Page 153 of A Tower of Half-Truths
“No offense, love, but your breath is…”
“Like death?”
“You said it, not me.”
He laughed. “Yes, lying comatose will do that to a person.”
After a hot bath, a beard trim, and a mouthful of tooth powder, Alain was ready to rejoin the living. But his legs were still weak. He slowly descended the stairs, leaning on both Mavery and his staff for support. The latter, she assured him, had been cleaned thoroughly.
This establishment’s taproom was boundlessly more inviting than the Salty Surling, or even the Lettered Gentleman. The scent of fresh-cut wood filled the air; the pub tables and spindly stools,untouched by age or heavy use, seemed to be the source. The floors were polished and unmarred. Evrard tended a bar stocked with gleaming bottles. He spotted Alain and gave an enthusiastic wave.
Through the windows, a red-orange sunset streaked the sky. Dinner service was well underway, and the local villagers filled the room with laughter and lively conversation. Along the far wall, a familiar face looked in Alain and Mavery’s direction. Neldren rose from the table as they approached.
“At last, our hero returns!” he cried, arms outstretched.
Alain bristled as he expected Neldren to follow that up with a sarcastic remark about wizards needing their beauty rest, or something along those lines. Rather, Neldren strode forward, clasped a hand on Alain’s shoulder, and pulled him into a hug. Alain was so shocked, he clung to his staff to avoid tumbling to the floor. Neldren gave him a few firm pats on the back before releasing them, then held out a hand.
“A thousand thanks for yesterday,” he said. “Turns out, I was wrong. At leastonewizard is capable of saving a hide that isn’t his own.”
Alain eyed his hand cautiously, expecting this newfound cordiality to be a ruse. Mavery stepped between them.
“Believe it or not, he’s been singing your praises ever since I took that arrow out of his arm.”
“Only because you were too busy to do it yourself,” Neldren said. Alain flinched as Neldren’s elbow nudged his ribs. “Did she mention how she barely left your side since we arrived in town? We had to force her downstairs this morning to eat something.”
At that, Alain’s stomach grumbled. His only sustenance since leaving the last village had been the spoonfuls of broth Mavery had managed to slip down his throat. For the first time in ages, he had an appetite—and it wasravenous.
“Give him some room,” Mavery said, taking Alain’s arm and guiding him to an empty table. “And a plate, while you’re at it.”
Tonight’s offering was chicken paired with lumpy gravy, undercooked dumplings, and carrots that had been boiled within an inch of their lives. The innkeeper, Benard, provided a complimentary bottle of wine that could have been mistaken for cookingsherry. But, for once, Alain couldn’t care less about quality. He devoured an entire plate of food, then asked for another, all the while being a terrible conversation partner. But Mavery seemed amused as she ate her own beige dinner. He was halfway through his second plate when Neldren and Ellice approached their table.
“So, are we still heading to the temple?” Neldren asked.
Mavery frowned at him. “Can we talk about this later? He’s been awake all of two hours.”
“It’s fine,” Alain said, placing his hand over hers. “We ought to plan our next steps, seeing as my recovery put us behind schedule.”
“No, mate, my ‘shortcut’ put us behind schedule,” Neldren said. “If we’d continued down the Royal Turnpike, we would’ve made it to Archstone only a few hours ago.”
“I can’t believe you, of all people, failed to account for highwaymen,” Ellice said, rolling her eyes.
“Last time I passed through this province, those woods were Corryn territory. How was I supposed to know there’d been a change in—”
“Enough!” Mavery groaned. “Regardless, the fact of the matter is, the temple is a three-mile hike from here, and Alain is in no shape for that.”
“Not at this precise moment, but I’ll be much better come morning.”
She turned to him with a frown. “You want to gotomorrow?”
“What choice do I have? Best-case scenario: we complete the field experiment tomorrow, then we have another two-day journey back to Leyport. Not accounting for further delays, we’ll be arriving home the night before the presentation, with scarcely a moment to spare.”
She sighed. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ll leave in the morning. The earlier, the better.”
“Excellent,” Neldren said. “Let’s meet here at first light.”
“First light?” Ellice grumbled. “Oh, for fuck’s sake…”
