Page 68 of Peregrine's Call
She held up the little glass vial she’d secreted in the palm of her hand. “I still had some of Cecily’s poppy syrup in my bag, even after I used part of it during our escape at Willesden. I dumped it into Pierce’s ale. Believe me, he’s not going anywhere.”
Tav coughed, covering a laugh. “That’s devious. Why, though?”
“Because you need some rest. You can’t stay up all night to make sure he doesn’t run away.”
A warm smile lit his face. “Much appreciated. I suppose I should carry him upstairs.”
“Finish your meal,” Robin suggested. “He won’t mind.” She picked up the empty tankard from the floor and placed it carefully on Pierce’s back, where it stayed upright and rose and fell slightly with the sleeping man’s breathing.
They took their time eating. The barmaid brought over more stew when they asked, and every time Tav looked at Pierce’s face mashed on the surface of the table, he laughed a little. When he finished his plate, he placed it on Pierce’s back as well. Robin followed suit, until his back was covered with the dirty remains of supper. The other guests enjoyed the game, cheering every time an object was added.
Robin’s sense of amusement turned to giddiness by the end of the meal. It was just too funny to watch the once haughty lord become a fixture of tavern furniture.
Finally, Tav stood up. “I’ll get him upstairs, if you’ll remove the dishes from him.”
“Very well,” she said with a false pout.
He hoisted Pierce over his shoulder and carried him up the stairs, cheered on by the patrons.
“When you get to the top, toss him out the window!” one called out.
“There’s an idea,” Robin murmured. “If only we didn’t need him alive.”
Upstairs, Tav heaved the sleeping Pierce onto the bed of the private chamber he insisted on. Govannon had been sleeping on the bed already, and only gave a short, annoyed meow at the disruption.
He closed the door, but lingered there in the hallway. “You’re certain he’ll sleep through the night?”
“I’ve seen Cecily use this syrup many times. I know how potent a dose is, and this was a full dose. Trust me, we’ll have to drag him out of bed in the morning.”
“Still…” Tav opened the door, walked in, and gathered up Pierce’s few supplies, most notably his weapons and his money. “There. Now no one can sneak in and steal anything while he’s dead to the world. And he can’t slip off without us since he can’t pay his way on his own.”
They crossed the hallway to the common sleeping room. There were several beds with thin curtains to cordon off each area for a modicum of privacy. However, as the innkeeper said, they were the only guests using the sleeping accommodations. Late fall was simply not a time to travel if one could help it.
Tav knelt down to push Pierce’s supplies under his bed. Then as he stood up, he started laughing.
“What is it?” Robin giggled too, partly because she was already giddy, and partly because Tav’s laugh was so nice to hear.
“From now on, every time I look at Lord Pierce, I’ll picture him wearing a kitchen’s worth of dishes. That’s a gift that will never get old.”
Chapter 26
The tension of the daydrained out of Robin when Tav smiled.
But then the smile vanished, replaced with something else, something that sparked a new tension, beginning low in her belly.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Where will you sleep tonight?” he asked with so much heat in his voice that she felt warmth spreading through her body.
“With you, if you want me to.” She’d walk through fire if he asked her to.
“Yes,” Tav said, pulling her to him. “Yes, I want you to.”
Then his mouth was on hers, and she gave herself over to the desire his kiss always seemed to create. She moaned when she felt his tongue flick against hers.
Tav said something in a low tone, another phrase in a language she didn’t speak.
“Tav, say it again so I can know,” she begged.
