Finn grinned at him and shrugged. “Try adjusting to a three-hundred-pound man-eating cat sleeping by the wall and the creepy invisible man-eating child in the same room while you are sleeping.”
“No, couldn’t do it. I’d be volunteering for couch time,” Valor said shaking his head.
“She isn’t creepy and Marrow isn’t threatening,” Jala objected with a shake of her head. “I suppose the plan is a good one but I’ll worry myself sick about them each night,” she added after a long moment.
“Then we will start tonight,” Emily announced with clear enthusiasm.
“Tonight?” Jala asked, her tone making it clear that she objected.
“Tonight, you will be safe enough with him, I suppose. You have the others here as well if he fails to protect you, and we will be back by morning, so don’t worry,” Emily replied, the excitement in her tone growing.
“I won’t fail to protect her,” Finn said, his tone defensive. Shaking his head he took another sip of his Firewater. “Brat,” he added in a quieter voice.
“That’s not going to help her realize you are a friend Finn,” Jala said with a sigh. “Fine. Tonight then, but stick close to Marrow and watch over each other, I don’t like this starting so soon but I’m too tired to fight you over it.”
We will be fine, with her guiding my senses we work quite well together, Marrow assured her and rubbed his massive head against her knee.
“If you say so,” she said wearily. Rising slowly, she stretched and looked down at Finn. “It has been a very long very horrible day, I need sleep,” she told him, barely suppressing a yawn.
“I echo your sentiments,” he agreed, rising as well. Tilting his glass back he polished off the last of his drink and took both their glasses back to the cabinet. “Good night, all,” he said and waved to the room.
“Am I meeting Sovann in the morning, or Rose?” Jala asked Neph as she headed for the door.
“Sovann. He will explain the new schedule to you tomorrow. Sleep well,” Neph replied.
“Thank you,” she replied with a yawn and waved to the room. Be careful please, I don’t want to lose either one of you, she added mentally to Emily and Marrow.
I promise to be just as careful as you are, Marrow replied back with sarcasm thick in his voice.
Chapter 15
Morcath
It seemed the more Shade tried to avoid the subject, the more the tavern gossip revolved around it. The news had arrived three days after the trial and since then the town had been buzzing about the High Lady Merrodin. No matter what bar he tried to drink in, it was all they were talking about.
Waving a hand at a passing waitress he shook his empty glass. “Can I get another here, please,” he asked, hoping his voice didn’t sound as wretched as he felt. She gave him a curt nod and headed toward the bar and Shade instantly regretted only asking for a glass rather than the entire bottle.
“The entire lord’s council agreed she is, never heard of the likes. Thought the Veirasha killed them all off,” a man’s voice came loudly from a nearby table and Shade rubbed his face in response. Two days after the first of the news had arrived, and still they had nothing better to talk about. He had no doubts it was the truth. He had known there was something special about her when he first met her.
He hadn’t spoken with Charm about it yet. He had a strong suspicion the rogue had known the entire time. So he was avoiding him completely until he sorted out if he was angry or simply depressed. Had he known when she was in his hall, things could have been so much different now. There may have never been that disaster with Cassia. He might have actually been betrothed to someone he cared about. He fought back a snort of amusement at the thought, as if his father would have ever consented to letting him choose his own match. His father or mother … By the aspects, he wished that waitress would hurry up with his drink.
“I brought you the bottle, hun, you look like you need it.” Shade looked up as the tired looking woman thumped the bottle down next to his empty glass.
“I was hoping you would be back quick. Is it that obvious that I was in dire need?” he asked, his voice only slurring a bit.
“Just a tad, hun. No worries though. You wouldn’t be in a bar if you didn’t need a drink.” She smiled faintly at her quip and sauntered off in the direction of another table.
“True enough,” Shade muttered and poured himself another glass.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m so sick of hearing about Merrodin.” A smooth drawl came from behind him. He tried to turn to see who was speaking but swayed dangerously in his chair at the attempt. Feminine laughter filled the space behind him as the speaker moved to the empty chair beside him. “A full bottle. Surely you have enough to share.” She raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. A beautiful smile, in fact, on a beautiful face. Shade focused himself, a task that was getting more difficult by the glass, and tried to remember if he had seen her in the town before. Long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and framed the creamy pale face. Her dark eyes were fixed on him with what seemed almost a predatory light. “Did you lose your tongue?” she asked, with another smile playing across her beautiful full lips.
“I, uhh … Well, no,” Shade muttered and had to fight the impulse to smack himself in the forehead at his stammering. The first beautiful woman he had seen in days, and he was tongue-tied. “If you would like a drink, you are welcome to it,” he offered, sliding the bottle closer to her. “I can get another glass from the waitress,” he added, realizing belatedly the only glass available was the one he was grasping.
“No need,” she replied and took a long pull directly from the bottle. Shade watched quietly and tried to force himself to think of something intelligent to say rather than simply stare at her long slender neck and extremely low cut bodice.