SEBASTIAN
Loud conversations filtered through the door of the snow-covered inn and Luna’s grip tightened on my hand.
“Stay behind me,” I ordered. The cobblestone square in this gods-forsaken mountain village was empty, but I knew our arrival had been marked. I could feel the eyes on us as I landed.
My shadows swirled in my veins, eager to be released at the first sign of danger. My wings twitched at my back, my muscles sore after flying for hours after more than a month of rest.
“Alright,” Luna whispered.
She had been quiet on the flight over here, and I knew Rhain’s words had shaken her more than she let on.
Iknew she wasn’t a spy. What kind of spy would allow themselves to be Bound and Tethered to their mark? The entire accusation was ludicrous. But the issue of her letters disappearing was not. Someone was taking them. I had personally seen to it that they were delivered to the post, and they should have been shadowed back to Ipotha with the regular mail. We would have to deal with this… at another time.
Right now, I had to focus on tonight. I wasn’t sure what we were walking into. This was the first valuable lead we had gotten since the tunnels collapsed. I knew in my gut that solving this murder was important. Not only for the Light Elf’s sake, but for my wife.
Based on several pieces of information he gathered, Rhain believed that several members of the People of the Night were meeting here before dawn. If he was right and they were here, I planned to get as much information out of them as possible before I killed them.
Pulling my wings back into the shadows, I pushed open the door of the Blue Moon Inn. Conversations dried up immediately as vampires, horned and winged elves, and werewolves seated at various tables in this establishment all turned to glare at us as one.
Hostility filled the air, and Luna pressed herself against my side as purple lights flickered. People in various states of intoxication filled the main floor of the inn, including several vampires feeding in the shadowy corners of the room. The sounds of pleasure from their Sources filled the otherwise silent air. Scantily clad females sat on laps, their clothing barely covering their breasts and bottoms. Unlike our neighbors in the south, Eleytans had no problem with sex. These courtesans were well paid and their services were always appreciated.
As one, they glared at us.
A tall vampire with black hair twisted into two tight buns on top of her head stepped out from behind the bar. She walked towards us, her black dress split down the middle, revealing a pair of black leggings underneath and a set of keys hanging off her hip. The others let her pass as she moved towards us, the pouch on her hip jingling.
“We don’t get many newcomers around these parts.” Suspicion was evident in her voice, and she sniffed the air, eyeing Luna. “Especially not humans who smell as delicious as this one does.”
A growl rose in my throat, and I barely tamped it down before it could come out. Starting a fight with the entire inn watching our every move would not be conducive to my goal of remaining inconspicuous. Praying there weren’t any vampires present with Estrella’s particular ability, I tightened my grip on Luna’s hand and pulled her firmly against my side.
“My Source and I are on our way to Sleka,” I lied smoothly, naming a town that lay further north in the mountains. Luna stiffened, but before she could speak, I continued quickly. “With the coming dawn in a few hours, I figured we should stop now and get some rest. We will finish our journey after the sun sets tomorrow night.”
No one called us out on my lies. Thank the gods, in this, we were safe.
“I don’t blame you. If I had a Source that smelled as delicious as yours, I would be hard-pressed to take my fangs out of her neck.” The innkeeper winked at me, and I snarled. “Welcome to The Blue Moon Inn. My name is Zada, and this is my establishment.”
An air of disappointment seemed to fill the inn as most of the patrons realized there wasn’t going to be a fight. They turned, resuming their conversations, but Luna remained stiff at my side.
Zada eyed the fine stitching on our cloaks, a greedy glint entering her gaze. “I assume you’ll be wanting a room for the day?”
“Please. My Source also requires sustenance.” I reached into my pocket, withdrawing a heavy obsidian coin.
The innkeeper’s eyes widened at the rare form of currency. Grabbing the money with the speed of our kind, she slipped it into her purse before anyone else could see what it was and dipped her head. “Of course. Right away, sir. I’ll also have the servants fill a bath for you both, my lord. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you require anything else.”
I almost laughed. How quickly her tune changed when she realized we had money to spend.
* * *
Soon,Luna and I followed Zada up a winding, rickety set of stairs. Once we reached the second-floor landing, the innkeeper unlocked the first wooden door on the left before handing me the key. “Do you need anything else, Lord…”
Her voice trailed off as she waited for my name.
Shaking my head and pointedly ignoring her efforts to determine who exactly we were, I said, “No, thank you.”
The innkeeper pursed her lips. “Perhaps if I sent you—”
“No.”
This had been a long enough night. I did not want to deal with this right now. Reaching out, I placed my hand on Zada’s arm.