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
"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
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