A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) - Kevin Hearne Page 0,172

permanent. We’re fine.”

“I’m so relieved. But please don’t blame yourself. All the blame rests with Garst. And if it makes you feel any better, he received his comeuppance from a Priest of the Gale.”

Elynea palmed the tears away from her eyes and said, “A Priest of the Gale? One of those Kaurian warrior monks?”

I grinned at her. “You should have seen it. He was so peaceful there at the end, so polite and cooperative with his face mashed into the floor.”

“Ah!” She clapped her hands twice and returned my smile. “So justice still exists. That does make me feel better.”

“Good. Are you safe now? Is there anything I can do for you?”

She looked over her shoulder. “Well, when we left you said that we’d always be welcome back…”

“That was true. And it’s still true.”

“I was hoping we could stay with you again while I look for another job.”

“Oh, of course! Of course! Please do! Where are the kids now?”

She hooked a thumb behind her. “We’ve been hiding at Dame du Marröd’s for the past few days. Do you still need furniture and…things?”

“Well, perhaps not. Some men were working on the house today, and I’m not sure what to expect when I open the door.”

“I saw them. They were moving a lot of stuff in there.”

“Oh. Shall we take a look, then?”

I asked her to hold my manuscript while I fumbled with the keys. “These are all new,” I explained. “I need to figure them out.” I began with the top lock and didn’t get it to turn until the last key. The main lock with the knob underneath it likewise didn’t turn until the second try, maximizing my embarrassment. At least I knew by process of elimination which key would turn the bottom lock. “Great. I’ll take that back,” I said, reaching for the manuscript. “Go on in.”

She turned the knob and pushed open the door, stepping inside. Her gasp of surprise was only a beat ahead of mine.

“They did a lot more in here than I thought,” I said.

The living area was fully furnished with a new sofa, chairs, and conversation table, as well as bookcases full of books that I did not own. I needed only a brief glance to confirm that it was all far above a university professor’s pay. That meant I was in deep debt to the Wraith or the pelenaut or somebody before I even got into the bedrooms.

“Oh, gods, I am in so much trouble,” I muttered. When the men with tool belts had bidden me farewell that morning, I had expected a few spare extras but nothing like this. I wasn’t looking at simple security and convenience; I was looking at luxury. And one way or another, the Wraith would make me pay for it.

“What are you talking about?” Elynea said. “This is fantastic! Look at this fabric!” She was petting the sofa like it was a precious baby rabbit, and I had to resist the temptation to join her. It did look fantastic, but I knew that I hadn’t earned it yet, and I feared what it would cost me.

I couldn’t worry about it in front of her, though, so I nodded and pasted a smile onto my face. “It’s very nice,” I managed.

The kitchen hid new dishes and silver in the cabinets. The bedrooms had entirely new beds and frames in them, along with hardwood wardrobes that looked like they might be imported from Forn. The one in my room almost certainly was, hand-carved with intricate flourishes and probably worth more than my annual salary at the university. The second room—which would belong to Elynea and her kids—had two spacious beds in it. It had to be an upgrade from Garst’s quarters or cramped shared space in Dame du Marröd’s house.

“This is wonderful!” she said, and turned to me; her expression lit up. “Your new job working at the palace must be treating you very well!”

“Yes, very well,” I said, ashamed that I couldn’t explain that I hadn’t paid for any of this. The perplexing thing was that I couldn’t see any of the security supposedly installed beyond the locks. That, I supposed, meant it must be excellent security.

“May I go get the kids?”

“Absolutely! They live here with you now.”

Elynea’s face twisted for a moment, and then she lunged at me, clutching me tightly in a hug made awkward by the fact that I was still cradling the manuscript at my side. She had her head turned sideways against my