Page 82 of A Kiss From Death
I cock a brow at him, confused as to why he would know of a place down here.
“I’ve spent my fair share of time down here on missions for the Empress,” he admits.
I shake my head because that sounds about right with the people who live in my sector. Gather up a bunch of rowdy dangerous misfits, and trouble usually follows. I pick up my wet clothes and snag the extra shirt I pulled from Theo’s pile to bring back with me to Lunaria before following Hade out the front door. I take one last look at the shack I used to call our home and feel at peace with leaving it behind. Now, it just feels like four walls and a crumbling roof, nothing more.
Life keeps moving regardless of your circumstances, and it’s time I hop on the horse and keep riding along. Instead of Theo by my side, I’ll carry him in my heart.
“Be a good girl, and I’ll let you eat all the carrots your wild heart desires,” I whisper into Willow’s ear, giving her a parting kiss on the muzzle. I give her a little wave as a nervous stableboy attempts to walk her away to the small stable around back. She gives him hell the entire way, and I chuckle under my breath at her stubbornness.
Hade takes the lead, walking in front of me to open the door of an old, weathered inn. Its red brick exterior is crumbling in places, bleached by the sun. One window sits next to the door, but the curtains are drawn shut. A rotting sign dangles from above the door, the words ‘Rusty Copper Inn’ splayed in gold across it.
It’s a good thing I’m not a princess, or else I would be running for the hills. Growing up in Vagrant has made me appreciate the finer things the castle has provided, but I will never forget my roots or beashamed of them.
I duck through the door, avoiding the cobwebs hanging from the corners as Hade gestures for me to go in first. It’s dark inside, and a thick, musty smell assaults my nose as I approach the small desk nestled just inside the door, where an older woman lies face down, snoring loudly.
I reach forward tentatively and give her a gentle poke, attempting to wake her. She whips her head up, swinging her arms wildly as she yells threats about having a knife. Her glasses are crooked, resting half way down her nose, not a single tooth in her mouth. Her gray wiry hair lays in a wild pile atop her head, and wrinkles mar every inch of her tanned face.
“We mean no harm, ma’am’. We’re just hoping to get a couple rooms for the night. I’ll even throw in a few extra coppers for the trouble.” Hade’s firm voice carries through the small room, bouncing off the walls with authority, but it also comes off nonthreatening, which makes the old lady’s shoulders relax a bit.
She eyes Hade up and down for longer than appropriate and smiles at him with her toothless, rotting gums. “Well, why didn’t you say so, sunshine?” She beams up at him as her old, withered voice drags uncomfortably over my skin.
Her neck is practically snapped backwards from her height in comparison to his. She stands from her chair, but her height stays the same, her face barely reaching over the top of the short desk while she reaches for something hooked under it. “Though I only have one available room tonight, I’m afraid.” She narrows her eyes, trying to look seductive as she adds, “There’s extra room in my bed if you need a place to sleep tonight, big fella,” she purrs.
“One room will work just fine,” I respond quickly, snagging the key out of her boney fingers before she can pounce. She pouts, giving Hade wounded eyes, and he looks so uncomfortable, I have to put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from bursting laughing.
“Well, in that case, you’ll be in room four, right up those stairs.” She points to the crumbling stairs on her left, opening her mouth to say Empress knows what next. I’m pulling Hade up the stairs as he quickly tosses her a few coppers over his shoulder.
“Why the hurry?” he grunts behind me as I race us up the stairs before she changes her mind. He suddenly gasps dramatically. “Nyxi, are you jealous of a toothless old woman?” he teases me, and I roll my eyes at him over my shoulder.
“Hardly,” I spit defensively. Now that I think about it, I did just agree to sharing a room with this man without asking him first. I chalk it up to wanting to get out of there as fast as possible instead of laying claim to the man like a circling vulture. That would beinsane.
His deep chuckle crawls up my spine, and I tighten my grip on his hand without thinking. This man makes me act irrationally, and I can’t even stop it if I tried. We shuffle down the dim hallway, and dust kicks up from the floor, making me sneeze. I approach the door with a four etched into it and slide the key in. I twist a few times, and it doesn’t budge. With one final twist, I slam my shoulder into the door, and it gives way, flying open and bouncing on its rusty hinges.
I stride in like I own the place, acting as if I didn’t just have to win a fight with the door to get inside. I can tell Hade is holding back a laugh, but I ignore the hellion as I rake my eyes over the small room. The small room with the even smaller solo bed, which barely looks big enough to fit Hade.
This is just…perfect.
“Well, it’s…something,” I say under my breath, inching around the small bed sitting in the center of the room. There’s a tiny ensuite that houses a small toilet and surprisingly a tub. Even with its old age, it surprisingly looks decently clean, and I thank the Empress for that.
“It’s definitely no castle,” he jokes beside me lightheartedly, but he doesn’t actually seem put off.
I curtsey low and respond, “Welcome to Vagrant Sector, Your Majesty. We are arguably the best sector, but if you ask anyone else, they might not agree. I call bullshit, though.” I send him a wink, and he chuckles, making my insides turn gooey. This man has too much power over my body.
I think about plopping down on the bed, but I decide better when I notice the dirt and lake water riddling my body and hair. My stomach lets out a scream in protest, making Hade cock a knowing brow at me and my protesting stomach that always seems to need food.
“Why don’t you wash up, and I’ll go next door and grab us some food?” he suggests. I nod in agreement, because food right now sounds amazing, but I also know I’m in need of a major washing. I most definitely shouldn’t be seen in public like this.
“Are you telling me I stink, Hade?” I say incredulously, gasping dramatically. “I’m insulted, sir.”
He rolls his eyes and pushes me towards the ensuite. “Make sure to wash away your attitude while you’re at it,” he shouts over his shoulder and slips out the door before I can spew a response.
Wasting no time, I strip my clothes off, leaving them in a pile in front of the door as I switch the water on and drag my cold body under the blistering hot stream.
I tip my head back, letting the water soak my knotted hair. Luckily, I spot a bottle of liquid sitting on the edge of the tub, and I squeeze a dollop into my hand, massaging it thoroughly into my curls.
My head starts to wonder as my hands rove over my body. I’m taken back to how it felt to have Hade’s lips pressed against mine, the way his mouth laid claim to mine like a promise of devotion. My hand drags across my neck, and I remember the way his lips felt pressed against my pulse point. My hand travels south, and I’mforced to remember the way his hard body felt pressed up against mine. I drag my hand lower, running my sudsy fingers over my thighs, remembering the way he felt squeezed between my legs like an anchor.
I wash away all the suds along with the lasting memories, but the ache between my legs remains steady no matter how hard I try to push Hade and his big…personality out of my head.
