Page 41 of Ties of Bargains

One of the black cats jumped onto Harm’s lap, and he ran his hand down the cat’s back. It purred, kneading its claws into his thighs.

The old woman poured hot water over her tea leaves, set her teacup on the table, and creakily sat in the chair across from Harm. She nattered between sipping her tea and taking bites of the cheese Harm had given to her, though she didn’t seem to need more of a response than the occasional nod or noise of agreement from Harm.

Once she finished her tea, Harm pushed away from the table. “This was pleasant, but we should retire for the night.”

Val hopped to her feet and headed to the door without another word to their hostess. At the door, she motioned for Harm to go first.

Right. They couldn’t let Daisy out.

Harm opened the door only a crack. Daisy’s nose immediately stuck into the space as she tried to shove her way through.

Harm squeezed through, only opening the door aswide as necessary, nudging her out of the way with his leg.

Val followed so closely that she pushed him the last few inches into the room before she yanked the door closed behind them.

Daisy pranced around the two of them, jumping with her front paws scratching at them as if trying to give them hugs, frantic after being locked in the room away from them.

Harm scratched Daisy’s heads until the dog flopped over with her heads to the floor and her butt in the air for scratching. “At least we don’t have to worry about our hostess trying to sneak into our room during the night. She’d never risk opening that door and letting Daisy get to her cats.”

“That’s one way to ensure a good night of rest.” Val tugged her bedroll from her pocket. “I’ll still sleep in front of the door regardless. You can have the bed.”

Harm took in the small, brass-framed bed beneath the window. It was barely big enough for a child. “I can’t sleep on the bed while you sleep on the floor. It wouldn’t be gentlemanly. Besides, that bed is too short for me. I wouldn’t fit.”

“I wouldn’t fit either.” Val huffed and spread her bedroll on the floor.

Satisfied with her scratches, Daisy hopped onto the bed, snuffling and pawing at the blankets as she arranged them to her satisfaction. Her spare heads disappeared as she flopped into a sprawl.

“Looks like Daisy claimed the bed.” Harm reached into the magical pocket, his fingers grazing the variousitems stuffed in there, before the bedroll Val had loaned him came to hand. He was getting better at retrieving things from the pocket. It wasn’t even feeling that strange anymore.

The room had slightly more space than the tent, but when Harm spread his bedroll on the floor next to the bed, his proximity to Val felt all too…intimate. There wasn’t even a handy curtain dividing the room to give them privacy. He could see the way the moonlight beaming through the window fell on her face as she unbelted her dagger and laid it next to her pillow. The silver light glinted in her black hair in a way that made him want to run his fingers through the strands.

Harm shook his head, shoving away those thoughts. What had he been thinking? Why had he been thinking it?

Val flopped onto her bedroll, squinted, and waved at the window. “Could you close the curtain?”

Harm leaned over the bed, running a hand over Daisy’s back, and gripped one of the curtains.

His fingers stilled on the fabric. Outside, a huge black silhouette moved in one of the fields, a shadow even with the light of the moon coating the fields in silver. The figure was somewhat horse-like, except far more spindly with red eyes and flecks of red foam around the mouth. The protrusion on its back was part skeleton, part blackened flesh trailing in rotting strips.

“Is that…” Harm swallowed as another of the shadowy forms joined the first.

Val didn’t even bother looking out the window. “Anuckelavee? Yes. That’s why staying here was worth the risk.”

Harm tugged the curtain closed, gave Daisy one last pat, then lay down on his own bedroll. As he closed his eyes, the lurching sway of the chicken cottage lulled him into sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

Val kept a good grip on Daisy as she hustled her dog through the main room of the chicken cottage. Daisy lunged and barked, trying to reach the cats.

“Don’t you want to stay for breakfast?” The old woman held up her tea kettle.

“No, no, we’re good. Don’t want Daisy to turn one of your catsintobreakfast.” Val didn’t even try to smile as she dragged the dog past the table and curio cabinet.

The crone made a noise in the back of her throat, her face whitening.

Harm paused to shove the blue-and-white teacup at the old woman.

After taking the teacup, she patted his cheek. “The two of you make such a cute couple, dearie. I don’t mind missing out on a pie.”

---