Page 58 of A Soul to Guide

“If you don’t like the humans, then why do you have a glamour and travel among them?”

“It’s not because I want to, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Then why?” she pressed.

Merikh turned them, and the ground shifted in texture to stone and brick, like they were on a pathway. “I can’t learn anything if I sit in the dark twiddling my thumbs like an idiot.”

The handle of a doorknob rattled as it turned before the creak of a door followed. A mixture of scents spilled out from the building they were walking into, all of which were pleasant: wood, fire, food, and cleaning supplies.

“I want to hire a room for the night,” Merikh demanded as the jingle of a coin pouch hit the table.

“Oh wow, you’re a big fucker.” The woman behind the counter awkwardly laughed. “I can give you a room, but none of our beds will fit you, let alone both of you.”

“That’s fine. If you have a room with two double beds, I’ll just push them together. If not, I’ll sleep on the floor. Don’t care how I sleep as long as we’re not outside for the night.”

“You make an excellent point.” The attendant laughed again, this time a little friendlier. “If you’re willing to wait a few moments, I’ll have one of my staff sort the room out for you, so you don’t have to. Although you don’t look like you’d have any trouble doing it yourself.”

A little nervous about being alone in a room with him, especially since she’d probably pass out the moment she laid her head down, Raewyn squirmed. She expected she would sleep deeply, which meant she would be vulnerable. Yet... after today, her trust for Merikh had grown, and she didn’t think he would do anything to her.

He grunted in response. Then he shook slightly, as though he nodded his head, and the woman slipped a piece of paper in front of them.

“Fill this out while I make the arrangements.”

Her footsteps tapped against the timber floor as the attendant left while Merikh filled in their details.

Within minutes, payment was made, and they were taken down a short hallway. Merikh was too big for them to fit down it side by side. With his hand on her back to push her forward, his breath washed over her shoulder like he was bent forward to clear his height.

She reached up to feel how tall the ceiling was, and her fingertips easily grazed it. A frown marred her features until she remembered that, although his voice came from not even a few inches above her own, Merikh had bull horns atop his bony head.

Since they were in a human town, it was easy to forget he was a Duskwalker.

When the attendant opened the door and wished them a good night, the big comforting hand around her waist fell away. Raewyn entered the room with her hands out so she could walk into the unfamiliar space.

“It’s pretty small,” he commented as he closed the door. “You won’t have to worry about me sleeping next to you, as I’m sure you don’t want that. The rooms with the double beds tend to have more space to move around in, and I wanted them to make room for me to sleep on the floor.”

Raewyn just nodded.

The idea of him sleeping on the floor didn’t sound comfortable, and she was sure he was just as exhausted as she was. However, she didn’t know how she would feel if he were to sleep beside her, to the point she didn’t even offer – despite partially wanting to out of kindness.

Were they past formalities?What if I accidentally turned and tried cuddling him in my sleep?How embarrassing!

“There’s a bath I can fill with my magic,” he stated from the door.

“I can fill it myself,” she rebuffed as she searched for the bed. He said the room was small, but even after a few cautious steps, Raewyn hadn’t touched a single piece of furniture. “It’s not hard to do water and heat magic.”

“Do you have food or should I... A little to the left, Raewyn.”

At the mention of her name in his gruff, handsome voice, Raewyn’s brain twisted, and she stepped right. Her foot bashed something thigh high, and the next thing she knew, she was falling forward.

She tried to right herself, but whatever she’d tripped over was hollow. Her small scream was accompanied by her heart tightening, then a meaty arm wrapped around her waist, catching her before she could faceplant.

“I said go left,” he huffed.

Raewyn searched with her hands and found the rim of the bathtub. She bit her bottom lip, unsure as to why she had such a strange reaction to him saying her name.

“Thanks,” she offered as he let her go and backed up. “I would really like to have a bath before I go to sleep. I feel filthy.” Raewyn fidgeted slightly. “Would that be okay? I might be awhile, since I want to take my braids out and wash my hair properly.”

He didn’t say anything for a long while. She’d noticed Merikh sometimes took his time answering her, like he was weighing his thoughts.

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