Fear of Fire and Shadow (The Fade #1) - Samantha Young Page 0,42

Ryl.”

“Will they still be there?”

“Yes. They’ll send some men out to search but they won’t move perchance we return to them. I’ll ask Lieutenant Chaeron to bring the men and meet us in Caera at Vojvodkyna Winter Rada’s home, as planned.”

I gave a brittle nod, thinking his plan sound, and sighed, deciding to trust him. For now. “We need to get a move on. We’ve already lost too much time.”

“I know.”

Wolfe had to stop and ask someone where the nearest inn was. We were pointed in the direction of a drinking tavern we were told had rooms above to rent. There were stables behind the tavern and we secured the horse, handing over coin to the stable boy who kept guard over the clientele’s horses.

Chilled as the night grew later, we headed into the tavern. We garnered the attention of all its occupants and conversation hushed. I was surprised when Wolfe’s hand slid into mine; I jolted at the fissures of pleasure that shot up my arm at the feel of his rough, warm fingers entwined with mine.

He gave a slight shake of his head, his blue eyes startling in the light of the barroom and warning me not to make a scene, to just go along with the hand-holding. I responded with a subtle nod and he relaxed a little, leading me past the chairs and tables, ignoring the other patrons. The noise rose again as we approached the bar, and the burly barkeep came over to us, a wide grin appearing in among his massive ginger beard.

“Well, good evening. What can I get you?”

I relaxed at this warm welcome, such a jarring contrast to the streets outside.

Wolfe nodded congenially. “Good evening. We would like a room, if you have one available.”

The barkeep’s eyes lit up, I gathered at the thought of earning the extra money from renting a room. He looked me over before turning back to Wolfe with a wink. “Aye, I’d be wanting a room, too, if I were you.”

I flushed despite being used to overhearing such talk among the Guard and servants back at the palace.

Wolfe squeezed my hand and shrugged at the barkeep. “My wife and I are tired—we’ve been traveling a while,” he lied, and I knew it was for my sake and my sense of propriety, a sense that seemed a little redundant considering everything we’d just experienced. “I’d like a room and some food sent up. Also, we had a little mishap on the road. You wouldn’t have some clean clothes we could purchase from you?”

“Not a problem, lad.” He reached under the bar and brought up a key. “Room 2 is available.” He pointed to stairs hidden in the shadows of the room. “Just up there. I’ll have my wife bring you a dinner plate and some clothes.”

“And some hot water,” I interjected, desperate to wash at least some of the grime off my body.

“Of course. That’ll be three and twenty.”

I tried not to gape at the outrageous charge, knowing we were deliberately being ripped off. Did we really look that desperate? I noted Wolfe’s irritation in the slight tensing of his jaw. However, Wolfe handed over the money and took the key, and he almost dragged me out of the barroom and upstairs.

“Are you trying to pull my arm out of the socket?” I snapped as we stepped onto the landing. Wolfe didn’t acknowledge my comment until he’d hauled me inside Room 2 and slammed the door shut with the heel of his boot. He locked it.

“I was trying to get you out of the bar before I had to fight those bloody men over you.”

My eyes widened as he strode toward the fire in the room and set about lighting it. The room was small with only a double bed (I noticed with a strange thump of my heart), but it was clean. “What are you talking about?”

Wolfe snorted. “These people have been left to live in squalor for too long. We should have known about this. Instead we sit on our plush cushions in Silvera, thinking the world outside happy and adoring and at peace. This isn’t peace.” He pointed outside the window as he glared at me. “Where have we been, Rogan? We’ve let our people come to this and we dare to look down our noses at them. Those men haven’t seen anything as fine as you in a long time, and I was making bloody sure we were out of there as fast as