“Is that a problem?” At least she hadn’t called me ‘squirrel’ or ‘rodent.’
She tapped her long fingernails on the counter. “That depends. Are you here for trouble?”
“Just rest.” I placed a few coins on the counter, more than enough for a room. “I’ll be gone by morning.”
She eyed the coins, then me. “The fee is doubled given the late hour.”
I bit my inner cheek, using all the willpower I had not to be an asshole. “I appreciate it.” I begrudgingly pulled out two more coins.
She examined them, and I thought she’d ask for more, but then grabbed a key from under the counter. “Room three. Second floor.” She tossed the key at me, and I caught it easily. “Bathe before you touch anything. You reek of nuts.”
At least I knew the paste I made for Kage was working, and the nuts hadn’t gone to waste.
I climbed the stairs, each step confirming how exhausted I was. Our room was at the end of the hall and had a double bed and a window. It was cozy.
I shut the door and leaned against it, finally breathing. “It’s safe now.”
Kage flickered into visibility across the room, shoulderssagging as he took in the space and the bed. “We’re sh-sharing?”
I looked at the bed, which would be a tight squeeze. “Unless you want to sleep on the floor.”
He hesitated, his eyes darting between the bed and the door. He nodded and sat down on the edge of the mattress. His hands trembled as he twisted his rag between his fingers.
“There’s n-nothing to c-c-clean.” He held up his rag, then gestured vaguely at the room.
I let out a breath that was almost a laugh. “It’s okay, Kage. You don’t have to clean everything. Sometimes you can rest.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue. He lay down on the bed, curling into himself with his back to me, and within minutes, his breathing slowed into the rhythm of sleep.
I crossed to the window, placing my palm against the glass. Sammy was out there somewhere. Was she safe? Was she scared?
There was no plan for how to find her. I had a pouch of nuts and a nervous house mage who could turn invisible. It wasn’t much.
But it was better than nothing.
I needed rest. Tomorrow would demand everything I had, and I wasn’t sure I had anything left to give.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KAGE
Iwoke with a gasp, my heart hammering against my ribs like a bird desperate for freedom. The ceiling swam into focus above me, unfamiliar and wrong. The castle ceilings had cracks in them, little imperfections I’d memorized over centuries. This ceiling was pristine, and for a disorienting moment, I thought I’d been caught.
Then the events of the previous night came flooding back. The dungeon. Nico. Running. The inn.
And the sleeping.
I had fallen asleep. Me. In a bed that wasn’t mine, in a room that wasn’t the castle, with another person beside me.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept. House mages didn’t need sleep the way other beings did—we replenished our energy through cleaning. When there was nothing to clean, we withered. When there was everything to clean, we thrived.
I hadn’t cleaned anything for days. The castle had been in chaos, and then I’d been running through forests and crawling through secret passages. It was no wonder I’d slept; my magic was depleted.
Nico was snoring softly, and I rolled my head slowly toward him.
My breath caught in my throat.
We were close. Really close. His back was nearly pressed against me, and if I moved even an inch forward, I would touch him. It sent panic spiking through my veins, but I held myself still.
