains with me.”
Kaelith’s eyebrows rise slightly, but he doesn’t question it. “Of course.”
“Get everyone settled, then come to me. We have a lot to discuss.”
“Yes, Eldráfn.” There’s warmth to the words … and relief. “If you’ll follow me?”
He heads up the stairs. I take one more look around the inn, at the fae still staring, and the bewildered humans, then follow him, Alleria close beside me.
THIRTY-FIVE
ALLERIA
The male faeholds the door open, and I follow Cairn into the room.
It’s larger than I expected, with a table and two chairs in one corner, an armoire made from dark wood, and a bed piled with blankets that look soft even from where I’m standing. The hearth is cold, wood stacked in the fireplace waiting to be lit, with an armchair to either side. Heavy curtains are drawn across the window, shutting out the outside world.
I move deeper into the room, only half aware of Cairn speaking to the fae male behind me. My body is still humming with an echo of whatever happened on the hill. The latch clicks, and there’s a crackle in the fireplace. I turn my head as the wood catches flame and frown.
“How did—” My eyes move to Cairn, and I shake my head. “Never mind.”
He passes by me and crosses to the window, pulling one curtain aside an inch and scanning the street below. The firelight catches the sharp angles of his face, the dark marks that trace up his throat.
Helooks like exactly what he is. Not human. Fae. And I should be afraid of him. Iamafraid of him. But fear has become such a constant companion these past weeks that I barely notice it anymore.
“What was that?” The words spill out before I can stop them.
