Page 16 of Ember and Eclipse
“Him? He’s alone and cheap,” she hissed. “I’m going to put him in the clos- errr one of the lower rooms.”
The man merely shrugged a shoulder.
Beaming at them, she waddled around the bar, and Rel could now see that she was very pregnant, her stomach so round that it looked like the babe would be there any day.
“Excuse me, sir, looks like you got the wrong key. I’ll take this one,” she said after grabbing it off the table, “and leave you with this one. It’s, uhm, an upgrade!”
“An upgrade!” he slurred, holding up his cup as if to cheers causing the drink to slosh over the sides. The patron wore hideous garb, the tear-dropped shape designs on the tunic and matching pants an obnoxious buttery color that only served to bring out the pale man’s yellow undertones. He chugged the beverage before slamming the mug down on the table. Rel was confident he wouldn’t be able to find his room later, regardless of the change.
“Here you go then,” she said, a bit winded as she came back toward them.
Devdan traded coin for the key without comment, forcing Rel to be polite while being complicit in her own abduction. “Thank you,” she murmured.
The woman waved her off and waddled into the back, barking at someone to cover the front.
“I’d hate to see what the other rooms look like if this is their better room,” Devdan said.
The room was incredibly small and cramped, especially with the beast of a hunter standing in it. The bed was just big enough to fit two average-sized people. There was a bit of space on either side of the bed, and near the door was a stand with basins of water, towels, and a small vase filled with a dry sprig of an herb she didn’t recognize. Shoved into the far corner was a wooden chair that sat near a thin window.
“I will not share the bed with you,” Rel finally said.
“You can sleep on the floor if you so choose. It makes no difference to me.”
“Shouldn’t you man the door like any good jailer?”
He gave her a roguish look. “Try and run—I like a good chase in the moonlight. Shall I remind you that we wouldn’t even be in Gavenport if it weren’t for you trying to poison me? We would have passed this areabeforethe weather.”
“I’msosorry that I upset your perfect abduction plans.”
He shrugged. “I happen to enjoy this city.”
Of course he did.
Chapter XI
Relrefusedtosleepon the floor. So, they slept on their sides, their backs to each other, and only inches of space left between them. Rel, despite very much wanting to get away, fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
Devdan had woken before her and came and went. It was concerning that someone so large could move around without waking her, but she was grateful for the privacy. She searched the room, hoping he had left a weapon behind, but to no avail. They were all probably concealed on his person.
A clap of thunder lured her to the window, where she looked down into the bustling streets, the rain still no deterrent for merchantsorbuyers. If anything, they were even more crowded than they had been yesterday, with a renewed vigor and excitement hovering in the atmosphere. She noticed merchant carts already stationed, with new ones arriving every minute. It almost looked like… a festival.
A small smile came unbidden to her lips. A crowd was much easier to get lost in. She would need enough time to find her way out of the labyrinthine city if she escaped. All she knew was that she needed to go down to get out, as they had primarily traveled at an incline. However, it was misleading as the levels of the streets varied greatly—rising only to drop off again with a store or home built in a way that followed the elevation. Leaning out the window as far as she could, she tried to see the lay of the city, but they were somewhere in its center, nothing but more dark blue rooftops in all directions.
The door opened, and she pulled her head back in quickly. Devdan merely arched a brow at her jumpiness.
“They have a festival when it rains?” she blurted out.
“Wouldn’t you? The rain floods the roads at the same time every year, and hundreds of merchants make port with their goods. Imagine all those people getting stuck here and they have nothing to do to pass the time except indulge in drink, local food, and goods. The city takes advantage of that with a large event, and thus they have the Rains Festival.”
It was rather brilliant. Though the skies were gray with gloom, and the rain fell steadily, the street was lined with booths. Overhead of the stalls were swaths of fabric that directed the rain into alleyways with large drains that kept the shopping area much drier.
At the audible rumbling of her stomach, Devdan opened the door wider in a silent command.
“When does the festival begin?” she asked between bites of her hotcakes. They were overly rich after the more savory food she was used to in the swamp and the dry meat she was forced to eat on the road, but she would clean her plate regardless.
It wasn’t the hunter that answered her.
“The shops will be opening any minute now, but tonight is when therealcelebration begins. I suggest getting all your shopping out of the way sooner than later so you can get back here before we fill up for all the dancing,” the waitress, Leeda, said.
