Page 6 of Rune Assassin

“I’ve had cheerier welcomes in a graveyard. . .” I muttered.

Tegan smiled at me. “At least they didn’t put us in the attic.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “How do you know this place has an attic?” He pointed at something behind me and above the window. I followed his finger and noticed a hatch in the ceiling. “Oh. Right.”

“Now let’s see what the accommodations are for this adventure,” Tegan suggested as he opened the door.

I stepped inside and my mouth fell open.

CHAPTERFOUR

The room was spacious,being some thirty by thirty feet. Windows opened on the beach and showed off the nearby gray cliffs and the sparkling water at their base. A gold-plated chandelier hung above us and a chimney of smoothed stone stood in the wall to our right. The huge bed was situated about ten feet from the hearth and featured a top decked with white lace. The space between the door and the bed was occupied by a small round table with four high-backed chairs. Their curved arms and clawed feet showed the mastery of the carpenter who had crafted them. A large rug lay beneath the table and smaller ones dotted the rest of the floorboards.

The room was finished off by another door to the right of the chimney. Tegan strolled across the room and peeked inside. “The bath,” he announced as he slipped into the marbled room. “And indoor plumbing, as well.” He stepped back into view and leaned his side against the door frame. A bemused smile graced his lips as he folded his arms over his chest. “Not bad for third-class accommodations.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “You mean not all the rooms look like this?”

“I doubt it,” Tegan mused as he sauntered to one of the windows and looked out. “The third floor is reserved for guests who aren’t generally welcome. The stairs encourage them to leave as soon as possible.”

I joined him at the glass and admired the breathtaking view of the beach and ocean. “At least we have a good view.”

Tegan smiled. “Yes, and a better angle to watch our reluctant host.”

His attention dropped to the white sand where Lusio had finished the placement of his troops. The staves stuck out of the sands with one half opposite the other and a gap of some hundred feet between them.

“What are those bubble sticks, anyway?” I asked him.

“A child’s toy,” Tegan explained as his eyes flitted from one group to the other. “A simple magical concoction is placed in the jars and the wind blows through holes in the sides which tingles the magic and forces bubbles up so children can play with them.”

I furrowed my brow. “I didn’t see any holes.”

He shook his head. “Neither did I, but the concoction was the same. Lucy and I played with them many times when we were children.”

“So what would Lusio want with a kid’s game?” I wondered.

“I suspect we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get our answer,” he mused as he smiled at me. “In the meantime, why don’t we enjoy the view? The sun will be setting in a few hours so we won’t have another chance until tomorrow.”

“You mean a stroll on the beach?” I guessed.

He offered me his arm. “My thoughts exactly.”

I accepted his arm and grinned. “Let’s go.”

In a few minutes, we found ourselves strolling down the long beach in the direction away from the cliffs. The setting sun glistened on the horizon as the light faded around us, casting long shadows on this unfamiliar place. The sea breeze wafted over us and the gentle sand squished beneath us. The beach grass waved in the wind and a few sea birds flew overheard calling to one another. I felt as though we were the last two people on the planet, and I was fine with that.

I leaned my cheek against Tegan’s arm and sighed. “I can see why Lusio put a house here. It’s so peaceful.”

“I doubt we will find a neighbor within five miles of here,” Tegan mused.

A few bits of sea spray struck us and I couldn’t help but giggle. “I think I could get used to the protection business.”

He shook his head. “It won’t always be like this, not if Domini is right, and a man with his connections is rarely wrong.”

My shoulders sagged and I frowned at him. “You just had to ruin the mood, didn’t you?”

Tegan leaned down and pecked a kiss on my lips. “Does that make things better?”

I wrinkled my nose to try to hide my appreciation. “It’s a start, butonlya start.”

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