Page 104 of Between Soul and Vessel
“No, they’ll stay with us,” Artemesia answered.
“Are you sure? I can have one of my eunuchs chaperone them,” she said. “It wouldn’t cost much more.”
“Thank you for the offer, but they’ll stay with us.”
“Very well. That will be four cords then.”
“Your prices have gone up,” Artemesia noted.
“Blame the empress for raising the slave tax again,” the innkeeper sighed as she smoothed her hands over the linen, giving them a final pat, another waft of lavender bursting into the air.
“Achoo!” Kaleb sneezed.
The innkeeper side-eyed him. “It’s getting more and more expensive to keep them. I have one who is intact, but I fear I might have to have him castrated soon. Such a shame.” She shrugged, shoved the linens to the side, and then held out her hand.
From her coin purse, Artemesia retrieved four strings of coin, ten on each, and handed them to the innkeeper. They plunked in her palm.
Jostling them a few times, the innkeeper tested their weight. “That oughtta do it. Your rooms are on the second floor. I’ll have some food brought up.”
“Thank you,” Artemesia said, tapping the counter twice before we all headed upstairs.
Later on, I rested my hands against the windowsill, feeling the fresh breeze dance over my skin. Across the street, a woman swept the sidewalk in front of a shop withwindows full of plants. Above her, the wood sign swung gently from side to side, the well-oiled chains that held it in place making nary a whistle. Etched into the wood, in a language I did not know the name of but surprisingly could read, it said,Root Tonics.
The woman, the shop, the name—it all reminded me of Ezra.
I couldn’t help but miss her.
Soon enough, we would find each other again.
As per the rule of the lands, intact males were not allowed to be left unchaperoned. The chaperone had to be either a female or a eunuch. Because of this rule, it meant one female had to stay with one male. Earlier on, deciding who was going to stay in what room was a process, about as organized as a monkey shit-fight. Which, when it came to Folkoln, who put up the biggest stink about staying with Artemesia, wasn’t a stretch from the truth. Surprisingly and begrudgingly, she’d agreed to stay with him, but not before she threatened to chop his cockandballs off if he tried anything on her.
Go, sis.Talk about ambitious.
Then, there was the whole situation between Kaleb and Fallon. He had refused to stay with her, which I found even more odd, something I made a mental note to ask him about later. So, he ended up with Harper, while Fallon roomed with Soren. Lyra and Ryker stayed together. Which left me with—
Tattooed, muscular arms wrapped around my torso, pulling me against his strong, unyielding frame.
Von.
I brushed my fingers over his prominent, thick veins, feeling the potent power thrumming through them as they filled with blood for me. The warmth of his skin was like fire against my cool fingertips. My wandering hand stopped, finding a new path to trace—the vine tattoo inked into his arm. It was just as I remembered it, the thorns sharp and menacing, twisting this way and that. The masculine twin to the one he had given me when I made the deal with him, promising him everything. My gaze shifted to my forearm, to where the ink used to be.
So much had happened between us. I had betrayed him. Betrayedus.
“Von, I—”
“Shh,” he purred the word, the sound deep and low. Throaty.
It made my knees weak.
Hemade my knees weak.
For him and him alone, I would kneel, just to get a taste of him.
“I know we have much to discuss, but I want you to memorize how this feels,” he continued, his deep cadence like a wicked, dark spell cast over me, tethering my every thought to him. His fingers drifted along my jawline, gently angling my face up to his. “Because after we’re done talking, and after we’re done fucking”—he gave a roguish smirk—“I want you to fall back into my arms, just like this, right where you belong. Where you willalwaysbelong.”
Warmth spread throughout my heart. I understood themessage behind his words. No matter what, his love for me was unwavering.
While I had been fickle and confused, Von had remained strong and steady.
