Page 54 of Secrets of the Forgotten Heir

‘It’s changed a bit since you were last there,’ Yanni said. ‘It’s the number-one destination now – apart from Shady’s. Speaking of which, I hear you’re going there on Friday night. Time for a proper catch-up with Ezra?’

‘Jesus,’ I muttered. ‘You can’t keepanythingsecret in this village. And for the record, I haven’t agreed to go yet.’

‘You should. It’s fun. And Shady is definitely a more friendly business owner than Sonny.’ She glanced at me sideways. ‘I hear you’ve madehisacquaintance.’

‘He’s the most unpleasant vampire I’ve ever met, and that’s saying something.’

Yanni chuckled. ‘People close to him only have great things to say about the guy. He has to warm to you.’

‘There are people close to him?’ I asked with faux incredulity. ‘Are they all being held hostage? Did you get them to blink twice if they needed help?’

Yanni laughed again as she drew the car to a stop. ‘Right. I’ll let you go in first.’

The Smuggler’s Rest looked exactly the same from the outside as it had always done: wooden doors with peeling paint, and chipped, dirty windows. I braced myself for the dim, damp interior and the smell of stale beer – and worse – that I remembered, expecting a place where gnarly old wizards and werewolves nursed drinks late into the night.

When I opened the door, I froze. The inside was … transformed. It was modern, well-lit and tastefully decorated. Families were sitting at tables, laughing and eating meals that smelled divine, while well-dressed waitstaff greeted us with warm smiles.

‘I don’t understand,’ I said as I looking around. ‘This isn’t The Smuggler’s Rest.’

‘I can assure you that it is.’

My heart clenched at the sound of his voice. Trying to look as if my pulse had not tripled its pace, I turned to face him. ‘Hey, how’s the head?’ I asked Fraser Banks.

He wrinkled his nose in a manner that was infuriatingly cute as he rubbed his hand over his dark hair. Once again he was wearing a sharp suit, and this time with the jacket; Icouldn’t decide if I preferred him with or without it. With it, he looked sharp, but without it, I could see those arms.

‘I heal pretty quickly.’ He flashed me a smile. ‘It’s good to see you again, Beatrix.’

There was nothing I could do. The butterflies in my stomach were in overdrive. I was a goner. ‘You know, I’m starting to think I should be concerned. You seem to have developed a habit of showing up wherever I am,’ I said.

Fraser looked amused. ‘I don’t mean to nit-pick, but technically you’re inmyestablishment right now. If anyone is following anyone, you’re following me.’

‘Yours?’ I asked. ‘You own The Smuggler’s Rest?’

‘I do. I take it the establishment has changed somewhat since you were last here? For the better, I trust? I’d be happy to help you sample the drinks. We could share a bottle of wine one night, perhaps?’

I was strongly tempted to say yes. I loved a bottle of white wine and it had been entirely too long since I’d had a man look at me like he was doing.

He’s manipulating you, Beatrix! Icould hear Maddie’s voice harrumphing inside my head. I didn’t think she was right but there was too much at stake to risk it. I pushed my shoulders back, trying to act like his presence didn’t have any effect on me. ‘No, thank you.’ I looked around pointedly. ‘Fromwhat I remember, the locals liked The Smuggler’s Rest exactly as it was.’

‘You’re right. The old pub definitely had a certain charm, which is why I left it exactly as it was.’

I frowned at him. ‘But you’ve refurbished everything.’

‘Have a look through there.’ He pointed to a door at the far end of the room that looked exactly like The Smuggler’s Rest’s original front door that I had just walked through. ‘Be my guest,’ he said before pushing it open and stepping aside for me.

The moment I walked through the doorway I felt the rush of déjà vu. The space I had walked into wasexactlylike the old Smuggler’s Rest: the same dark and dingy interior. The same smell of stale beer. I even recognised the old werewoman perched in the same spot she’d occupied a decade ago.

I turned back to Fraser. ‘An expansion spell. You put an expansion spell on the building so that you could keep the old bar too. That must cost a fortune to maintain.’

‘It does,’ he replied matter-of-factly. ‘But it’s not about the money, it’s about resources. The village needed The Smuggler’s Rest but it also needed somewhere for families, a nice place that wasn’t a coffee shop or bar. This setup brings in employment, supports local farmers and createsa space for the community. The upstairs room is used for council meetings and workshops.’

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. ‘So it’s not about profit?’

He shrugged. ‘Some of it’s about profit, but it’s also about balance and community.’

‘And the Eternal Flame?’ I asked, finally piecing it together. ‘You want it to power these spells, don’t you? To keep this place running without draining all your funds?’

He smiled faintly. ‘It would take a lot more than this to drain all my funds, but yes, the Flame would certainly help keep this and the other projects I have planned running efficiently.’

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