I’d just filled my cup with the last of my tea, my mood lifting since the newcomers seemed as relieved as me to meet another friendly fairy along their journey, when the salopas door opened, and a new energy strode in.
I knew, without looking up, who it was. The brush of the familiar aura and the wary glances from the locals told me that Kole Swordwielder had also decided to grace the crowded salopas with his presence.
CHAPTER TEN
A cold gust of wind accompanied the warrior, and outside, the snow fell thick and heavy. The second Kole stepped inside the salopas, his gaze surveyed the room as though cataloguing who was present, what they wore, if they carried weapons, and what auras surrounded them. As usual, his expression remained stoic, and his Shield was locked down.
Several of the locals watched Kole, but unlike when I’d entered the bar, their demeanors stayed the same, as though knowing a predator had just entered their midst, and it was wisest not to draw attention to themselves.
When the warrior’s attention reached my table, my heart thrummed, but determined to act normal in his presence, I lifted my hand and waved.
His eyes hooded slightly, but then his attention shifted to the other fae at my table. He slowly tracked thethree newcomers, and given that his expression didn’t change, it was impossible to gauge what he was thinking.
My heart ticked steadily upward regardless, and magic stirred inside me. As had happened more times than I wanted to admit, my inner abilities vibrated, as though standing to attention in the warrior’s presence.
I huffed. I could hardly blame the Stone any further. This was one hundred percentmyreaction to him.
Muttering quietly to myself, I tried to tamp it down, but my resolve wavered when Kole made his way to the bar. It was then I realized that he wore different clothes than he had previously.
The thick black breeches and tunic in Stonewild colors were gone. In their place, a loose long-sleeved navy top and a thinner pair of black breeches adorned his large frame. Heavy boots still covered his feet, but they didn’t reach his knees as the others had.
Despite his more casual attire, his muscles still bulged beneath the clothing, hinting at strong lines and lean angles. The male was entirely cut, and I wondered what kind of training program he partook in to keep his body in that kind of shape. But one thing about himhadn’tchanged. As I’d also come to expect, his sword remained strapped to his back.
I was beginning to wonder if he ever took it off.
When Kole reached the bar, he stood casually at the end. Even at the bar top, the seats had been entirely filled.
Jessip, the lone female in the group I’d just met, leaned toward me. “Do you know that male?”
Her question snapped me out of the trance Kole had woven over me. “I do,” I replied, then took another sip of tea. “We met a few days ago.”
“He’s very...big.” She looked Kole up and down as he stood at the bar.
Nym nudged her. “Don’t be getting any ideas.”
Jessip laughed and stopped appreciating the warrior. “Oh, don’t worry. I only have eyes for you, my sweetness.”
Nym smirked, and Felix took another swig of his ale.
Unlike me, Jessip was tall with a lean build. However, similar to me, she wore pants and a long-sleeved top. We hadn’t divulged many details to each other yet, but I was fairly certain they were also hunting the Stone, and I was guessing her group was from Faewood.
Jessip’s aura felt shrouded in humid mist. I would have bet she had water elemental magic. And both Felix and Nym felt of soil and nature, likely terrain elementals.
“That’s quite the sword,” Felix remarked, pulling my attention back to the warrior.
Kole glanced our way, his jaw ticking once. It was the only indication of anything passing behind his steely mask, and I wondered if he’d heard us above the commotion. But it was such a fleeting movement that it could have been a trick of the light or a shadow hitting his face at just the right angle. Regardless, Kole still stood at the bar, making no move to leave, so Iquickly looked around and searched for a free seat for my inn neighbor.
I spotted a stool near the stage, probably used to prop equipment against it if needed, but the wildling band tonight hadn’t utilized it once.
“I’ll be right back,” I said to my new friends. Standing, I sashayed through the crowd, passing the full tables as the music continued thumping around us. Several fae had taken their thick tunics off until only their thin shirts underneath covered their frames, probably because the temperature in the room had climbed.
When I reached the stage, the wildling who was playing the horn gave me a wink. I swayed my hips to the beat and nodded toward the stool. “Do you mind?” I asked, trying not to distract him from his riff.
He dipped his head once, and I took that as permission to grab it, so I lifted the wooden stool, grunting slightly since it was heavier than it looked, but I somehow managed to heave it over my head so I wouldn’t knock it into anyone on my way back to the table.
The entire time, I felt Kole watching me. He still leaned against the bar top in the far corner, but considering he’d helped me carry all of my supplies into my inn chambers,andhad saved that wildling mother and her babies from the would-be murderers,andhad gotten Abel off my back, I felt it was only hospitable to at least invite him to join us. Never mind that I was ridiculously attracted to him.
Once situated, I hopped onto the stool since I’d finished my tea, then waved over the crowd to Kole. “Come join us!” I called and pointed to the now-empty chair that I’d just vacated.
