Page 25 of The Vampire's Bride

Minda whips her head back to him. “Everything all right?”

“Yes.” I step in front of my husband, giving her what I hope is my best smile. “Could we trouble you for a few more blankets?”

“Certainly.”

She starts to leave, but Valaric adds, “And some fresh clothing for myself and my wife. We will pay you for it, of course.”

She cocks her head to one side. “I noticed you don’t have a trunk or any belongings between the two of you.” She looks me up and down, arching a questioning brow. “Did you lose them during your travels?”

“Yes.” A bead of sweat trickles down my spine as I try to think of a plausible explanation as to how we lost our things. I’m a writer, so it should be easy to come up with something. Theproblem is, every excuse coming to mind right now is spinning into an elaborate tale more prone to fiction than reality.

I’m about to launch into an elaborate story about highway robbery, but Valaric interrupts. “We left them behind in Darkhaven so we could travel light through the Gavaryan forest.”

“Ah.” Minda nods, the suspicious look leaving her face. “A wise decision.”

I have no idea what she or Valaric are talking about, so I remain silent, worried that if I add anything, I’ll give away that we’re lying.

“You know, we’ve had quite a few travelers come through here lately,” she says. “Mostly those displaced by the war in Snowhelm. They say the mages already killed the royal family there, and it’s only a matter of time before the whole kingdom falls. And we’ve had several coming down from the north as well. All of them heading to Aralon,” she adds. “Seems everyone is going there these days.” She looks at me. “Is that where you’re from originally?”

“Yes,” Valaric replies. “We’re both from Aralon.”

She hesitates a beat, and I worry she’s going to question us further. I want her to leave so I can tend to Valaric’s injuries. Thankfully, she simply nods. “Well, as soon as the storm clears, you’re less than a day’s ride from the border. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back with those extra blankets and clothes,” she says before hurrying back down the hallway.

As soon as she’s gone, I rip the comforter off the bed and throw it over Valaric to protect him from the sun. I guide him to the far corner of the room, to a sofa next to the fireplace with a roaring fire. It’s the farthest location from the windows and the only area that sunlight doesn’t touch.

“Stay here,” I speak in a low voice. “I’ll cover the windows when she returns with the blankets.”

From beneath his hood, his red eyes meet mine as he gives me a subtle nod.

The room may be a bit on the small side, but at least it’s clean. On the opposite wall is a four-poster bed, layered with blankets, furs, and pillows. A large quilt is folded neatly on the chair beside it. Near the door is a dresser with extra sheets in the drawers.

Minda returns with two more thick blankets and a folded stack of clothes. “I brought you both something to sleep in as well as regular clothing to change into after you’ve rested.”

“Thank you.” I remove the small pouch from my dress and pull out seven gold coins. More than enough for a week’s stay at one of the finest hotels in Aralon. Which this place is not.

Her eyes widen as I drop them into her palm.

“We’re exhausted and we’ll probably be sleeping most of the day, but I’d like to reserve a meal for dinner, if it’s not too much trouble.”

She lifts one of the coins to her mouth, biting it to test the metal. Her face lights up when she’s satisfied it’s real. “No trouble at all.” She grins. “The dining room is just off the entryway. I’ll make sure to set aside two plates for you both.”

When she leaves, I close the door and lock it. Quickly, I take the extra blankets and cover the threadbare curtains on the two windows, making sure they’re secure. A faint glow surrounds the edges, but it’s better than nothing.

Leaning all my weight against it, I push the dresser in front of the door. It may not completely stop someone determined to break in, but at least it would provide some sort of resistance and give us a bit of warning.

“You are expecting trouble,” Valaric says from the shadows.

“You said the humans in this village don’t like Vampires,” I remind him. “And judging from what she said about your people, I figure we cannot be too careful.”

Quickly, I light a few candles to illuminate our room. Stripping another blanket and quilt off the bed, I walk over to Valaric. I position two wooden chairs across from the sofa, but far enough away from the fireplace to avoid any stray sparks. Then, I spread the thick quilt on the ground between the couch and chairs and add a couple of pillows as well.

“You can sleep there,” I tell him.

His brow furrows, but he remains silent as he sits down on the nest of a bed while I drape the thicker comforter over the top of the sofa and chairs to block out the stray sunlight seeping around the edges of the covered windows.

“My brother and I used to do this when we were younger,” I explain as I secure the corners of the material to make sure they don’t collapse. “We’d pretend it was a fort, and we were defending ourselves against an army of ogres, trying to invade.”

“I’m not sure about ogres,” he says, a teasing smile playing across his lips. “But this will definitely protect me from the sun. Thank you, Juliet.”

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