Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ellery
The man froze when he saw us. He held a container of trash, and a dirty apron covered his clothes. Patchy stubble covered his jaw; his brown eyes narrowed before falling to the chest at my feet.
His brow furrowed as confusion marred his features, and his gaze came back to us. He took in our matching outfits and his mouth parted as understanding dawned.
For a second, I worried he might shout for the guards, but then he glanced up and down the alley before waving us toward him. “Put the chest in the bin.”
I gulped at the idea of doing this. It was November, and there weren’t any flies, but I still couldn’t think about what was in that bin.
“It can’t come in here,” he whispered. “They’re searching the buildings.”
Shit.
I’d contemplated doing this and ruled it out, but nothing was stopping me now that the man knew the chest’s location. Taking a deep breath that I refused to release, I turned to the closest garbage bin and shoved aside the contents on top.
Tucker stepped forward and helped me to shove the garbage out of the way. I wasn’t breathing, but I swore the stench permeated my skin and dug deep because I could taste its foulness.
I ignored the rotting food squishing beneath my fingers and the irritated rodents chattering at us… or at least I tried to. My churning stomach was keenly aware of everything my brain attempted to shut out.
When we’d made enough room, I shoved the chest in the bin. Tucker and I buried it before we scrambled toward the open doorway.
Once we were safely inside, the man strode across the alley, dumped his garbage in the bin, and swiftly returned. He closed and locked the door behind him before setting down his container.
The lanterns hanging on the walls illuminated the large fireplace with a cooking fire burning beneath a cauldron. The cabinets and sink gleamed in the dim light, but pots and pans cluttered the surfaces.
“You can wash your hands in the sink,” the man said gruffly. “There’s soap beside it.”
“Thank you,” I told him.
Tucker and I rushed to the sink, and I used my elbow to turn on the faucet. I lathered my hands before handing the bar to Tucker.
With soap and water, I scrubbed away the brown goo coating my fingers. Tucker and I passed the bar back and forth a few times before we were satisfied we were as clean as we’d get.
I could still feel the goo slipping through my fingers, but at least no sign of it remained. Together, we cleaned the sink before I shut off the water.
I used the towel beside the sink to dry my hands while I turned to face the man. Tucker wiped his hands on his pants.
“We have to get out of here,” I said.
“I’ll have to open a portal out for you. This is my establishment and home; I’m the only one who can do so. I’m assuming you want to go to the Revenant Woods.”
“You know who we are?” Tucker asked.
“I know who she is… or at least I’m pretty sure I do.”
I smiled as I set down the towel and lifted my freshly scrubbed hands. On the tips of my fingers, lightning bolts came to life as they zipped between them.
Their light reflected in the man’s eyes as his mouth gradually lowered. “Amazing.”
A loud banging, coming from a room shut off by the closed doors across from us, turned all our heads toward the sound. “Open up!” someone bellowed from outside.
“Hold yer horses! I’ll be right there!” the man yelled back.
Without another word, the man opened a portal. Tucker grasped my elbow and propelled me toward it.
“I’m not sure exactly where it goes,” the man said. “I pictured the Revenant Woods, but I’m not familiar with them.”
“That’s okay,” Tucker assured him. “Once we’re in the woods, we can get where we need to go.”
I stopped next to the man and grasped his arm. “Please divide the money throughout the town.”
“I will,” he promised.
I smiled at him as I squeezed his arm. His fingers enveloped mine as he gazed at me with a mixture of hope and awe. I still wasn’t comfortable with being the hope of the amsirah, but I had to act like I was.
“Thank you,” I told him.
I wasn’t expecting the sudden sadness that filled his eyes as his fingers tightened on mine. “Take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
When another loud bang rattled the door, I released the man, and Tucker and I plunged into the portal.