Earth-like with its brick walls and white-framed glass windows. It can’t be more than two or three bedrooms at most. At the side of the house is a stable with a row of stalls facing out, and I can hear the clip-clop of horseshoes on the stone floors. Alun places his hand on the door and pushes it open.
“I’m home and we have two guests!” Alun shouts through the house as I step inside the small entrance hall, which only feels more cramped as Torfinn steps in after me, shutting the door. It’s warm in here, and it smells like roast dinners and coffee. I already like it.
“I thought it was only—” An older woman stops mid-sentence in the middle of the stairs right in front of us as she sees us all. The woman has an apron on over a simple grey dress, and her black hair is pulled up into a messy bun. Her eyes are kind as they fall on me, and she smiles softly before looking to Torfinn.
Now, her eyes look fearful for a moment before she finishes her descent down the stairs. She hugs Alun, and he kisses the top of her head. “I think introductions are in order?”
“This is Daesyn Heartlocke, and you know Torfinn from my stories,” Alun comments and then looks at me. “This is my mate, Velia.”
Velia looks a little confused, but she hides it well. “I’m glad to meet you both. I’m afraid my twin daughters are out with the horses, but they will be back within a few hours. The only issue is we have one spare room and only one spare bed.”
“I will take a sofa, and Daesyn may have the bed,” Torfinn suggests, and I glare at him.
“Considering I’m an unexpected guest, I should take the sofa. I don’t want any favours from you,” I growl.
Torfinn smirks. A dangerous smirk. “Take the bed. It’s not a favour.”
“It is,” I snap.
“Is there food?” Mossy wakes up, grumbling. Everyone’s eyes, including mine, fall on the monkey in my arms.
“What is that?” Alun asks, frowning at it. “And how does it talk?”
“This is Mossy,” I say. I’m not telling them he is fae kind. Not considering what they do to fae here.
“How about I take you to your room, Daesyn,” Velia kindly suggests, not thrown at all by the talking monkey. “And then I will start dinner.”
As Velia makes her way to the stairs, Torfinn leaves through one of the doors.
“I want to know why you have me here first. What do you want, Alun?” I question. Velia pauses on the stairs, looking back between us.
“If you don’t leave, you will find out” is Alun’s only answer before he walks through the same door Torfinn left out of. Velia smiles softly at me and nods her head up the stairs. Knowing I don’t have a choice and I could really use a shower, and new clothes, I follow her up.
“Why did you look at Torfinn in fear?” I ask Velia when we get to the top of the stairs. She looks back at me.
“I was taught as a child to fear the gods, and you should too,” she quietly answers. “It’s not often a demi-god is sent to our world.”
Chapter 5
Combing my damp black hair, I leave it down as I go back into the bedroom Velia led me to, shivering from the coldness of the corridor and missing the steamy bathroom. The bedroom Velia has given me is a small box room with a single bed, a square white-panelled window looking over the back of the house, and a small cabinet under the window with four empty drawers. Resting on the cabinet is a pile of dark clothes and even some worn-down boots. I pull the long-sleeved black top on over my bra, enjoying the soft fabric, and slide into the tight black trousers that were clearly made for a taller person than I am. I roll the bottoms of the trousers up to my ankles before sliding on the socks and boots, which again are a little big, but it’s liveable. I’ve sure as hell lived in worse clothing than this.
“When are we leaving, short stuff?” Mossy asks me, jumping onto the bed from the window. The blue and silver monkey looks right at home on the white sheets of the bed, and I hope I can be as relaxed as him at some point. I’m still not sure this whole house and offer isn’t a trap.
I groan.