“We all love you,” Duke said. “You’re our little prince. Baker of the best pastries in all the realms.”
“I wouldn’t sayallthe realms.” I shook my head. “But I appreciate the boost of confidence.”
“Where’s that redheaded bastard?” Duke then asked. “The ugly one. Not the insanely attractive one such as myself.”
“Rowan isn’t ugly,” I said. Quite the opposite. His sharp features, tanned complexion, and topaz eyes did strange things to my belly… and nether regions. “I don’t know where he is. He kinda disappeared earlier, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“Good riddance,” Duke muttered. “He’ll stay away if he knows what’s good for him.”
Callum lost some of his lightheartedness. It wasn’t often he looked so serious. “When the captain said the thief would be traveling with us, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. In fact, I was angry. It was the first time I’ve ever questioned the captain’s decision.”
Duke sobered as well.
“How did Maddox react?” I asked, wishing I could’ve been a fly on the wall when that conversation took place.
“Remarkably calm.” Callum shifted his gaze to me. “He understood why I was angry.”
“Why were you?”
“Because Rowan hurt you,” he answered. “But the captain told me to trust him. He wouldn’t have allowed Rowan to travel with us if he believed him to be a threat to you.”
“Really? What makes him so sure?” Even I was having some doubts in that regard. Rowan was just so… mysterious. I couldn’t read him at all.
“Instinct,” Callum said. “His gut tells him that despite Rowan’s unsavory qualities, the thief is genuine in saying he doesn’t want to hurt you. And the captain’s gut is rarely wrong.”
“Probably because it’s filled with all those muffins,” I said. “They give him a sixth sense.”
When Callum laughed, the little fractures in my chest at the thought of him being upset mended some. “You slay me, Ev.”
After we’d stretched our legs for a while, we made our way toward the inn. The chill in the air made me thankful to have them on both sides of me. Their big bodies helped block the breeze.
The inn was a charming little place that looked like it was torn from the pages of a medieval fairytale. Soft light filled the foyer, and the sconces along the paneled walls guided our way farther inside. We passed armchairs, shelves of knickknacks, a few tables, and a lit hearth. A woman wiping down a table smiled at us.
I returned her smile before looking at Callum. “It’s cozy here.”
“You sound relieved.”
“I expected it to be a shady establishment with eye-patched rogues and bandits stationed out front, threatening to steal my booty or something.”
Duke barked out a laugh. “That’d be the case if we were in Lindel. The town’s overrun with thieves, pirates, murderers, and the like. Can’t walk five feet without bumping into a pickpocketor finding yourself pulled into a dark alley followed by cold steel pressed to your throat.”
“We’re not… um, passing through Lindel on our way to Exalos, are we?”
Another laugh, and he clapped me on the back. “Fret not. Lindel is to the east. Exalos is south.”
“South is my new favorite direction.”
“You could take on a rogue,” Duke said. “With your tiny fists of iron.”
“His fists aren’t meant for violence.” Callum swept his gaze around the front parlor and placed his hand on my lower back when locating the stairs. “They’re not weapons but tools for healing.”
“Healing?” I asked, walking with him across the room. Duke walked on my other side. “If you recall, Briar fired me from his clinic. I was a horrible apprentice.”
“You heal the soul of anyone who eats your food,” Callum said. “Every time the knights have been wounded and in the medical ward, you stopping by to make them… us… breakfast lifted our spirits more than you’ll ever know.” His warm brown eyes found mine. “There’s no one else like you, Ev. Someone pure of heart who always puts other’s needs above his own. It’s why I’m happy you have the captain and the rest of your men. You deserve to have that same selfless love and care returned to you.”
“Cal…” Damn if his words didn’t make my eyes water.
“The hour’s late.” He tore his gaze away and continued guiding me up the stairs. “We leave at first light, so don’t let Lake keep you from a proper night of sleep.”
