Page 32 of The Awakening of Essensia

The raucous laughter returned, but the woman only lifted her chin and returned to the bar. She set down the tray on the counter and approached them, her hands braced on wide hips.

“What’ve I done to deserve such noble lookin’ gentlemen such as yourselves twice in one month?” Her eyes roved over Eli shamelessly, before landing on Vaelira with a sneer. “Went to fetch this little thing, did ya?”

Eli exhaled sharply through his nose and slid three silver coins across the bar. “Two rooms. One night. Fresh water and a hot meal each.”

Vaelira’s eyes widened. He was overpaying. By a lot. Perhaps Freya hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d spoken of silks and gold.

The barmaid scooped up the coins and dropped them into the fold at the front of her apron. She nodded to a narrow staircase at the back. “You know the way, my sweet. Take the room you ‘ad last time, and the one across the ‘all.”

Eli nodded and stalked for the stairs. Jurah gestured after him. “After you.”

The room was small, as was the bed, and the floors were covered in dust, but at least she was alone. She left her bow and sword by the door, and her pack at the foot of the bed, then she unsheathed the pale-hilted dagger strapped at her waist. Vaelira turned the blade over in her hand then re-sheathed it, unstrapped the belt, and laid the dagger on the bedside table.

She stripped off her clothes and washed, not bothering to heat the pail by the fire. The icy bite was a welcome salve on her aching muscles. Then she cleaned her socks and underthings, laying them over a chair to dry near the small hearth.

Vaelira lay back on the firm bed, letting the warm air soothe her bare skin. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, willing it look ahead, and not behind. If it drifted back to Anhaven, she may never make it to Caerthalyn.

A knock startled her and she was suddenly very aware of her nakedness.

It came again.

She jumped up, pulling the sheet around herself as she scrambled to the door. Sliding across the latch, she opened it an inch, peering into the dim hallway.

“We’re going down for dinner.” Eli said, his face obscured by shadow.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You’ve barely eaten. We’ve been riding all day and will ride all the next. You need your strength.”

“I can’t right now.”

Eli’s hand came to the doorframe. “Do you have a man in there with you?”

“What? Of course not—”

He pushed the door open. She stumbled back, nearly losing the sheet as she landed hard on her backside. Warmth flooded her face as she checked the sheet was still in place.

He stepped into the room, his gaze scanning each corner before settling on the clothes drying by the fire. His mouth twitched. “Well,” he said, dragging the word out like silk. “You’re clearly in no need of rescuing.”

She glared up at him. “You can’t just barge in here.”

“I just did.” He raised a brow, holding her gaze. To his credit, his eyes did not stray.

He lifted his hands in surrender. “Come down when you’re decent,” he said, turning to go. “We both know you’ll feel better with something hot in your stomach.”

The door closed behind him, and she stared at it for several moments, taking a breath to calm the rising anger at his entitlement.

When Vaelira decided her clothes were sufficiently dry and her temper sufficiently contained, she descended the stairs slowly, the clink of mugs and rise of laughter drifting up to meet her. The tavern had changed in the brief time she had been upstairs. More people had poured in, tankards of ale were in every hand, and there was no food in sight. Laughter burst out above the steady hum of voices as pipe smoked curled overhead.

She spotted a gap near the corner where Eli and Lord Jurah sat at a table, straight backed and surveying the room.

She made her way towards them, weaving through the crowd, the press of sweaty bodies an insult to her freshly scrubbed skin. She dropped onto the bench beside them.

“You haven’t eaten?” she said over the noise, eyeing their untouched plates. “And after the lecture you gave me.”

Lord Jurah glanced at Eli and back to her. “We were waiting for you.”

She narrowed her eyes and threw a hand dramatically over her chest, mimicking the barmaid’s thick accent. “Such noble gentl’mun,” she exclaimed.