“I’m Frida.” I shook his hand, noting his fingers were covered in ink stains. “Are you a writer?”
“I sure am. If you saw the bookshop down the road, it’s mine.”
“You got any novels by Silva Sweetwater? I’m a big fan.”
“Did you say you’re a big fan ofSilva Sweetwater?” Rune said as he thundered up behind us. He deposited a frothing tankard on the table before me, then took the last remaining seat at the table. His brow was arched in a very exaggerated fashion.
I fought the blush heating my cheeks. “You’ve heard of her books? I didn’t think you were the target audience.”
Rune grinned. “I’m not. I didn’t think you would be, either. They’re quite raunchy, I hear.”
“And you don’t think a woman can enjoy a nice raunchy book now and again?”
Rune grunted and hoisted his tankard into his hand. I could have sworn a hint of pink dusted his moss-green cheeks. “‘Course she can. I just thought…”
“You thought what?” I prodded.
“Nevermind all that. Enjoy your ale,” he said.
Rune scratched the bottom of his tusk, frowning. My reading Silva Sweetwater went against everything he thought he knew about members of the Assassin’s Guild, something I hadn’t even considered. I should have brought it up at his cottage when I’d spotted all the books lying around. With every passing moment, he was becoming more and more convinced he had me wrong.
I lifted my tankard and angled it his way, then tipped the contents down my throat. The ale had a bitter edge to it, but it went down easy, sending a soothing warmth through my belly. As the minstrels broke out into an upbeat song, I gazed around the booming tavern, taking it all in. Everyone looked happy. Content. For a while, I just sat there, relishing it. Letting the happiness wash over me, filling my aching heart with the first moment of peace I’d truly felt since leaving Louisa’s ship. Rune sat beside me, doing the same.
Eventually, the minstrels took a break, and the roar of conversation rose to replace the sound of music.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Rune,” Valdar said, leaning back in his chair.
I arched a meaningful brow at Rune, but he ignored me. Instead, he took a long gulp of his ale, like he was stalling. He probably was.
When he finally set down his tankard, he said, “I’m here often. Guess it’s been too packed for you to notice.”
The skin between Rune’s brow pinched, and he looked away. He was lying right through his teeth about coming here often, and the skepticism on Valdar’s face only confirmed it. Rune wasn’t exactly the kind of person to blend in when he went somewhere.
“Sure, all right,” Valdar said, frowning. “Listen, I’m going to grab another ale. You two want a refill?”
Rune looked at me. I smiled and said, “That would be lovely, thank you.”
As soon as Valdar stood and vanished into the throng, Rune leaned sideways with a glint in his brown eyes. “He seems to like you. Any interest there on your side?”
I scrunched up my nose. “Where in fate’s name did you get that?”
“He offered to buy you a drink,” said Rune, his voice full of meaning.
“He offered to buy usbotha drink.”
“Only because I’m sitting here. It would have been rude to ignore me. Want me to leave so you can get to know him?”
“What are youonabout?” I shook my head, searching his expression for a sign that he was joking. And while he looked amused, he seemed to mean what he’d said. I cast my mind back to the moments before Valdar got up. The fire demon had seemed friendly enough, but it wasn’t like he wasflirting….oh.
Rune and his bloody traps. He couldn’t even sit back and enjoy the minstrels, so focused was he on tightening the noose around my neck. Though…I could hardly blame him. In his shoes, I’d probably do the same thing.
“I really don’t think he’s interested, Rune,” I said, shrugging. “Besides, he’s not really my type, anyway.”
“Oh? And what is your type?”
“I don’t know. It’s not a physical thing. I go for all types in that regard. But there’s got to be that spark. Someone who stirs something in me. It’s hard to put into words.”
“And he doesn’t give off sparks to you?” he asked.
