“I want to feel that pretty mouth of yers on mine.”
“If you kiss me, you’ll—”
Something brushed my lips. A choked whimper echoed in my ears, and the barmaid with the clever hands fell into a heap at my feet.
“Die,” I snarled, slamming my fist into the feckin’ wall.
I stuffed my aching flesh back into my breeches, fumbling with the buttons and belt. That woman hadn’t deserved this. I should’ve been quicker to explain. Should’ve told her to turn around like I usually did so kissing me wasn’t a feckin’ option.
The moment I opened the closet door, the low conversations in the pub went silent. The two pooka slowly rose from their seats. The leprechaun set his pipe aside.
Pity filled their wide eyes. A look I’d come to know all too well.
“I . . . ah . . .” Raking a trembling hand through my hair, I glanced back toward the closet. “Would any of you be willing to bring her to the castle for me?” Shame heated my neck when all three men nodded. Whether they knew of my curse or not, I’d learned my people would stand by me no matter how many lives I took.
As long as those lives belonged to humans.
I shifted a purse of coins for each, waiting until all of them were gone before lifting my bag from the floor and withdrawing a clean shirt to exchange for the one that reeked of drink and perfume. Using the dirty garment, I scrubbed what remained of the kohl from my eyes. In my bag, I found a new cravat and tried to tie the damn thing, but it strangled me, so I loosened it and thoughtto hell with it. Good enough.
Collecting my coat from the stool, I made my way toward the door, hoping I didn’t kill anyone else tonight.
8
The inn stunkof boiled cabbage and vinegar. Although the reception room had been painted a muted yellow instead of the green I remembered, it still had the same hideous set of dusty antlers mounted over the fireplace from two decades before.
“I’d like to purchase an additional room for the night,” Keelynn told a woman filing her nails behind the desk. The mousy hair tied back from her face looked dry as straw.
“Fer yer friend ‘ere?” The woman smiled at me, highlighting the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth.
I managed to smile back.
It could have been the drink, but I thought Keelynn stepped closer to me. “Yes, please.”
“Sure, ye dinna have to stand on pretense with me, milady.” The woman tapped her file against the desk. “I’ll turn a blind eye fer three coppers.”
“There is no pretense,” Keelynn insisted. “I need a second room.”
It seemed silly to waste her coin on a second room just to save face. Still, it wasn’t my money, so I kept my mouth shut.
The woman looked between us, brow furrowed. “Yer really not stayin’ together?”
“Absolutely not.” Keelynn shuddered, as if the idea of spending the night with me repulsed her.
I’d leave her shuddering for an entirely different reason—
Hold on.With the truth curse she couldn’t lie. Which meant she actually thought I needed a room. Which meant I wouldn’t have the chance to convince her to let me have the ring.
“Then save yer coins. I’ve a cold bed he can warm if yer not usin’ him.” The woman dragged a nail along my forearm and raised her eyebrows. The tug around my midsection grew unbearable.
I didn’t want to sleep in this smelly inn. And I sure as hell didn’t want to sleep with that woman. Why hadn’t I controlled my temper, conserved my magic, and evanesced home? If I told Keelynn not to bother with the room, whatever smidgeon of goodwill she may feel toward me would surely evaporate
“Don’t touch him,” Keelynn hissed. Her shaky hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes bulged.
Where the hell had that come from? She avoided looking at me, withdrawing her purse and telling the woman once again that I was to have my own room.
“Not a bit fun, is she?” the woman grumbled, accepting the coins.
“Not a bit,” I said with a wink because apparently my curse thought I should flirt with the old bat.