I opened my mouth to comment, but before I could, we came across another group of fae stocking a barn with hay bales. I didn’t want to speak so openly about my magic in front of other fae, so I kept my mouth shut as we walked our horses past the barn and up to an inn with a sign that readMeadow’s Innabove the front entrance. The establishment looked small but clean—at least from the outside.
A sturdy man with broad shoulders, shaggy brown hair, and a friendly smile approached us from the barn. “Want to board the horses for the night?”
I nodded. “Yes, do you own the inn as well?”
The man inclined his head. “Adler’s the name. And we’ve got vacancies.”
“Good. We’ll take two rooms, please.”
“One room. Two beds,” Lorelei interrupted, and I stopped myself from raising my brows despite my surprise.
Adler grinned and stated his price. I dropped some coins into his outstretched hand—coins Lorelei’s mother had given me before we departed, knowing I’d given all my gold to Nellie. Adler told us to wait where we were while he retrieved the key. He returned swiftly, and after dismounting and handing over the horses, we stepped into the inn, where loud, boisterous music and dancing greeted us.
Lorelei winced. “I’m famished, but—” She glanced at the overcrowded dining hall.
“Say no more,” I told her and approached a barmaid. The aroma of stew filled the air, making my mouth water. “Can you send some food and drinks for two up to our room?” I glanced down at the key Adler had given me. “Room six.”
The barmaid’s eyes flicked to Lorelei behind me, a knowing grin spreading across her face. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
“Sure thing, honey,” she said with a chuckle, and I paid her.
After arranging the meal, I led Lorelei upstairs to room six. Unlocking the door, I held it open for her, and we stepped inside. The room was surprisingly spacious. Two single beds sat at opposite ends of the room, separated by a privacy curtain. A door on the far wall likely led to the bathroom, and in one corner stood a small two-person table.
Lorelei glanced over her shoulder at me, her cheeks tinged pink. “Are you okay with sharing a room?” she asked shyly. “It’s protocol when I travel with only one guard, which rarely happens. And … it would make me feel safer to have you here.”
Being near me made her feel safe? Pride swelled in my chest, and a goofy grin spread across my face.
“Absolutely,” I said quickly, then cleared my throat, embarrassed by my eagerness. “I’ll take the bed near the window.”
She nodded, mentioning she wanted to freshen up before the food arrived. She disappeared into the bathroom, and shortly after, I heard the sound of water running. When she emerged, she wore fresh clothes: a green-and-pink floral linen skirt with a matching top. Her long hair was tied into a braid over one shoulder, and she smiled when she caught me staring.
“I don’t feel normal until I’ve had my nightly bath,” she confessed.
Good to know. I filed that tidbit away, wanting to remember everything about her.
I sat at the small table in the corner and gestured for her to join me. “What else?” I asked as she took the seat across from me. The light cascading through the windows made her silky hair shimmer in a beautifully distracting way. Forcing my gaze to meet her purple eyes, I pressed on. “Tell me more about you.”
She seemed to consider the question. “Well, I love flowers, obviously.”
“Obviously,” I agreed with a smile. “And you like to sing.”
Her eyebrows shot up, surprised that I knew that about her.
“The first time we met, when Isolde and I visited you in the palace gardens, you were singing,” I reminded her.
She nodded. “Right. That visit was so unexpected, I didn’t remember that. It was just so shocking to see you and Isolde suddenly appear in front of me.”
“I’m sorry if we frightened you.”
“Don’t be,” she said, reaching forward on instinct to place her hand atop mine in comfort. Just that small touch set my heart racing, but I schooled my features so I wouldn’t reveal that truth to her. She lightly squeezed my hand, then pulled back, and I forced myself not to be too disappointed.
“If you hadn’t come to me that time, I never would have known you were in Faerie, and I never would have tried to reach you in our dreams. And if I had never contacted you …”
Her sentence trailed off, but I could guess what she was going to say. If she had never dream-walked to me, I wouldn’t have known how to find her, and she surely would have died at Queen Liliana’s hands.
The look in her eyes was far away, and the sadness on her face made my own heart ache. I would do anything to wipe that sadness away.
“So you do like to sing?” I asked, grasping for something to pull her out of her dark thoughts and back to the present—back to me.
