Page 63 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
She darted toward Winter, but she could feel his eyes on her back as she mounted.
She didn’t love him.
She couldn’t.
Chapter 27
MYRA
"Look! There’s an inn up ahead,"Rian said, pointing toward a quaint building in between the cypress trees. "We should take the chance to sleep in a bed while we can. Once we cross the border, the chances of being recognized will increase tenfold."
Myra looked at the captain. They had been riding since dawn, and dusk was coming in faster than any of them would have liked. After trudging through the swamps, a good night’s rest sounded too good to pass up.
"I suppose you have a point," Laurince said, albeit reluctantly. "Although, it’s not our fault you stick out like a brick in a pile of sticks. Maybe you should sleep outside in a tree, and we’ll get rooms for ourselves."
"Ha! If I have to sleep outside, you do too," Rian said, jumping off his horse.
Laurince followed, his boots slamming against the ground. He mumbled something unintelligible and pulled Rian’s hood further down his head, covering his deep auburn hair. Rian swatted at the captain’s hand, and Myra rolled her eyes. The two men continued to bicker as they handed their horses to the stable hand.
She almost regretted accompanying them. The last time they had traveled together, none of them had been too eager to converse, their minds weighed by the horrors they had barely escaped in Ardentol. It seemed that was no longer the case. Laurince and Rian bickered like an old married couple, neither agreeing with anything the other said unless it was about food or sleep. And even those topics often resulted in a long-winded debate.
"Let’s just see if they have a room, all right?" Myra asked.
Rian looked over his shoulder at her, his green eyes hopeful. "Can we also see if they have something to eat?"
Laurince’s stomach growled. "That’s actually not a bad idea."
When they turned to Myra, waiting for an answer, she sighed. Sometimes, Myra couldn’t believe these two men held such prestigious titles.
"Very well."
They both gave her wide grins. Laurince yanked the door open.
Inside, the warmth of a burning hearth wrapped around Myra’s frigid limbs, dispersing the creeping night’s chill. Notes of fresh bread, cinnamon, and thyme sprinkled the air and instantly had her mouth salivating. A large chandelier hung from the wooden ceiling, casting a warm light upon the tables topped with flickering candles.
But it was neither the warmth nor the comforting scent of baked goods that made Myra’s entire body sag in relief. For the first time in a long time, there wasn’t a single feeling of hostility, rage, or fear. The emotions swirling in the tavern were light and playful. The brightly colored threads brushed her cheeks like a gentle caress. The only dredge of paranoia she sensed came from the two men beside her, and even their anxiety had dwindled by several degrees since entering. It was as if a spell had been cast over the building that forced merriment upon its patrons.Whatever it was, it had the three of them bee-lining to the innkeeper at the bar, their steps perkier than they had been only seconds before.
The innkeeper was a tall, thin woman. Her blonde hair was tied in a knot that sat on top of her head. Small curls framed her face, the ends bleeding into a black tint as if she had dipped the bottom half of her hair in a bucket of ink. When she faced them, the strands of multicolored crystals dangling from her ear clattered harmoniously.
Wiping her palms on the front of her beige apron, the woman smiled at Rian. "How can I help you, handsome?"
With a cocky smirk, Rian rolled up his sleeves and leaned on the bar, his gaze momentarily lowering to where a large selenite pendulum necklace rested on the woman’s collarbone. "That depends. Are you on the menu by chance?"
The woman laughed. Throwing the towel she held over her shoulder, she grabbed a loose string hanging lazily between her breasts and twisted the slim fabric around her index finger.
Laurince pressed a hand against Myra’s back. "Come on," he said, nodding toward the tables. "Let’s grab a table while he sorts out the rooms."
Myra nodded, not caring to see Rian carelessly flirt his way into a room.
Laurince patted Rian on the back and winked at the woman. "In case he forgets to ask, we’d like two rooms, please."
Before the innkeeper could respond, Laurince ushered Myra forward, letting her lead the way. She wove between the tables, offering the other patrons polite smiles as she passed. The inn must have been a popular location, for most of the tables were already occupied. Women and men chatted and laughed as they drank from mugs while a lanky man played a mandolin in the corner. The mandolin player suddenly changed songs, and cheers erupted across the tavern, the tune apparently acrowd favorite. Several people got up from their seats, their feet smacking against the wood at a lively beat as they danced closer to the mandolinist.
Unable to help herself, Myra reached for the threads of the patrons, latching onto their joy as if it would be the last time she would come across it. Instantly, her smile grew wider and her steps lighter.
"Apologies, my lady," a man said when he bumped into Myra. "I didn’t see ya there."
"Perhaps you should look where you’re going," Laurince said gruffly behind Myra.
