Page 23 of Prisoner of Steel and Shadow

Sebastian opened his mouth, but Ronan silenced him with a challenging lift of his brow. Pulling free of his hold, his guide huffed but didn’t say anything further. Which was a miracle, frankly. The man hadn’t shut up since they’d woken up that morning. Actually, there had been about an hour of blessed silence before Bast stumbled out of his room, bleary-eyed and still reeking of ale. The second he saw he had a captive audience, he’d started talking and hadn’t stopped.

Ronan now knew far more than he ever intended to about his guide—home realm: Colvers, age: twenty-seven, star sign: the lumineer, longest relationship: two weeks, shortest relationship: two hours, life’s mission: fuck and drink his way across Empyria. From the sound of it, he’d nearly completed his goal.

As for new information about Glimmermere or Reyna’s location? He had none.

The few times he’d managed to slip Sebastian long enough to ask a townsperson if they’d seen a woman matching Reyna’s description, they shook their heads and offered apologies that ranged in sincerity. Many were too distracted by the High Lord’s competition to spare him more than a passing second, so he couldn’t be certain they’d given his request the attention it deserved.

As they’d neared the heart of the city, the crowd had only grown, to the point it was impossible to walk down the street without squeezing past another person.

Bast eyed the throng and then looked across the street to a busty wench blowing him kisses. “This is where I leave you,ami.”

“What happened to being my guide?”

He gestured vaguely around him. “Welcome to Glimmermere. You aren’t going to get far with these crowds. Besides, you made it clear you do not value my company, so I will spend time with someone who does.”

“It’s not your company she values, and you’re fresh out of coin. Remember?”

Bast rolled his fingers, making something round and golden glint in the sunlight.

“You little shit,” Ronan growled. “If I find out that you stole from me, I will break every single bone in your hand. One at a time. And I will take great pleasure in it.”

“Relax, Ronan. It’s not your purse you need to worry about. Find me when it’s time to eat. In the meantime, I will see about satisfying my other appetites.”

Ronan watched the blond man saunter away with a wry shake of his head. That bastard may not know his way around town, but he certainly knew his way around women. Within seconds, one hand was tangled in the wench’s hair while the other slid beneath the back of her skirt.

“Good riddance.”

Relieved of one burden, Ronan spotted a fishwife making use of the influx of visitors.

“Silverjacks and flippered-eels, two motes each!” she crowed, a dead fish raised high above her head. “Caught fresh this morning!”

Dusting off his most courteous and charming voice, Ronan stepped up to the side of her booth. “Excuse me, madam.”

Judging by the glare she sent his way, he was more out of practice than he thought. Usually a smile was enough to charm any woman regardless of age or marital status, but unlike the fish at her stall, she wasn’t biting.

“Buy something or get out of my way. You’re scaring off my patrons.”

He raised a brow and did a pointed scan of the complete lack of customers. “I think the smell of your wares is doing that all on its own.”

She glowered. “This is prime product. You can fuck straight off, you foul-mouthed shite.”

Well that escalated quickly.

Ronan’s brows flew up. “Foul-mouthed? I was being polite. You’re the one hurling profanities.”

“That’s not all I’ll be hurling if you don’t pay up or get lost.”

I should be taking notes.

Ronan pulled out two of the starlings he’d won the night before. As far as he could tell, that was enough to pay for everything she had on ice and then some.

For the first time, the woman looked at him with something other than annoyance. Genuine interest shimmered in her eyes. She reached out to snag the coins, but he held them high over his head. “Ah-ah-ah. Answer my questions, harpy, then I’ll pay.”

“Half up front or no deal.”

“Are you always this delightful, or are you making a special effort with me?”

“Only my customers get my smiles.”

---