Page 47 of All's Fair in Lion and War
“I’d actually just closed up for the night and was headed home when I ran into you.”
He led her inside, through the main door, flipped on a light and pointed to the long counter at the back of the dining area.
“Take a seat back there at the bar. I’ll get you a plate.”
There were tables and chairs flipped upsidedown on top of them. Seating sections along the walls were built like tiny rooms. Pictures of people and places lined the walls. And it was warm. So much warmer than outside and in the truck.
“It’s big.”
“Yeah, it’s the only bar in town. So we get all the traffic.” His words carried over his shoulder even after he’d disappeared from sight.
Lorelei crossed the large room and climbed into one of the seats attached to the counter he’d pointed her toward. The chair swiveled, but didn’t have legs. It was attached to the wall below the counter by a large black arm. She rested her feet on the metal arm and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the counter in front of her.
The scent of cooking meat drifted through the window straight ahead. Every few moments she saw Liam through the window in the wall, moving around, doing something. He’d said he was getting her food. Which she appreciated. She hadn’t really been able to eat much earlier today and her stomach was suddenly very aware of how empty it was.
“You’re new in town, yeah? I haven’t seen you before.” Liam’s voice was loud. He was shouting over the sound of the cooking, but it was friendly.
“Yes.”
“Did Karl fly you in? Or did you drive?”
What was the right answer?She’d walked, but that didn’t seem like an appropriate answer. He hadn’t offered that as a choice. Did people not walk here because of the snow? That seemed likely.
The trucks were common here. They seemed to be used for most transportation. But she didn’t have one. She didn’t know how to operate a truck herself.
“I—” She paused. What was she going to say? She couldn’t tell himwhoshe was or what was going on. Saul had been very clear about what humans could know. And if they knew more it was dangerous for both sides. “Were you able to call Saul?”
“I called Tor, but he didn’t pick up. Left him a message and texted.” Liam walked through the door to the side of the counter and came up in front of her with a plate in one hand and a large clear glass of what looked like water in the other.
“Here you go, lass.” His tone was familiar, but not in a I’m-planning-to-make-advances-on-you-later sort of way more of a I’m-not-going-to-let-anyone-near-you-cause-you’re-like-a-kid-to-me sort of way. It was kind and fatherly. Unnecessary, but still kind.
He didn’t look anything like her father, but his attitude definitely matched it.
“You look like you could use some meat on your bones.”
He set the plate in front of her and she snatched what looked like a roastedpavaroot and popped it into her mouth. It was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The texture was different thanpava,but it was pleasant and warm and the salt on it was delicious.
“Thank you,” she said, grabbing another piece from the plate. “These are good.”
“Roasted potatoes,” he nodded. “The rosemary gives them a nice flavor.”
She didn’t know what rosemary was, but apparently the squares were called potatoes.
“When’s the last time you ate?”
“This afternoon at Col and Naomi’s. But before that, I don’t remember,” she answered back quickly, surprised at her lack of hesitation.
Dalmeck!
She shouldn’t have told him that. She had a lot of her memories back, but not everything. Enough that she knew the order of events on Reylea. Enough that she knew she’d been on earth hundreds of days.
Rivian had taunted her day after day for months, making her relive finding out about Tallix’s death for his pleasure. He’d touched her aggressively on numerous occasions, but had never gone farther than squeezing and hurting one of her breasts or shoving her to the ground and laughing and telling her she was worthless now and lower than him.
It’d all been about power. About getting responses out of her for his own benefit.
Rivian had never raped her.
Never given permission to his warriors to have her either. Though many of them had been much rougher than he may have realized—kicking and clawing had been a normal daily occurrence.
