Page 16 of The Iron Hex

The barmaid turned to him, a different woman than that morning, one dark eyebrow lifted. “I like to protect the girls that come into my bar,” was all she said, before turning toward the rest of the bar.

Eira turned to Hugo, a wry smirk on her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was a bit of a mess in its bun—he found that he had to stop himself from trying to kiss her. This was not how this was going to go; he needed something from her, and then they needed to leave.

“I should be furious with you right now,” he choked out.

“For leaving?” she answered, crossing her legs. Her flowing skirts rode up and draped, outlining her ample thigh and putting it on display. Fuck.

“For drugging me,” he answered gruffly, and probably more harshly than he needed to he added, “For using magic against me.”

“It was simply to help you sleep. You looked exhausted,” she answered as she glanced up at his face. “You still do.”

“We still haven’t discussed theothermagic,” he said, lowering his voice. “How do I know you didn’t do more than just use a potion on me today?”

“If I wanted to do more to you, I would have,” she statedlightly. A chill ran through Hugo; this wasnotthe Eira he’d expected, and he felt torn between his concern over what he was learning and his... feelings.

Hugo opened his mouth to snipe back at her when he noticed a man sidle up to Eira.

“Well, well, well,” the man said, already slurring his words even though the sun had just set. “I see some newcomers.”

“Incredible observation,” Hugo said dryly.

The man ignored him, leaning in toward Eira. “We don’t see pretty ladies like you around these parts much.”

“That seems like an insult to the beautiful women I’ve seen in town today,” Eira answered, smiling through gritted teeth. It was the same nonsmile she’d given Hugo since he’d found her potions shop. He wondered what a real smile would look like from her again, like the brief glimpse he’d gotten the night before at the tavern, like all the other ones... before.

“Well,” the man said, propping himself up on the bar on the other side of Eira and grazing her hip as he moved into position. “There’s something about anewpretty girl that makes her seem prettier than the others.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Eira said, her smile fading and anger lacing her voice.

Careful, Hugo thought. The last thing the two of them needed was to start a brawl in the middle of town. Two newcomers, arriving in the darkness before the dawn, starting a fight right away? It was a recipe for the Iron Retinue to investigate. Not that they probably weren’t already on their way here. He hadn’t meant to sleep as long as he had and, quite frankly, he and Eira should have left hours ago.

“What my wife is saying,” he said, moving closer to Eira as he worked toward stepping between her and the random drunk, “is that she thinks all women are beautiful. Right, honey?”

“Yes,” she answered through teeth that were somehow even more gritted than before.

“Wife?” the man said, turning his attention to Hugo. “Bad husband to be letting his wife sit in a tavern all alone.”

“She isn’t alone,” Hugo answered, leaning against the bar and taking a sip of his mead.

“She was until you decided to crawl out of your cave.”

“She isn’t now.” He placed his mead down and turned to stare directly at the stranger.

“It wouldn’t take much to get rid of a man like you.” The drunk’s words were slurred. “Then she’d be alone again.”

How foolish these small town men were. They had no idea who they were dealing with.

“I would genuinely like to see you try,” Hugo said, standing up straight and towering over the man. He was not about to be intimidated. Hugo loomed over the small man, standing almost double his size, and simply watched him until the drunk finally broke with a weak chuckle, slapping Hugo’s arm.

“You’re funny,” he exclaimed, taking a drink of his dark beer. “Just wanted to give your woman some credit for being as beautiful as she is.”

Right, just a compliment.

“And I appreciate your compliment to her,” Hugo said, turning back to Eira and away from the man as he walked away. And Eira looked... furious.Shit.

“What makes you think I wanted you to step in there?” Her voice was calm, which meant she was angrier than she’d been all night. He remembered that the last time she’d spoken to him like that, it had been the worst day of his life.

“You were ready to start a brawl with a drunk when the Iron Retinue is actively looking for us,” Hugo whispered.