A Shade of Vampire 80 A Veil of Dark - Bella Forrest Page 0,27

old age played a part in the mental degradation of these people. Were they kept there for their own safety, or for the safety of everyone else? I’d tried to bring it up with Kalon during our brief trip to Mamie’s tavern, but he’d repeatedly changed the subject, making it clear that he didn’t want to expand on the topic.

Patience, I thought, was my most precious tool in this instance. My mind was still fuzzy regarding the Zoltan incident, so I waited, sometimes breathlessly, for news from my brother. They’d gone out with an army convoy to look for the former chief councilor, and I knew Tristan would be in touch via Telluris as soon as they found something. In the meantime, Kalon and I had some Darklings to catch.

Mamie’s tavern was an interesting building, to say the least, made entirely out of wood. The windows seemed shoddy, but the glass was painted in different colors. I imagined it looked beautiful on the inside, especially during the daytime. The façade was whitewashed, while each window frame was coated in a soft red, like the slated roof. Smoke billowed from the tall and crooked chimney, a swelling charcoal column dissolving into the dark blue evening sky.

The sun was long gone, the reddish haze thinning to make room for the full moon and its stars. I had yet to fully understand how the spell worked, but I welcomed its presence while on Visio, since it made it slightly easier to walk in the daylight.

Vision horses were left to drink water from a trough on the tavern’s corner. The innkeeper had left some hay and freshly cut grass for them, as well. The horses had simple leather saddles on their backs, with animal hide satchels tied on both sides, likely belonging to those currently inside.

A mandolin-like instrument played within, the lazy rhythm wafting out onto the battered road. Kalon and I looked at each other before going in.

“We should pull on our hoods,” he said. “We’re obviously not from around here.”

“Too well-dressed for the locals, huh?” I chuckled.

Kalon nodded, slightly amused. “Pretty much. Besides, I’m not comfortable with every rogue ogling you while we wait for the Darklings to show up.”

“I take it you find me beautiful enough to draw the interest of the local Rimians and Naloreans?”

Was I fishing for compliments? Or did I just want to hear Kalon tell me I’m beautiful? Both options seemed more or less the same, since this really wasn’t about my vanity, but rather my silent desire to understand where I stood in his eyes. Was there something between us? Or was I just fooling myself?

“You’re beautiful enough to start a war and end it, too,” Kalon replied, his eyes searching my face as he inched closer. “Now, put your hood on and let me do the talking. We’ll need a couple of drinks in front of us while we wait for the mongrels to show up.”

I giggled. “Okay. But if the barkeep is good-looking, I can’t guarantee I won’t hit him up.”

Kalon smiled and covered his head. I followed suit, and we crossed the threshold. Inside, it seemed like an entirely different world. While forests and a lonely road reigned supreme outside, the village of Tromb just one mile south of here, glumness and mead seemed to dominate within the tavern’s walls.

I spotted the stairs leading up to the inn rooms. The bar was a couple of yards to its left, occupying an entire wall. It was a modest place, with raw wooden furniture and seemingly uncomfortable benches, but there were plenty of people killing time, most of them in dusted leathers and scraggy linen blouses that had seen one too many summers.

There were plenty of satchels and bags at their feet—the majority of patrons were clearly travelers, moving from one village to the next. I counted ten Rimians and five Naloreans, along with the tavern’s barkeep and maids. Kalon stopped at the bar, asking for a pitcher of blood.

“If you have any, of course,” he said slowly, not wanting to draw much attention to us.

The barkeep measured him from head to toe. “We don’t get many Aeternae around here,” he said. “And when we do, they usually bring trouble.”

I heard the screech of a blade moving underneath the counter. My heart jumped, and I quickly joined Kalon, wearing a lazy smile. “We were hoping we might get a room for the night, as well,” I said. “We’re on our way to the imperial city,