Page 90 of Lore of the Tides

As it was, Lore was at a loss for what to do. She licked garlic sauce from her thumb and surveyed the bazaar again.

It was fully dark now. A youth was skipping from lamp to lamp, lighting each in turn, humming a happy song as he went about his work.

“Hey, you there! Do you speak Alytherian?” Lore called out to him as he passed by.

“A little,” he said, leaning against the long pole he used to light the lamps and surveying them, his kind eyes showing a keen intelligence.

“Can you direct us to an affordable inn?” Lore asked.

“A safe one that you would send your grandmother to,” Finndryl added from where he loomed behind Lore.

The boy eyed Finndryl up and down. Hopefully, his formidable form would deter the youngling from trying to pull a fast one on them—like leading them to a troupe of bandits waiting in an alley or something of the like.

“Easy. That one.” He pointed to a tall triangular building just down the road on the main stretch of the market.

“The blue one?”

“Yes. My grandmother owns it.” He grinned. Well, it seemed his grandmotherwouldchoose to visit that one.

“Perfect. Thank you.” Lore gave him a few copper pieces. It wasn’t Ma Serach currency, but Jamal was a port town, and they had discovered that most places took coin from anywhere, as long as it was real. The boy would have no trouble spending it.

They turned toward the inn.

The boy called after them, “If you see a tall woman with a big smile and a highbhearaonon her head, tell her Simi sent you. She will give you a good room.”

“Thank you, Simi!” Hazen shouted without looking back.

Lore couldn’t get over seeing the siren prince on land. The moment he’d slipped out of the ocean, his tail had split in two, morphing into legs. Naked ones. Lore was so shocked she’d almost forgotten to turn away to give him privacy as he dressed. She didn’t know what she’d expected to happen... She’d been stunned when Hazen had announced his intention of traveling with them, but she had had so much on her mind thathowhe was going to do it hadn’toccurred to her. She figured, of course, he’d had a plan in place—Cuan had had legs when they’d rescued Lore on the ship, but Lore had thought that particular skill was unique to them.

But no, siren apparently could just sprout legs at will.

Convenient as hell.

And here he was, leading the way, walking so steady you would think he was born on land. Impressive, truly.

Just before they entered the inn Hazen held out an arm. “Let me do the talking. Finn—you have a permanent glower. Lore, you’re sweet, but you have an element about you that makes one want to... how do I put this nicely... con you out of all you have in that purse.”

Lore made a face and placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t think that’s what any normal person would think.”

Finndryl crossed his arms over his chest. “What element do you have that makes you the one to facilitate our sleeping arrangements?”

Hazen flashed sharp white teeth and ran a hand through his wavy hair with a dramatic flair. “Finndryl, brother, I havethisface. One too gorgeous to deny. Not even a grandmother could resist, trust me.”

“Right, because a grandmother would be so easily swayed by someone who looks like they were just an awkward adolescent last month.” Lore was exaggerating, Hazenwasgorgeous, and not one thing about him saidyoungorawkward. In fact, he’d probably skipped the awkward phase altogether, the lucky bastard. But she wasn’t going to inflate his ego any more than it already was. Born a princeandhandsome?

Some people were the gods’ favorite, clearly.

Finndryl shook his head. “You have a face that looks like you would con someone as lovely as Lore without thinking twice about it. Let Lore handle this.”

Finnwasglowering, and Lore loved it. He could glower at everyone all he wanted, as long as he didn’t glower ather.

“I do not look like a con artist!” Hazen protested in typical Hazen fashion. Lore had just spent a week with him on a travel barge, so she was well-versed in his dramatics. He was clearly offended thattheyhad taken offense.

Lore raised her chin, suppressed laughter shining in her eyes. “No, Finndryl, I would like to see Hazen at work. Though how hard could it be booking a room... at an inn... where their main source of income... is from renting their rooms... because this is an inn?”

Hazen swung the door wide and held it open for them as he replied, “You would be surprised—in port cities, an establishment as nice as this one can have its pick of clients. If they don’t like the look of you, they’ll send you on your way.”

“Isn’t this your first time away from Lapis Deep?” Finndryl asked, his tone dry as his eyebrow quirked upward.

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