“I’m sorry,” I said and meant it.
“I spent most of the last ten years at Ganer College, where the best mind-healers of my world tried to mend my scars. I’ve read countless books. I’ve undergone many therapies and meditations. Yet here we are.” She smiled. “There comes a point where you have to stop trying to repair yourself and accept the fact that you’re broken. George is right. I hate him for it, but he is right. Today was the first time I truly lived in over a year, if only for a few moments. I’ve decided that I would rather live for a few moments every few weeks than try to deny my nature.”
As long as her nature didn’t interfere with the safety of my guests, we would be just fine.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Dina. Murder doesn’t interest me. I am addicted to winning fights. I love it, the thrill of it, the rush of testing my skill against my opponent, the sharp finality of it, but I control my sword. My sword doesn’t control me.”
“I am not afraid of you,” I told her. “But if you attack a guest in my inn, I will contain you.”
“We understand each other then.”
“Yes, we do.”
My screen chimed. I reached to my left and flicked it. George’s face appeared on the screen. His damp blond hair fell on his shoulders, framing his elegant face. He was wearing some sort of light white robe… The man was ridiculously handsome. That’s all there was to it.
Something in Sophie’s cup must’ve been incredibly interesting, because she was studying it with cool detachment.
“What can I do for you, Arbiter?” I asked.
“George, please. There is no hot water in my bathroom.”
“Oh really?” You don’t say.
“Yes. In fact, it’s ice cold.” He raised a half-filled glass. Thin slivers of ice floated on its surface. “I drew this from the tap in my sink.”
“How unfortunate. When did this happen?”
“About two minutes ago. “
“While you were in the shower?”
“Yes.”
“My apologies. I will get right on that.”
George squinted at me, his face thoughtful, and waved the call off.
Sophie leaned back and laughed. “You really love those trees.”
I restarted the recording. “When I came here, Gertrude Hunt lay dormant. The inn hadn’t been active for years. Without visitors it slowly starved and fell into a deep death-like sleep. I was told it would be so, but I didn’t realize what that actually meant.”
The memories of that day surfaced and took over, bringing with it a sharp intense dread.
“It was an overcast spring day. The yard was an overgrown tangle of brush that looked like it hadn’t been looked after for years, all old leaves and dead grass, and in the middle of this mess sat a ruin of a house with rotting siding and dark windows. I felt no magic. No presence. There are not many dormant inns left. This was my only chance at becoming an innkeeper. If I couldn’t awaken Gertrude Hunt, I would have to grow a new inn from the seed and that takes years. I was so terrified that the inn was dead, that I couldn’t bring myself to go inside the house, so I picked my way around the house to the back and then I saw the trees. There were twenty of them, and all of them were blooming with these delicate white flowers with a gentle touch of pink. That’s when I realized that the inn was still alive.”
Sophie nodded. “I understand. George understands as well.”
“I doubt it.”
“Do you know what George did before he became an Arbiter?”
“No.” And I didn’t care.
“He was the head of the intelligence for our country. Every spy and counter-spy answered to him. Among dozens who have held this position, he was the best. The most cunning and the most ruthless. When we were growing up, he was the kindest, gentlest person I knew. Now he has the blood of hundreds on his hands. I know it came at a great personal cost to him.”
“Then why did he do it?”
“Duty,” Sophie said. “George will do everything in his power to fulfill his obligations, even if he has to sacrifice a piece of his soul for it.”
My screen chimed again. What is it? What? I flicked at it. Arland’s face came into view.
“My lady.”
Oh spare me. “How may I assist you?”
“I do apologize. My knights are warriors. They are creatures of the battlefield. They came here anticipating a fight…”
“Lord Arland, it would help if you spoke plainly.”
“They are bored,” he said. “Completely bored. I was hoping to prevail on you for some form of entertainment.”
“I will make sure to provide you with something by tonight.”
“Thank you.”
I looked at Sophie. She grinned at me.
I dismissed the screen, letting it sink into the ceiling. The emerald would have to wait. I had to purchase enough groceries for a small army, review the kittens at the shelter, and find some sort of entertainment to occupy a detachment of trained killers, or they would never leave me alone. Piece of cake.
Chapter 8