Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What . . . what are you doing here?” I stammered. Loud music from across the lane still filled the streets, and a sprinkle of snow flurries began to dance in the wind.
“Getting a room. You?” His tone remained calm, but surprisingly, he arched an eyebrow.
I pointed above his eye. “You moved your eyebrow.”
His cocked eyebrow immediately lowered. “Pardon?”
“Your face moved. Normally, it doesn’t do that.” His forehead furrowed ever so slightly, and I grinned. “You did it again.”
As if realizing he was sharing facial expressions, his demeanor smoothed entirely. “How very observant of you, Miss Hollaran.”
I just grinned more.
For the briefest moment, his gaze fell to my lips, but then he cleared his throat and nodded toward the door that he still held open. “Are you going in?”
Cold air swirled around us, the snow thickening, and the wildling sitting at the desk inside the inn shot us an irritated look. It probably didn’t help that I’d already opened the door half a dozen times to bring my supplies in.
I ducked inside, and Kole followed, closing the door after himself, but I stopped at the threshold, almost making the warrior bump into me.
I twirled around and scrunched my nose up at him. “It is odd, though, to see you again, especially here of all places.” I didn’t tell him that I’d sensed his presence the other day after I’d heard that strange growl in the Wood.
“Is it?” he asked, his bland voice giving away nothing, as if it was completely normal that we were running into each other again, in the wilds of the shifter kingdom nonetheless, and in some tiny village to beat.
“Yes, it is definitely odd.”
He shrugged. “Coincidences happen.”
“Are you both checking in?” the wildling behind the desk asked, forcing my attention to her.
I pushed off the strangeness of our paths colliding for a third time and sidled up to the check-in desk. Crackling from the inn’s fireplace overtook the howling wind outside, and the scent of mint filled the air. Candles burned near the desk, their subtle aroma permeating the entryway.
A ramifin waited expectantly, already standing with her ledger open before her. Hooved feet clapped the wooden floor quietly every time she shifted position.
It was a small inn, with only the check-in desk, several hallways stretching from it, and a lone stairwell in the corner.
A cozy fireplace with a glowing fire crackled across from the wildling employee, and the music from the salopas across the street could still be heard, but it was faint through the walls.
I smiled pleasantly at her, but her attention shifted momentarily to the large siltenite warrior at my back, and I was fairly certain the huge sword strapped to his back was the reason for her gulp.
Or perhaps it was Kole’s open demeanor and friendly smiles.
I snickered internally at my sarcastic humor.
“He’s harmless,” I said, my lips tugging up. “An enforcer of the law, in a way. You’re safer with him here, even with that sword of his.”
A throat cleared behind me, and I was curious if my comment had rattled Kole’s composure.
It had thrilled me to see his eyebrow move and then his forehead furrow.
The thought of an actual scowl brewing on his face elicited a pleasant shock in me that definitely bordered on the realm of disturbing.
Perhaps several days on the road by myself, with only mental check-ins with Gwen and Ree to keep me company, was making me a bit desperate for excitement.
Or maybe the Stone was affecting me again now that Kole was back. Who knew.
Smacking myself internally, I said happily to the wildling staff, “But yes, checking in please, as you probably noticed from all of the supplies I dragged in.” I waved toward the mess I’d made.
The ramifin dipped her long head. “I figured as much. Do you have a reservation?”
“No, but it’s just for one night.”
“Place your hand here.” She gestured to the crystal ball that sat beside the ledger, and I placed my palm upon it.
Magical bands encircled my wrist, keeping my hand in place as the crystal’s power siphoned my identifying information onto the wildling’s ledger. My name and home address appeared, scrawling upon the page as though written from an invisible hand.
“Whiteolf, eh?” She cocked her head, her snout looking even more elongated with the movement. “You’re a long way from home. We don’t see many Mistvale fae up here. Hunting the Stone, are you?”
I offered an unconfirming shrug. “Have many ventured this way after the Wishing Stone?”
She shook her head. “Only a few beside you, thankfully. From what I hear, most have gone to the eastern coast, in the direction it was seen headed. Is the Stone why you’re here too?” she asked Kole, her focus shifting to the warrior.
He didn’t reply, and the ramifin hastily returned her attention to the ledger.
She finished her work, and with my information carefully catalogued, the inn employee held out her hooved hand for the necessary rulibs. I counted the coins from the small purse tucked in my cloak and handed it over.
Finally, she gave me a key. “Upstairs on the second floor, third door down.”
I glanced at the staircase she waved to in the entryway’s corner and sniffed, trying to detect a hint of food in the air, but the only smell that greeted me was the burning mint candles. “Is food offered here?”
She shook her head. “You’ll have to venture across the street for that. Unlike most inns, we don’t have a salopas as well.” She shrugged an apology, but I smiled and waved away the trivial matter.
“It’s fine. I’m happy to go across the street. What was your name by the way?”
Her head snapped back. “My name?”
“Yes, I’m Primelle, as you can see on the ledger, but nobody calls me that. Feel free to call me Prim.”
“Ah, right, um, nice to meet you. I’m Nivinity.”
I grinned, taking great pride in the fact that a Stonewild wildling had actually told me her name. I’d half expected her to ignore me given their reputation. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nivinity. I’m sure I’ll see you again before the night’s over.”
She blinked, as if unsure how to respond, but then she dipped her head.
“Bye for now.” I waved cheerfully, strapped my pack to my back, and began to collect my things, lifting each item awkwardly.
Nivinity glanced at Kole, who’d been unsurprisingly silent. “You’ll have to have your information processed by the ledger as well, even if you’re staying in the same room.”
My eyes rounded to saucers, my mouth dropping. I swung toward Kole, but he was merely staring at Nivinity.
“No, we’re not. I mean, he and I aren’t—” I tried to slow my words, but my heart was suddenly racing. “He and I aren’t staying together. We barely know each other.”
Nivinity’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, sorry, I thought you two were a couple.”
“No, we’re not,” I blurted, just as Kole said, “No need for an apology.”
His more tactful response made my cheeks burn. I quickly gathered more of my goods and began shuffling toward the stairs. Of course, that was difficult. Between my pack, boxes of supplies, and the long cloak I was wearing, I nearly dropped everything.
It was only as I reached the stairs and did drop the box containing my cured meat and cheese that the warrior’s aura brushed against my back.
I wanted to smack myself at my clumsiness, but I didn’t have a free hand to do so, so all I could do was watch as a wheel of cheese rolled across the wooden floor while the package of meat thunked near Kole’s feet.
Perhaps I should be using my telekinetic magic even if it draws attention . . .
“Sorry about that.” My cheeks warmed, and I tried to bend down.
Before I could grab what I’d dropped, Kole reached for the box and easily placed the meat and cheese back inside it. From there, he took the remaining boxes I held along with my pack. He did it so quickly, as if automatically.
Empty-handed, I shuffled from foot to foot. “Oh, um, thank you.”
He abruptly stilled and glanced at what was in his arms. For the briefest moment, a look of surprise coasted over his features, as though he didn’t understand how all of my goods were now being carried by him, but then he said gruffly, “I’ll uh, take this up for you.”
He climbed the stairs quickly, not faltering once under the weight of my supplies, and despite my heart pounding when a rush of his scent curled around me, I hurried back to the entryway to grab everything else, then flashed Nivinity another smile in hopes of distracting myself from my latest visceral response to the warrior. “I love that necklace you’re wearing.”
She brought a hooved hand to the small gem encased in silver at her throat and smiled shyly. “Thank you.”
I hmmed a happy response, then climbed the stairs after Kole.
When I reached the second floor, my breaths came faster than they should have for a single flight of steps, but the warrior was already at my chambers, my supplies neatly stacked beside the door, and his height, impressive sword, and broad shoulders once again stole my attention and threatened to star in my next round of vivid female fantasies.
“Where are you staying?” I asked and beamed, hoping to cover up how easily he affected me. I inserted the key into my door’s lock awkwardly since I still held two boxes.
He nodded at the fourth door. “That one.”
“So we’re neighbors,” I replied, still struggling with the key. Seriously, it should not have been this hard, but Kole was standing so close to me, and apparently, coordination was no longer something I possessed.
The warrior reached out and took the key from me, our fingers brushing in the process. For the briefest moment, he once again grew still, but then he broke our contact and easily inserted the key and opened my door.
Warmth bloomed on my cheeks since my fingers still tingled from the brief touch we’d shared. “Again, thank you.” I shook my head sheepishly. “I swear I’m not normally this clumsy.”
His gaze lingered on my mouth again, much as he’d done downstairs. Abruptly, his nostrils flared, and he lifted his head. “It’s not a problem.”
His straight posture gave me a clear view of his lips and the strong columns in his throat.
A memory of the kiss we’d shared in Whiteolf again blasted to the front of my mind, and thinking of the feel of his arms caging me in and the tangle of his tongue caressing mine once again threatened to derail my composure.
Not that I currently had any composure . . .
Consequently, the uncontrollable urge to ramble to try and cover up my responses immediately took over.
“It’s so strange to see you again, all the way out here, nonetheless.
” I shoved my supplies through the door, then planted a hand on my hip.
“Say, whatever happened to those two males that you apprehended? Did they walk free or go to the court system? They were such awful fae. I hope they got what they deserved. And did that wildling mother ever find you that night? She came to me when I was sleeping and gave me a handful of the most delicious berries. I was wondering if she did the same to you?”
I was nearly breathless by the time I smacked some sense into myself and stopped talking.
But Kole just eyed me, his expression blank, although he was staring at my mouth again.
Abruptly, he shifted away and withdrew his key. “I took those males to Fillow and left them for the kingsfae to take care of. I’m unsure where the authorities took them from there, and no, the wildling mother never found me and gave me berries.”
“Oh, right, I kind of figured as much about the males, and I’m not surprised that you didn’t get any berries if you left with them to travel back to Fillow. She probably couldn’t find you.” I ran a hand through my hair, unsure what else to do.
The key he held still sat idly in his door’s lock, and it was then I realized that he didn’t have any bags. I cocked my head. “Don’t you have a pack or belongings you’re traveling with?” In a way, I felt entirely foolish given the sheer amount of goods I’d brought along.
But if he’d heard me, he didn’t indicate it.
His attention had dipped once again to fixate on my mouth, and I could have sworn that something flashed in his eyes.
Heat, maybe, or want? But that couldn’t be right.
The warrior wasn’t actually attracted to me.
He barely wanted to speak with me, let alone be around me.
Never mind how he’d kissed me in Whiteolf and practically devoured me in that moment.
That was a forced kiss, lest you forget that, Primelle Hollaran. Kole didn’t choose to do that, I silently chided myself.
Yet just when I was certain that the warrior was looking at me with a hint of lust, despite trying to talk myself out of it, a crack of magic flared around his wrist, and he snapped himself upright.
My attention dropped to where his magic had just flared. How odd.
Forehead furrowing, he said in a rush, “No, I don’t have any other bags. Good evening to you, Miss Hollaran.”
With that, he turned his key and disappeared in a flash of speed inside his chambers.