Chapter 41
The dirt path we’ve been following turns to cobblestone as we approach one of the two entrances into the town. Stone walls encircle the entire settlement, and guards stand outside, checking the papers of anyone who enters.
Hallis has dismounted and leads the horse with a loose rein, the stump of his shorn hand hidden in his pocket. “This is Calgary, the first line of defense between the capitol and the Roison border. The town’s been ransacked a time or two, so they’re particular about who gets though the gates.”
Acker has pulled his hood over his face. We’ve all hidden our weapons, my blade securely tucked away in my waistband. When I asked why we needed to hide our identities, Hallis said it was to prevent the prince’s presence from causing a ruckus among the townspeople. They don’t get to see the royals outside the capitol’s walls very often, and it usually creates a maelstrom of bodies. Remaining hidden prevents word of our location from spreading, to Roison, too.
“Papers,” a guard calls when we approach. It’s obvious we’re not their typical visitors. The quality of the horses and gear and our clothing gives away our high status in an area filled with farmers and serfs.
“We have no papers, but we have coins to spend,” Acker says, shaking his fist to rattle the metal before exposing his palm.
The men lean in to get a better view, sharing a quick look before the leader shakes his head, feigning regret. “The cost for passage has increased.
Tripled, in fact.”
“Tripled?” Hallis barks in outrage.
“Pay or go around. There’s been word of a light wielder at the border, some girl who’s been rumored to look a lot like one of the two you’re toting about,” he says, pointing at Beau and me with a dirty finger. “And we don’t want no trouble in our town.”
Acker digs three more gold coins from his pocket. “Is this enough?” he asks, words clipped in annoyance.
“For you two,” the guard says to Hallis and Acker. “The girls will be an additional fee.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Hallis all but shouts. “This is extortion. Does your lord know about this?”
“Lord Gravebriar is in the tavern if you’d like a word with him regarding our practices,” the guard says, beard twitching when he smiles.
“But first you’ll need to pay.”
Acker retrieves enough coins to buy an entire plot of land and slaps them into the man’s hand. “They better have good ale.”
The men shuffle out of the way so we can pass, smiling like the thieves they are and sharing silent laughs at our expense.
Once we’re out of hearing range, Hallis pulls in close to Acker. “How
much is left?”
“Not a lot,” he replies.
The town branches off from the centre, like spokes on a wheel, an old well as the centerpiece, where stray chickens and children are congregated.
We dismount from our horses.
“We need to split up,” Acker says, handing Hallis half of what’s left of the money. “I’ll find a stable for the horses. You three go check for lodging and something to eat that doesn’t look like it’ll give us a bout of food poisoning.”
“Not happening.” Hallis stops him with a hand on his shoulder, head tilting in our direction. “Take one and I’ll take the other.”
“Excuse me,” Beau butts in. “Do we not get a say?”
Acker lets out a breath, eyes going to me. An offering for me to choose.
“I’ll go with Hallis.”
Beau isn’t put out by my decision in the slightest and all but skips to take the reins from him. Acker tells us to meet back here in an hour, pointing to the clock tower at the northern end of the central plaza before we depart.
The buildings are old and worn down, brick facades crumbling and broken windows covered with boards. Many of the signs aren’t legible due to weather and neglect, but we manage to find an inn with relative ease thanks to the vacancy sign in the window.
The doorway is propped open with a chair, and we enter a small parlor.
It’s empty of patrons besides one lone man sitting in a booth in the corner, a glass of dark liquor on the table before him. There’s a bar near the stairs with an elderly woman behind it scribbling something into a notebook.
“We don’t serve for another hour,” she says, not bothering to look up
from her book.
“How much for two rooms?” Hallis asks.
“Papers?”
“Not this bullshit again,” Hallis mutters. “How much without papers?”
She looks over the brim of her reading glasses, eyes skimming over us with sharp dexterity. “For the two of you and no papers?” she says, eyeing us up and down once more. “Three silvers each.”
Hallis assesses our funds and makes a face as he slaps all of it on the bar. “This is all I’ve got.”
She fingers through the array of coins before sliding them into her palm and pocketing them in her apron. “No violence or excessive drunkenness allowed. Keep it clean. Shared bathroom at the end of the hall on the right.”
Producing two sets of keys, she holds them with one in each hand.
Sounds reasonable enough. “Either of them have separate beds?” She smiles at me and shakes the one in her right hand.
Hallis and I reach for the key at the same time, but I’m successful in grabbing it first. The number four is etched into its keyring. Hallis takes the other, less than thrilled by the prospect of sharing a bed with someone.
There are only a few options as to who will get the pleasure of doing so, and I think we both know it won’t be me.
“Name your price,” Hallis says as we leave the inn.
“There’s not a thing you could offer me that would suffice,” I tell him, tucking the key into the front of my blouse.
We return to the well near the clock tower before Acker and Beau.
Hallis spends the entire wait pouting, which is the best version of him, in my opinion, because it means he doesn’t talk and avoids eye contact.
The town reminds me of the Main in Alaha, but seedier. There’s a bakery and a shoe shop near the middle and a tavern down the way. People carry packages wrapped in twine and paper from a nearby alley where the butcher resides. There are couples and families and men, but I haven’t spotted a single woman out by herself, which is the most telling thing.
Darkness envelopes the town as the sun sinks behind the stone perimeter wall.
“Hallis?” He grunts in reply, and I point to the lanterns lining the street to draw his full attention. “Why aren’t they lit?”
He remains quiet as he considers the lamps, and I look at him to double check that he’s not still ignoring me, but Beau and Acker appear before he’s able to answer.
“The whole town is crooked,” Beau complains.
“How much do we have?” Hallis asks.
Acker shakes his head, the only answer needed.
“If I’m going to bed on an empty stomach,” Beau says, “at least tell me there’s running water where we’re staying.”
Hallis and I share a look, and Beau groans at the lack of optimism radiating from us. We follow Hallis back to the inn. If Beau or Acker are offput by the lack of light along the way, they don’t show it. Patrons line the dark alleyway as we pass by, and it seems the business has picked up since we were last here. A woman stands by the door, greeting people as they
enter and … … Is she wearing negligee?
Hallis halts, the first of us to get a look inside the bustling establishment. He peers up at the dilapidated sign over the door.
Beau peeks her head over Hallis’s shoulder and wheezes, “You booked us rooms in a brothel?” She smacks him on the shoulder.
Hallis’s gaze goes to Acker, the last in our group. “I didn’t know,” he tells him, apologetic. “It was empty when we were here earlier and the lady who took our money was not…” He makes a face before looking to me for backup. When I don’t offer any, he says, “She was not a lady of pleasure, if you get what I’m saying.”
Acker sighs. “There’s not a chance in hell we’re getting the money back.”
All eyes go to me, and it’s obvious they’re waiting for my reaction. I look to Acker to gauge his preference, then Beau says, “He doesn’t mind a brothel, do you, Acker?”
He clenches his teeth but manages to keep his annoyance under control.
“If you’re uncomfortable, we’ll go,” he tells me. “None of us are strangers to sleeping on the ground. Another night of it won’t kill us, and we’ll be at the palace by nightfall tomorrow anyway.”
But the money is already spent, and it’s too dark to set up a decent camp.
Plus, I’m exhausted. “It’s fine. Let’s just get some sleep.”
There’s a noticeable sigh of relief from Beau and Hallis, and I wonder if they have any idea how alike they are.
Hallis is first to enter, and the lady at the door welcomes him with a smile and slow graze of her fingers along his forearm. He nods at her—the Kenta greeting—and passes by with curt politeness.
“Oooh.” She does a shimmy at the sight of Beau and me, the scraps of fabric she wears as clothing barely hanging on. “I love women who are in touch with themselves. Maybe one of you could touch me later, too.” She winks at me as I pass, her thickly painted lashes accentuating the gesture.
“Or maybe both of you?”
Acker follows close behind, hand at the small of my back as we enter.
“She definitely has a preference,” he whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine with his proximity.
The parlor is filled with men and scantily clad women. Perfume and liquor permeate the air. Everywhere I look, there’s a woman trying to draw me in, their clothes and hair and make-up all a ploy to entice and evoke
interest. Some have elaborate garments of shiny crystals and beads, others in nothing but a slip of lace as underwear, breasts bare.
And the two men in our party? Tall and handsome and wealthy, Hallis and Acker are prime targets, leagues above this establishment’s normal clientele, and the women don’t waste anytime before descending on them.
Hallis and Acker do their best to fend off their offers of service as politely as they can despite some of the women being so eager to make the catch they volunteer their time for free.
There’s a sign on the bar’s counter stating that a healer is on staff in case any unsavory symptoms or concerns might arise, and that inquiries should be made in the morning.
By the time we manage to make it up the stairs, we’re out of breath and disheveled.
Acker huffs out a breath and removes his hood, sending his hair in every direction. “I think we fared better escaping the Dark Forest.”
I fail to hide my smile.
Beau scrubs at her eyes with the palms of her hands. “Everything is red.”
Hallis studies her as he arranges his shirt back into place. “You okay?”
Dropping her hands, she takes a breath and nods, a smile returning to her face. “Yeah. A good night’s rest will help.”
I pull out my key and find the door with the matching number.
Hallis does the same, stopping at the door opposite mine. “If you’re rooming with Beau, we should get the double.”
The idea of Hallis and Acker sharing a bed does paint a pretty picture and I nearly say no purely to see what happens. “Fine,” I say at last, accepting the trade.
“Keep your door locked and don’t go anywhere without someone with
you,” Acker orders.
“Yes, sir,” Beau says with a mock bow.
He says her name in warning, and she suppresses an eye roll.
Hallis gets his door open and cusses. “The old hag switched the keys,” he says, stepping aside so we can see the single bed in the middle of the room.
We all turn and watch Beau shove our door open, revealing the same exact layout inside our room as well: one single bed in the middle, a small desk and chair.
“Looks like she hoodwinked you guys,” she says.
I click my tongue at Hallis as I step backward into the room. “Don’t be
such a princess,” I drawl.
Acker smiles at Hallis’s annoyance.
“Sharing is caring,” Beau agrees, shutting the door in their faces and locking the door. “Finally,” she says, pulling a bottle of liquor from inside her coat like a street magician. “Let’s get drunk.”
