Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (13 page)

Elaina knelt by the fireplace at the
side of room and rose as she came in. "Good afternoon."

"And to you," Aro replied with
a smile.

"Horrible weather out there.
Usually it's not like this for at least another month."

Bo entered from the back, a large cask
over one shoulder, and headed behind the bar.

Pulling off her gloves and hat, she
wandered up to the bar. "Watch your back."

He gave her a sour look over his
shoulder. She laughed, taking a seat on one of the barstools.

"Your brother has been quite
helpful to us," Elaina said, taking a seat beside her.

"I imagine so." She grinned at
Bo, knowing full well why he was so helpful.

"You're in good humor today."
Bo fiddled with the cask, getting it set in place.

Has something happened?

She looked around and found Garen curled
up under their usual booth. "Look what I got." Pulling out one of her
new daggers, she set it on the bar. Bo stepped over and picked it up.

"Nice."

Elaina wrinkled her nose.
"Pretty?"

"You should see them fly," she
said excitedly. "I got a pair. I'll show you later."

Bo handed it back to her. "Where'd
you find those?"

She didn't miss the warning tone in his
voice and shifted uncomfortably, her excitement dimming. The boys had been
quite adamant she not go off on her own in the city. "Just up the
street," she said evasively, tucking the blade away.

Bo frowned.

"The blacksmiths?" She turned
to Elaina in surprise. The woman shrugged. "No one else on our street
sells weapons."

"Aro," Bo grated out through
clenched teeth. "We'd agreed–" He stopped and ran a hand over his
face.

Everything is fine,
she told them.
I'll
tell you later.

Elaina surprisingly came to her rescue.
"She's not a child. I'm quite certain she can take care of herself, more
so than I could even." She raised her eyebrows. "Shopping isn't
dangerous, Bo. Except for your purse, perhaps."

"That's not the point," he
muttered.

"Has he always been this protective?"

Aro snorted. "Yes." Her
irritation faded as she smiled fondly at Bo. "He's the best brother a girl
could have."

His face softened at her words and he
leaned over the bar to ruffle her hair. "Such a troublesome pup."

She grinned and swatted his hand away.

Smiling, Elaina sighed softly as she
watched them. "I don't envy any young man who comes to court you, Aro.
He'll have quite the time impressing your brother."

What to say to that? Flustered at the
change in topic, she tried to think of something to say.

"That won't be a worry, I don't
think," Bo said gruffly.

Elaina rested her elbow on the bar and
stuck her chin in her hand, smiling mischievously. "It will be sooner than
you think."

"I'm not even seventeen yet,"
Aro argued. Courting led to marriage. She certainly wasn't ready to consider
that.

"Hmm, I thought you were
older."

She shook her head and looked away. Did she
look older? She avoided looking in mirrors as often as possible.

"What did you think of Hale?"
At Bo's questioning look, Elaina continued, "The youngest blacksmith. I
hear he is quite handsome and kind."

Bo grunted as Aro shook her head
quickly. "He's not my type," she said softly.

Elaina made a soft noise in her throat,
likely thinking about her and Kei. Of course the woman couldn't be more wrong.
Her heart belonged to a man of another race entirely.

"How about we eat, before the
customers start coming in," Bo suggested into the awkward silence.

She couldn't have loved him more for
that.

∞ ∞ ∞

The next day the fallen snow melted in
the streets, leaving a muddy mess.

"Are you helping at the tavern today?"

Bo grinned. "I will later. We
shouldn't waste the nice weather. Are you ready to go?"

She nodded, uncertain if she should be
happy or not. So far they'd found nothing on her brothers. Though expected, it remained
frustrating.

"We should be able to finish off
this area today. There were only a few places we didn't get to. Next time we'll
start in the area around the docks."

They set out in silence, enjoying the
warmth and sunshine and watching the streets fill with people.

"Hey, Bo." She bumped his shoulder
and glanced up at him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

Shrugging, she turned her gaze to her
boots. "For doing this. Helping me. They aren't your brothers."

He threw his arm around her shoulders
and pulled her tight against him. "But you are my family, so in a way they
are. You know I'd do anything for you." He stopped and turned to face her,
tilting her chin up with his fingers so she had to look at him. "You
understand that, yes?"

She smiled wryly and pushed his fingers
away. "I do." Giving his shoulder a punch, she turned and they headed
down the street again. "I'd do the same for you," she said quietly.

His loud laugh startled people nearby.
"Yes, pup. I know."

"Even if you are a pain."

"Me? How am… What…" he
sputtered.

His response made her laugh. She twirled
a hand in the air. "Always running off with a girl."

"You get to put up with that. I had
to watch you and Prince dance around each other for weeks."

"True," she admitted.
"How are things going with Elaina? You've been over there a lot
lately."

"Good," he answered. "Her
father's not been well, so I've been helping out when I can."

"Rot, I didn't know."

He shrugged. "He's getting older
and works too hard. The girls can only do so much. I don't mind helping."

She grinned. "I bet you don't, what
with the pretty daughter about." Resting a hand on his arm, she smiled up
at him. "I'm happy for you, truly."

She could have said more, about them
leaving, about a lot of things, but didn't. Bo was happy, and there was time.
He should enjoy it now while he could.

Chapter 13

Weapons

"Weapons."

Aro raised her eyebrows as she stopped
and turned in the hall. "I have a dagger."

Bo headed toward the dining room, and she
followed him in. "We're not shopping. The docks is a dangerous area."
He tucked a dagger into his boot. "Thieves, cutthroats, drunk
sailors." He strapped a few more onto his belt.

She followed suit quietly, wondering
what they were getting themselves into. "Swords?"

He considered. "No. Not this time.
We'll see how things are. Ready?"

She patted the array on her belt.
"And one in each boot. Good enough? Should I bring my bow?"

"Not funny. I’m trying to keep you
safe."

With some effort, she managed not to
roll her eyes. Grabbing their cloaks, they headed out the door, Garen padding
along beside them.

"Listen to your gut. Pay attention.
Keep an eye on your purse, too. Don't trust the children, they'll steal from
you or stick a dagger in your gut without any hesitation…"

On and on he went as they made their way
west through the city.

Listen to him, Aro. This is not a game.
He has experience with such places and people.

She grimaced down at Garen but nodded
once. Perhaps today would be more exciting than she wanted.

He was still giving advice when they
finally reached the streets closer to the docks, though he'd at least slowed
down, growing quiet now and then until he thought of something else. He'd also
begun to repeat himself, but she didn't point that out either. It didn't escape
her notice how on edge he was.

Despite his worries, they avoided any
conflict walking down the streets. As instructed, she kept her head high,
shoulders straight, and paid attention to everything around her.

The taverns they entered were much
darker and dirtier than the West Wind, and so were the customers. After a quick
look around, Bo would head to the bar each time, order an ale, and talk to
whoever tended it. They'd stay a while and listen and then head to another.

After the fourth tavern, she chuckled as
they headed on to the next. "You're going to be drunk soon at this
rate."

He frowned at her, clearly offended, and
she laughed.

So far they hadn't found out much,
though at least some people had actually heard of Kingsport. For the most part
they were told to try closer to the docks where the sailors frequented. On a
good note, no one tried to kill them. They'd heard various useless gossip about
the pirate Roan, the city's prince, and other people and places she didn't
recognize.

The wind picked up, and she caught a
whiff of the sea and fish over the stink of the city. Craning her head, she
finally caught a view of the harbor. The number of ships docked and anchored surprised
her.

"Here's another," Bo said,
nudging her shoulder to get her attention. "Last stop for the day, I
think."

With a nod, she followed him inside the
dark building while Garen again waited outside. Lucky wolf. The smell of smoke
and unwashed bodies choked her for a moment. She concentrated on breathing
through her mouth as she followed Bo up to the bar.

Standing to the side as he ordered, she
surveyed the crowd. All men, mostly in groups, were gaming while others just drank
and talked. Loudly. She didn't garner much attention, despite being the only
woman in the tavern, but she'd come in with Bo. Though not the tallest, he was
certainly among the larger men there. With a scowl on his scarred face, he
certainly looked intimidating.

She tilted her head to the side, trying
to pick out individual conversations over the drunken din.

Another man at the bar turned suddenly,
and she barely had time to scramble backward as he got sick all over the floor.
Men cheered as he recovered and ordered another drink. Looking down at the
mess, she grimaced. At least he'd missed her boots.

An arm snaked around her waist and
jerked her back against a body. She stiffened, her hands going to her daggers.

"How much, darling?"

"For what?" The words escaped
her before her brain started working again.

Leaning close to her ear, he told her,
explicitly.

"I'm not for sale," she grated
out through gritted teeth.

He laughed and pulled her closer against
him. "Everyone's for sale."

She elbowed him in the ribs and whirled
around, drawing one of her daggers and positioning it carefully.

"That wasn't–" His amusement
died quickly when he saw the blade between his legs.

"I'm not for sale," she repeated
firmly.

The scruffy young man raised his hands
and shrugged. "I can pay."

She snarled and pressed the blade
closer.

"Is there a problem here?"

Glancing at Bo, who had appeared at her
side, she relaxed and leaned back. "No."

However, another patron hollered out,
"He just wanted to buy some of her time!"

Bo looked at the speaker for a moment.
"Is that so?" He turned to the man before her. "You calling my
sister a whore?"

The man's eyes grew wide. He tried to
sputter out a response.

"Hold this."

She barely had time to take his tankard
of ale before he punched the man in the face.

"Fight!"

Awkwardly sheathing her dagger, she
turned and ducked as men erupted from benches, swinging and hitting anyone in
reach.

Well done,
she muttered.

Should I come in,
Garen asked.

Time to go, I think,
Bo said with a
chuckle.

She glared over at him and then blocked
a punch. It didn't seem to matter which way she went, someone stood in her
path. So she kicked and pushed and threw her own punches as she forced her way
to the door.

By the time she finally stumbled out,
Garen paced worriedly back and forth.

Moving off to the side, she bent over,
catching her breath as her heart thundered in her ears. Raising her fingers to
her head, she felt around and cursed at the wet spot in her hair above her
temple. She'd gotten hit by something flying through the air.

Garen growled low.
I smell blood.
Are you hurt?

Not bad. Bo, are you coming?

I am, I am. Patience, pup.

She snorted and shook out her sore
hands. At least her knuckles weren't bleeding too badly, but they'd probably
start swelling soon. Licking her lower lip, she didn't taste any blood. She'd
caught an elbow there. It felt strange, though, and likely would swell.

Bo…

"I'm here!" He stumbled out
the door, a huge grin on his face. "Nothing like a good tavern brawl to
get the blood pumping!"

She shook her head.
Men
.
"Can we go home now?"

He threw an arm over her shoulder.
"Good idea. I'm hungry."

As they walked back toward their side of
town, the strange feeling of being watched came over her. She glanced back over
her shoulder. Though many people went about their business, she couldn't see
anyone watching them.

Bo led them through various side streets
until they came out at their road a bit north of the tavern.

"Are we going back tomorrow?"

"If the weather holds," Bo
answered. He rubbed at his eye, which was darkening already, and his swelling
cheekbone.

"Elaina's going to love that."

He paused and then shrugged. "She'll
be fine." A grin split his face. "The hazards of defending your
honor."

She snorted. "I defended myself
just fine, thank you."

He grinned. "So you did." He
patted the top of her head. "Proud of you."

She veered away with a laugh, trying to
avoid his hand.

"Aro!"

Stopping in surprise, she turned,
searching the crowd for whoever had called her name.

Bo cursed under his breath, and she soon
saw why. The blacksmith moved quickly toward them, his brows drawn together in
concern.

Garen growled quietly beside her and
backed away to stand behind Bo.

Be nice
, she told the
boys.
He's not a threat to us.

I would not be so sure,
the Were
replied.

"Good afternoon," she started
as he came up to them, but didn't get to say more. He surprised her, taking her
face gently in his hands.

Bo stiffened beside her, but remained
silent.

"You're hurt," Hale said
quietly. His thumb brushed over her swelling lower lip.

She pushed his hands away with a frown.
"I'm fine."

The Were glanced at Bo, taking in the
forming black eye, and then back at her. "You were fighting?"

"Got mixed up in a little brawl at
a tavern," she replied evenly. "It's nothing."

Hale reached for her again but she
flinched back. "Oh, stop," he muttered, gently brushing hair from the
side of her face. "You're bleeding."

She felt her hair stick to her skin.
"I'm fine," she insisted.

Garen growled low again, and Hale
glanced down at him. "Easy, boy." He did, however, take a step back.
Smiling weakly, he shrugged a shoulder. "Was just worried about you. I
smelled the blood…" His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat,
glancing over at Bo.

She rolled her eyes. "He knows, and
thank you, for your concern."

Hale nodded once and they stood there
awkwardly for a moment.

Bo finally frowned and tipped his head
at her. "Shall we?"

She nodded and looked to Hale.
"Good to see you again."

"Ah, yes," he fumbled,
frowning again. He stopped her when she turned to go. "Come by sometime.
There are some weapons I'd like to show you."

She regarded him thoughtfully for a
moment before nodding. "I will."

Once Hale left, Bo rolled his eyes.
"Not a good idea."

"Weapons are always a good
idea."

"That's not what I meant, and you
know it."

She smiled innocently up at him, making
him sigh wearily, which only made her laugh.

"Seriously." He gave her a
stern look. "I don't want to have to tell you later I told you so."

Not wanting to argue with him, she
changed the subject. "It's interesting though, don't you think?"

Bo glanced back at her as he pulled open
the tavern door. "What is?"

That he didn't know Garen was Were.

Bo raised his eyebrows but remained
silent as they found their booth.

Well noticed,
Garen said
finally.
It would seem the glamor Prince gave me does more than just hide my
true appearance.

Before they could sit down, Elaina
swooped in, all smiles and eyes on Bo. The smile quickly disappeared, lines of
worry appearing between her eyes as she took his face in her hands, turning it
from side to side. "What happened to you?" Her voice rose, "Were
you fighting?"

Wincing, Bo stepped back, taking her
hands in his. When she saw the marks on them, her frown deepened, and he spoke
quickly. "Nothing important. Just a little scuffle. We're both fine."

She froze, her eyes growing wide. Tearing
her hands free of his, she spun to face Aro.

Aro glared at Bo as the young woman fussed
over her, quickly finding her own cut, bruised hands and the gash in her hair.
"I'm fine, truly."

"You're bleeding!" Elaina
turned fierce eyes on Bo and pointed a finger at him. "We will talk
later." She turned back, her face softening. "Sit, sit. I'll get a
cloth and some water and we'll get you cleaned up."

Before Aro could protest, the barmaid was
gone. She raised her eyebrows at Bo, trying to hold in a smile. Leaning
forward, she kept her voice to a whisper. "What exactly does she think we
do? You tell her we're farmers or something?"

"No," he said in exasperation.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I told her we were guards."

Aro leaned back and crossed her arms.
"Not sure she believed you." Her grin turned wicked. "Hey…I told
you so."

Elaina did not seem impressed to find
her laughing so hard when she returned.

∞ ∞ ∞

The days passed and the weather held as
they continued to search for word in the numerous dock taverns. Though more had
actually heard of Kingsport and its fall, no one knew of the Mason brothers.
Their daily travels weren't totally unfruitful. They managed to narrow down the
best taverns to search. The problem was ships and their men were constantly
coming and going.