Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Raising his left hand, Thane gives his wrist a flick. One of the paintings across the room falls off the wall and crashes to the ground. I’m glad it’s not a Devell piece.
“What the shadows?” The guard whirls around, storming across the room to inspect the fallen painting. When he does, Thane tugs on my hand, and we hightail it for the exit.
Our footsteps thunder across the tiles, and the guard shouts, “What the shadows?” so loudly it echoes through the building.
We don’t stop running until we reach the end of the footpath leading to the inner city. Coming to a halt between two buildings, Thane takes a sweep of the area while I place a hand on the wall to catch my breath. A stretch of silence passes between us as we look at each other. Then the widest smile I’ve ever seen spreads across his face before he breaks out in deep laughter.
I bust out laughing myself, despite the burning sensation in my lungs. “Oh my gods,” I wheeze. “Did you see that guard’s face?”
“I think we scared the shadows out of him.” Thane’s laughter continues. I’ve never heard him laugh like this. It’s always a grunt or a dark chuckle. But this laugh is brighter, clearer—infectious, even. This is a new side of him, one I very much enjoy.
I press the back of my head to the cool wall. “I shouldn’t be having this much fun during a death journey.”
Thane shrugs his shoulders. “Better to laugh your way through it.”
I swallow hard to clear the dryness in my throat, breathing a little easier now. “Can I be honest with you?”
He nods. “Of course.”
“I just… I worry that I won’t make it back to Analla. What if that captain doesn’t show tomorrow, or even the day after?”
“We’ll steal a boat,” he says.
I frown and fold my arms.
“Fine. We’ll buy a boat,” he corrects himself.
I sigh. “Being on a speedship will be interesting. I’ve never been on one before.”
“Neither have I.”
I push off the wall, wiping my forehead. “Anyway, we should probably get back to the inn before that guard comes looking for us.”
Thane gestures in the direction of Irina’s inn, allowing me to take the lead.
…
The bath in our room is perfection. I feel like I can swim in the wide clawfoot tub.
The many scented soaps and the warm water that pumps straight from the heating well are such pleasures. To top it off, the towels are nice and fluffy. I wrap myself in one before putting on the nightgown I got from the wardrobe in Bernwood. Gadonia is way ahead of any other kingdom when it comes to inventions and convenience.
When I walk into the room neither Thane nor I wanted to share, it hits me that there’s only one bed. I try not to react as I sit on the edge of the mattress to detangle my hair and then braid it into sections.
As I do, I look at the sofa in the corner of the room, where Thane is making it into a bed.
“I’m curious about something,” I say after several minutes tick by.
“Mmm.” Thane glances at me.
“Why didn’t you push back harder about the rooms? You could’ve easily told Algar that you were sharing with him, and it would’ve been final. You know he was joking about Zephra, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
My heart flutters. “So you wanted to be in this room with me?”
“I agreed to protect you,” he murmurs. “I can’t do that if I’m in another room.”
“You were in another room in Bernwood,” I remind him.
He removes a quilt from the wardrobe. “I put a lock spell around your door.”
“You did what?”
“While you slept,” he adds as he spreads the quilt on the sofa. “No one could approach it or come in, but you could leave whenever you wanted. I’d have felt you leaving, though.”
“Thane,” I breathe in disbelief.
Maybe Kelrean did try to come to my room, after all, but couldn’t get close…because of Thane. For all I know, Kelrean assumed I wanted the spell in place so I wouldn’t be bothered. It should frustrate me that Thane did that…but it ignites something in me instead.
Thane begins to remove his boots.
I hesitate before saying, “You don’t have to sleep there.”
“I figured you’d want space.”
“This bed is huge. And as long as you don’t punch or jab in your sleep, I don’t mind sharing.”
“I may have a habit of throwing an elbow or two in my sleep.”
I pause as I regard him. “I can’t tell if you’re joking…”
He smiles. “I am.”
I laugh. Seriously. I like this side of Thane.
A stretch of silence spreads through the room.
After I’m done with my last braid, I dry my hands off and adjust my nightgown, which seems to be clinging to my curves now. “Well…feel free to climb in.” I place my spectacles on a side table, then lift the cream-colored quilt on the bed.