Shadow Fire (11 page)

"The inside of the inn is much more inviting," Zane replies, leading me toward the large building. "Believe me, you'll like it here."

He opens the main door, giving me a little push when I remain motionless in the doorway. The foyer is well lit with several gas lamps along with numerous candles. Wonderful aromas are wafting in from somewhere down the hall to my left. My stomach gurgles and churns in anticipation — the last of the jerky and cheese made for a small lunch earlier.

Zane strides over to the main counter, and I follow closely behind. A young blonde woman behind the desk giggles while bouncing up and down when she sees Zane. I'm not sure if she's having a seizure or attempting to flirt with him. Stifling a laugh, I turn away so she can't see my face. She's like an older, less attractive version of my sister Celeste.

"Hello, Sheila," Zane greets the blonde woman, "I don't suppose you have a garden suite available do you?"

"This is your lucky night, Zane," she replies, leaning her upper body across the desk. "One just happens to be vacant. It'll be fifteen silver pieces."

My jaw drops. I'm not sure what shocks me more, the cost of the room or the licentious leer she's giving Zane. My eyes narrow as I draw in a breath through clenched teeth, and my heart pounds in my chest, while the jealousy continues to wash over me. What surprises me most, though, is the strength of this emotion. I have a sudden urge to jump over the counter and sock her right in those pouty red lips.

"We'll take it for two nights," Zane replies.

The blonde glances from him to me. I smirk when her smile falls to a frown. The triumph I feel at her fallen expression is almost as bad as the jealousy. She takes the gold coin he offers with wide eyes and walks into a back room. When she returns she gives him a handful of silver along with the key to the room.

"Have a good night Sheila," Zane says, placing the silver coins into his leather pouch without counting them.

As he leads me away, the smile and wave I direct at her are rewarded with a nasty glare. Zane leads me down a long hallway past numerous doors, pausing at the end of the hallway. Fitting the key into the lock, he opens the door and ushers me inside. The room is enormous, almost as large as the entire downstairs of my house in Verdane. There's a large four-poster bed off to one side with a beautiful maroon canopy draped over the posts. Opposite the bed is a small eating area with a table and four chairs. On the far side of the room there's another door, which appears to lead outside. When I open the door, Shadow races around the corner of the inn and into the room. Next to the patio door is a small sitting area with a sofa and a coffee table. Tossing my pack on the table, I sink down onto the comfortable blue sofa, and lean my head back with a soft sigh.

"There's a shower," Zane says, taking a seat beside me. He points to a door just to the right of the main door.

"A shower? In the room?" Running water. I dared not even hope I'd have any of the creature comforts of home on this journey.

"Your expression is priceless," he says laughing. "Did you think I'd make you bathe in streams for the entire trip?"

"You don't need to amuse yourself at my expense," I say pouting. He leans in closer. I scamper backwards but am stopped by the end of the sofa.

"Where are you running off to?" he asks. I just shake my head, refusing to answer. He reaches out, cupping my cheek in his hand. "You have no idea what that look on your face does to me."

I remain silent, frozen by the sensual gleam in his eyes. Closing my eyes, I expect to feel his lips on mine. When he doesn't move, I crack an eye open. He's still gazing at me with those dark, soulful eyes.

"Go take a shower and change," he murmurs. "I'll send our clothes to the laundry tonight when you're done."

"There's a laundry too?" This place is becoming my vision of heaven.

"Oh, did I mention this inn also boasts one of the finest restaurants on the continent?" he asks, eyes sparkling with amusement. "We'll head there after we clean up."

I can barely contain my excitement. It takes every ounce of self-control to keep from bouncing up and down on the sofa.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention the hot spring."

Hot spring? Okay, now I'm in heaven. Zane rises and removes his shoulder guard and gauntlet, tossing them in the corner where they land with a loud clank. He leans down, peeling the gauntlet from my arm, adding it to the pile of armor.

"All right, I'll go take my shower now," I say, rubbing at my arm where the gauntlet had been.

"While you do, I'll go use the main bathroom down the hall to shower," he replies. "That way we can get to dinner faster."

He slings his bag back over his shoulder and walks out the door. Another bathroom? How convenient. Now I won't have to wait as long to eat. My stomach rumbles in agreement.

Bounding off the sofa, I grab my pack and head into the adjoining bathroom. There's a washbasin with two ewers of water sitting next to it. It appears the only running water is in the shower. I pull off my soiled clothes and kick them over into the corner. As I'm combing my fingers through my hair to detangle it, I notice a small bottle of shampoo. I manage to contain the squeal of pleasure. Using shampoo sure beats the bar of soap my sisters packed for me.

Stepping into the shower, I close the curtain and turn on the water. The cold water is a bit shocking at first, but I quickly become accustomed to it. As I stand still with the cold water hitting my face, I can feel the grime of the road washing away, flowing down the drain. After pouring the lavender scented soap into my hand, I rub it in my hair and then all over my body. An unbidden image of Zane enters my mind, his hands roaming over my body. I flush at my sensual thoughts while I rinse the soap away.

I grab a large fluffy towel then quickly dry off. My spare set of clothes is wrinkled from being rolled up in my pack but at least they're clean. With the towel firmly wrapped around my hair, I slip on the dark green bodysuit. Taking out the white skirt with green floral trim, I marvel at Brinda's intricate embroidery before pulling it up over my hips. Unwinding the towel from my head, I pull on the white shirt with the same green floral embroidery as the skirt. Using the towel, I try to dry my hair as much as possible. I glance at my wet, tangled mass of hair in the mirror; well at least it's not dripping anymore. My fingers are a poor substitute for a brush but they'll have to do until my hair is dry. Snatching up my soiled clothes, I venture back into the main room.

The sight greeting my arrival leaves me in stunned silence. Zane is standing by the door in nothing but a white towel draped low around his hips. The clothes I'm holding fall from my hands, fluttering to the floor. My knees feel weak. For a moment I'm afraid I'll be joining the pile of clothes pooled on the floor.

Beads of water drip from his dark red hair slowly making their way past his broad sculpted chest, down the ridges of his abdomen, before coming to rest on the towel below. A silver medallion with a cerulean sapphire hangs around his neck on a thick silver chain. The glittering blue stone is captivating, drawing my attention away from Zane's body. With an annoyed grumble, I force my gaze away from the hypnotic pull of the medallion, returning to admire the masculine perfection before me. His arms are well muscled without being brawny. Several long white scars trail across his left shoulder. Battle scars I presume — must've happened before he got the giant chunk of shoulder armor. My fingers twitch with the desire to trace each scar.

He starts moving forward, drawing my gaze back up to his face. His eyes are dark, filled with desire, his mouth curled into a predatory smile. When his lips meet mine, I collapse into his embrace, throwing one arm around his neck and the other around his back. My body feels as if it's on fire, every nerve singing. I moan in pleasure as he thrusts his tongue into my eager mouth. His hand grasps my wet hair at the nape, tipping my head back. My back arches as my body molds itself to him.

His lips leave mine, searing a trail of kisses down my neck. Tiny whimpers escape me as he nibbles on my neck just below my chin. A feeling of vertigo washes over me. I sway a bit in his embrace. The feel of his teeth on my neck is exquisite, and a shudder courses through my body. He moans and moves his lips back to mine, his kiss rough and demanding. With a tiny sigh, I open my mouth to his insistent tongue and give myself over to the heady sensations. A loud rumble brings me back to my senses. Zane pulls away, eyeing me with amusement. Realizing what made the sound, I wince a bit before glancing at him from beneath my fall of wet bangs.

"Hungry are you?" he asks with a deep chuckle. "I suppose I should get dressed so we can get dinner."

I'm about to protest when my rebellious stomach releases another growl. He laughs again while walking back to grab his pack from the floor. I watch in silence as he disappears into the bathroom. How can he recover so fast? My whole body is still tingling, longing for his touch. Running my fingers over my swollen lips, I hazard a glance at the bathroom door
.

Does he feel as bereft as I do right now?

With a loud resounding sigh, I wander over to the sofa, throwing myself onto the plump cushions. Shadow pads over to sit on the floor next to me, his blue eyes staring at me in curiosity. Then he turns his face away and makes a slight huffing sound before lying down on the ground by my feet. He makes the noise a few more times, each quieter than the last. It's hard not to wallow in self-pity; even the wolf is laughing at me.

Within minutes, Zane emerges from the bathroom dressed in black pants and a forest green shirt. He walks over and sits on the sofa next to me. I watch in silence as he pulls his boots on. When he stands and gazes at me, I remain curled up on the other end of the sofa.

"Are you going to join me?" With yet another sigh I pick my boots up off the floor and pull them on. "What's wrong?"

"Our clothes match again," I mutter. "Do you plan this or something?"

I don't know why I'm so disgruntled, but it probably has to do with how quickly he appeared to recover from our kiss earlier. It doesn't help that I want to wrap my arms around his neck and…
argh!
My face flushes as I try to banish the thought from my mind.

"No, I didn't plan it. It's just a serendipitous coincidence," he answers, biting at his lower lip.

It's quite obvious he's trying not to laugh at me. This of course only serves to make me grumpier. I shouldn't go so long between meals.

"Serendipitous? Really? Who uses a word like that?" I snap at him. He chuckles again.

"A well-educated nobleman's son I suppose," he answers, smirking at me. "Come, join me for dinner."

I take his outstretched hand and allow him to lead me out the door. He's a nobleman's son? Somehow I don't find it the least bit surprising, though it occurs to me just how little I know about this man. I fear I'm losing my heart to a complete stranger. Is it even possible?
Yes!
My heart sings.
No!
My head counters. Just great, now I'm arguing with myself. I need some food, the quicker the better.

To enter the dining room we pass through a bar full of rowdy, boisterous patrons. It's difficult not to pick up some of their energetic attitude. My mood lifts and I start to feel more like my usual self again. At the long bar five merchants are all swaying and singing off-key. My gaze meets the bartender's. He rolls his eyes while shaking his head.

The dining room by comparison is almost empty. Only two tables are in use, both by couples. Zane leads me to a secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. We sit down across from each other. A server brings us water and a basket of bread.

"Our special tonight is sirloin steak from the Andover region of Algora," she announces in a cheerful voice. "Best cut of beef on the continent."

"Is the steak okay with you?" Zane asks. I nod. "Two please," he informs the server. "Oh, and one more to go," he adds.

She nods before bouncing off toward the kitchen. Zane extends his hands out to me across the table, and I place my hands in his. My pulse leaps in response when he begins caressing the backs of my hands with his thumbs.

"I have a serious question for you. I want you to promise to think long and hard about your answer," Zane says, capturing my gaze with solemn eyes.

"I promise," I whisper. He releases my hands and leans back.

Grabbing a roll from the basket, I nibble on it while staring into his eyes.

"There are two paths we can take from this inn. The direction we go depends on you," he says, his eyes never leaving mine. "If we head southeast from here, we can circumvent Orietta and cross the mountains to the port city Palma. From there we charter a ship to take us to the island of Karina where the Breven Ruins are located."

"And the other option?" I ask when he pauses.

"We can abandon this quest. You can come with me to Orietta. The town has the largest mercenaries' guild on Meliar. We'll get some mercenary work, travel the world together." His eyes hold a spark of indignation when he continues. "You're under no obligation to risk your life for your village. If the mayor and elders truly cared about your safety, they'd send at least some of the town militia as guards. I may be stronger than the men in your village, but I'm not an army. While I'll do everything in my power to protect you, this quest could still lead to your death. I'm guessing no one asked your opinion on the matter. This was presented as an onus you were required to undertake. I want you to make your decision based on what you want to do, and not what you think you should do."

I'd be lying to myself if I denied the desire to give up on the quest. Can I abandon those who are counting on me? On the other hand, the Breven Ruins are a monster-infested death trap. Am I willing to die for something I'm not even sure I believe in?

"Don't answer now. Please think about it. I'll support you in either decision."

I nod weakly. Our food arrives saving me from having to reply. The steak is the best I've ever had; so tender and juicy, I devour it in greedy bites. Our server brings the third steak wrapped in paper.