Page 9 of Wilds of Wonder
His eyes widened, and my heart thundered. Oh, spirits below. I hoped he wasn’t about to send someone to my house, to fetch my husband. My dead husband.
Surprise hit me when a smile curved the man’s lips. “Ah, yes, my lady. I can be discreet about these things.” He winked. “I run an inn. These little... trysts are very common, and I’m a very good secret keeper. For a price.”
My mouth dropped open, and realization flooded me. “Oh, no. That’s not why I’m—” I stuttered, not even sure what I could say. He thought I was here to have an affair with Driscoll.
I’d never cheated on my husband. Guilt flared inside of me as an unbidden image of the bone collector flashed in my mind. Laying together side by side on a grassy hill. I banished the thought. I’d never done anything wrong.
I didn’t have a whole lot of interest in men, in being controlled by another one, no matter how good the sex might be. I peered at the innkeeper as he stared at me with that knowing look in his eyes and bit the inside of my cheek.
Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. He’d show me to Driscoll’s room. He’d give me the alibi I needed. No one would know I was here.
My cheeks flushed red as I stuck out my hand, the pale blue bracelet jangling on it that everyone in Fyriad wore. He lifted my wrist and looked at the number, then nodded. “I’ll charge it to your house coffers, and I’ll make sure the charge is labeled as food from the market. Just so we don’t raise any suspicions.”
He wasn’t lying. He had done this many times before. Had an entire system worked out.
“Thank you,” I said airily. “Much appreciated. Now if you’ll show me the way?”
He nodded his head toward the stairs. “Room five. Have agood morning.”
My cheeks flushed hotter as I grabbed the chest of artifacts and made my way upstairs and away from prying eyes.
Chapter Six
EMORY
Ibanged on Driscoll and Leoni’s door.
“Go away.” Driscoll’s groggy voice floated from inside.
“It’s me,” I whisper-yelled, looking up and down the hallway, hoping I wasn’t waking anyone else. If someone saw me, my entire cover could be blown. While Fyriad was one of the bigger courts, Karstad, where we resided often felt like a small village, everyone knowing each other—and each other’s business. Once word of my husband’s death—and my coinciding disappearance—spread, people would be looking for me, and I needed to be gone before they had a chance to find me.
I knocked again and the door swung open.
“Would you please stop doing that?” Driscoll gritted out, shirtless, his bare chest and lean torso on display.
A tunic flew through the air and hit him in the face.
“Put on a shirt,” Leoni said from behind him. “Lady Emory doesn’t need to see you half naked.”
“You see me half naked all the time,” Driscoll shot back.
“Not because I want to,” Leoni said with an eye roll as she sat on theedge of her bed, pulling her boots on. “I don’t have a choice when we’re together night and day, but she, at least, should.”
Driscoll turned. “You know, you should be more grateful. I don’t just let anybody gaze upon my beautiful bare skin.”
“Put. On. The. Shirt,” she gritted out.
“Okay, okay.” He stretched it overhead while I stood in the doorway, shooting nervous glances down the hall.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Oh, right.” Driscoll gestured inside.
I stepped in, and he shut the door behind him.
“Excuse shorty, over here. She gets grumpy when she hasn’t been fed.”
Leoni shot him a look. “That’s you.”
