Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Not drink Mother Thistle’s potions.
“Also,” she started and then gave a long pause as she looked from me to Nylian and back to me. “It’s important that for the next three months at least, you don’t drink alcohol or engage in any sexual acts.” The leveled piercing gaze had me jumping to my feet, all the things she’d dropped into my arms clattering to the messy, stained floor.
“Whoa! It’s not like that. He found me in the woods. Giving me a hand. That’s all!”
Nylian smirked as he reached out and pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “What are you getting so worked up about, pet? Is she stopping your dirty plans?”
I violently batted his hand away with both of mine. “Stop talking your nonsense. Pay the healer and let’s get out of here.”
In a huff, I bent and picked up all the items I’d gained from Mother Thistle. If Nylian didn’t watch out, I was going to put this shit in his tea and burn the incense around him. Maybe it would help his soul.
Not that I would. His life was a mess, thanks to my evil plotting. He didn’t need someone making it more complicated.
A soft clink of metal coins filled the building as I picked up the last of the items and marched out the front door without another word.
The sun was sinking lower in the sky, painting the soft blue a warm orange and yellow. Voices raised in commerce, and idle chitchat had died away as people returned to their homes for their evening meals. Even the air was growing cooler and moister with the coming night. I was about to spend my first night in this strange world I’d created, and I hated to admit that I was afraid.
Despite creating this world, it was still utterly foreign to me. The only one who was familiar was Nylian, and that was making me cling to him like a barnacle on the side of a whale. He didn’t want me, and it was just a matter of time before he figured out a way to scrape me off.
But I couldn’t let that happen.
For some reason, I’d been brought here and placed directly in his path. That had to be a sign that I was supposed to stick with him. Maybe I was supposed to fix some of the plot mess I’d left unfinished. Who knew?
Muffled footsteps approached, and I twisted to see Nylian stepping outside. He dragged in a deep, cleansing breath and offered me a small nod. I don’t know whether he believed what Mother Thistle had said or whether he believed the collection of powders, incense, and poultices would actually fix me. He didn’t offer any comment.
“The inn is two doors down from here. We’ll get rooms for the night and a meal,” he declared. With deft fingers, he unwrapped his horse’s reins from where he’d tied them and led the way along the nearly empty street.
We walked side by side in silence, my gaze skimming over the other shops and homes. Lamps and candlelight flickered between the cracks of curtains and the smell of cooking food wafted out onto the street.
“Thanks for your help. I’m sure you weren’t looking for this kind of trouble. I’ll pay you back,” I murmured. My hands tightened on the packets, making the paper crinkle softly.
“Since I was the one to scare you, I consider us even now. Tomorrow, we’ll go our separate ways.”
I opened my mouth to argue that we needed to stick together, but the words died on my tongue. What the hell was I supposed to say? Fate had brought us together? That was a load of horseshit. No, I needed a much better reason. Something believable.
I was still thinking when we arrived at the inn. Nylian grabbed his bag of belongings and handed the reins of his horse over to a stable boy with filthy clothes and hay in his light-brown hair. He gawked openmouthed at Nylian while the elf ignored him.
“You’re catching flies,” I snapped at the boy as I followed Nylian into the three-story building. The boy’s mouth shut with a click of his teeth, though his wide eyes continued to follow the elf until he disappeared.
I thought I caught a look from Nylian, but it was forgotten in the next second as I crossed the threshold to the inn. Holy shit, it was like stepping into my imagination. My heart fluttered and jumped into my throat as I took in the thick wooden beams everywhere and the creak of the floor under my feet. The smell of ale and fatty cooked meat assaulted my nose from the pub that was through a large open doorway on my left. Directly in front of us stood a battered table that served as a front desk to the inn. A harried woman wearing a rigid smile glared at us as if she’d rather scare us away than give us rooms.