“All in gold coin,” I reply.
His face reddens as he opens his mouth to speak, but then he clamps it shut and chuckles dryly. “You’re not dumb at all, are you, girl?”
I fold my arms. “I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. And I’m sure you wish I was dumb so you could better rip me off.”
He huffs a laugh. “Fine. Three hundred and sixty in all gold coin.Thatis final. Deal?”
I smirk as I stand taller. “Deal.”
Chapter 6
First thing the next morning, I walk through the doors of the Tilted Crystal, and luckily, Thane is sitting in the same seat as the night before. Only this time he’s removed his cowl and he’s wearing a sleeveless gray tunic.
Since he held up his end of the bargain, this alliance is clearly meant to be.
His arms are thick, muscles rippling as he sips from a mug. He directs his gaze across the tavern, surveilling the place as if he’s on the lookout for threats, but when his eyes swing in my direction, he sighs and looks away.
Yep, I got the coins, dickhead.
The closer I come to his table, the clearer I can see the corded veins on his biceps and forearms. Sweat clings to his skin, and his curls are flatter and slightly damp, as if he just finished some kind of workout.
Or just hunted someone down and gutted them.
Whatever. I don’t care.
I slam the pouch down on his table with a triumphant huff. “I was able to double the coins, and they’re all gold. You’ll only get half up front. The rest you can collect if we make it back alive.” I don’t have the other half on me, just in case he changes his mind and robs me instead. The rest are stored in a boot under my bed.
“How do I know you even have the other half?” he asks.
I shrug. “I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it.”
“So let me get this straight. You’re asking me to trust the word of a person I don’t even know about the coins I’m owed in order to protect them on a journey where we both will probably die along the way?”
I shift on my feet. “Well…when you put it that way…”
He narrows those amber eyes at me. “They’re hidden in a boot under your bed. Clever.”
I gasp. “How did you—”
Now I want to run home and hide them somewhere else. How does he know that? Can he read minds with his magic? Yes, that must be it. What else could it be? Unless he has some kind of spying spell or something.
He picks up the pouch and dumps the coins on the table, cutting through my thoughts. The wisps of sunlight streaming through the window behind him cause the money to gleam, highlighting Orvena’s profile etched into each one.
Silently, he counts the coins one by one, taking his sweet damn time doing so. Once finished, he slips them all back into the pouch and pushes to a stand. With his rise, I angle my chin upward, trying to appear taller than I am.
Damn. I knew he was tall, but I didn’t realize we have such a massive height difference until now. He has to be nearly as tall as Bolivar, and that giant is usually the tallest in any room.
Speaking of, I’m glad Bolivar isn’t on duty yet. One of the other barmen is at the counter, his gray eyebrows raised as he studies us. He’ll probably snitch on me to Bolivar, but I’ll be long gone by then.
Stopping short of Thane’s bicep, I twist my lips when his eyes descend to mine. He looks at me, as if he’s seeing me for the first time. Like he’s trying to make sense of me. I swear I notice his eyes stop at the swell of my chest before dragging down to my hips and legs.
I shift on my feet under his stare as a sudden wave of warmth swims through my veins. That same warmth, however, comes with a hint of agitation. I step back and fold my arms to block his view. So typical of men to stare.
“You sure this is what you want?” he asks, connecting his eyes to mine again. “To go to the Temple of Elphar?”
My heart races a bit, but I nod before my mind can form a rejection. “Yes.”
He scans me again before nodding. “Okay. Let’s go, then.” He snatches up his cowl, vest, swords, and a black rucksack from a nearby table before trudging around me to exit the tavern.
