“We need to get you out of that dress,” I say.
Aeri arches an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I can feel the blood rushing to my face. I stomp off away from her, headed somewhere south.
Chapter Thirty-One
Aeri
City of Vashney, Khitan
Royo is determined not to talk to me as we ride into Vashney. So really, it’s a pretty standard trip.
Between my lack of winter gear, the time of night, and my desperate need for sleep, we made the decision to stay in the closest city and leave for the Light Mountains in the morning.
We check into the first traveler’s inn we find. I’m not even sure what the name is, but it’s a small place of maybe eight rooms. We put the horses in the stable and then go into the lobby. Royo, impatient as always, rings the bell for the innkeeper. Then he purposefully avoids looking at me.
An older Khitanese woman with gray hair comes out of the back room. I think we woke her, but she smiles.
“Good evening,” she says in Khitanese.
“We’ll need two rooms,” Royo says in Yusanian.
The innkeeper squints and shakes her head.
Oh. We didn’t think about the language barrier when we split up. All the people who can speak Khitanese are on a sleigh headed to the ice caves.
Royo holds up two fingers and then says it again louder and slower, as if that will translate. I can’t do any better. Although I pick up languages quickly, I don’t know enough Khitanese to tell her that we need two separate rooms.
She slides across one key. Royo tries to ask for another, pointing again and putting up two fingers, but she must think he’s telling her that there will be two of us in the room. She nods and nudges the key again.
He looks at me and then gives up with a sigh. He turns to the woman and makes the money sign, rubbing his fingers together.
The innkeeper tries to tell him the amount, then purses her lips and writes the number down. They use papers for money here called marks. The room is twenty marks. I have no idea what that means in terms of mun, if we’re being ripped off or not, but Mikail gave us two hundred marks before he left. It won’t be nearly enough for a wardrobe, but I can sell a small diamond tomorrow.
“Let’s go,” Royo huffs.
I smile at the woman, and she nods, then shakes her head, confused.
You and me both, ma’am.
I race to keep up with Royo, but I don’t know why he’s so bent out of shape. Ever since we met, we’ve spent more nights together than apart. Why is he acting scandalized by the idea? Plus, I saw all the times he looked at me today—all the moments he didn’t think I was watching. He’s angry, but he’s not nearly as put out as he pretends to be.
He opens the door to the quaint room. There’s a dresser, a nightstand, a washroom but sadly no bathtub, and one small bed. It’ll barely fit the two of us. I laugh.
“It’s not funny,” he says. “It’s not enough space.”
I shrug. “It’s better than an isle.”
He looks at me like I’m the least amusing person in the three realms. Right. We’re back to pretending like that never happened.
I roll my eyes. “We’ll manage for a night, Royo.”
I’m so exhausted that my vision is blurry. I force myself to wash up and get ready for bed. The new problem is that once again, I lost all of my clothes. And that includes nightgowns. I’m beginning to wonder if I should even keep replacing my wardrobe. I’m going to, but it’s been a pain that my trunks keep getting lit on fire.
My hair is past shoulder-length now from using the amulet, but no one’s noticed. People just assume they misremembered my hair length. I brush it as I come out of the washroom. Royo stands by the weapon-covered dresser. I see he’s unpacked.
“Here.” He holds a shirt and pants away from his body like they’re contagious. “For you to sleep in.”
