Page 74 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
She sucked in a harsh breath. “No. Sluaghs, you say? In these parts?”
“Yeah. They swarmed him and carried him off. He called out that I should find this place, that he’d meet me here tonight.”
“I suppose that promise depends on how far the sluaghs carried him, lady.”
I swallowed hard, wanting to guzzle a river. “How—how far could they have taken him?”
“I can’t say for sure, o’ course, but I’ve heard they’ve flown folk to whole other courts.”
Goddess, no!
“But I’m certain that had to have been a plague of sluaghs what did that. Your fella must be on his way to you. Only—he may not make it tonight.”
What the hell was I going to do if Briar didn’t reach me that night? Sleep in the rain?
The wench side-eyed me, wringing her rag. “Will you be needing a room tonight?”
Impressive, how she’d finagled that question into our conversation—casual, like a hairdresser pushing designer product.
I chewed my lip, picking at a hangnail I’d developed climbing that damn magnolia tree. Thanks to my bungled attempt at charity, I had one measly pumpkin seed to my name. I doubted that would cover a room rental. I couldn’t very well beg for a free bed, either. Doing that was outlawed. My pride forbade it anyway.
“Um, well, I think I should stay down here. In the open. In case he does show up.”
So much for sleep tonight.
“Then can I fetch you something to eat? Something hot and savory on this blustery night?”
My mouth salivated at mention of food. Despite my reluctance to look the pauper, I dug into my pocket and set my paltry pumpkin seed on the counter. “What can this buy me?”
I guessed not much as she stared at the seed, speechless.
The susurrus of a dog shaking rain off its fur saved me further embarrassment. Distracted, the wench beamed at what she saw behind me.
I glanced back to find a slender black and tan beauty traipsing toward me through the crowd, nose to the moss. She was taller than a beagle but had that adorable hound face with floppy ears and big brown eyes. Scampering straight over, she sat, regal as a queen, and offered me her paw like she knew I needed a friend. Her feathery tail swished in the moss, her tan eyebrows aloft. Her muzzle opened in a smile to reveal a black spot on her pink tongue.
I sank to pet her damp, sable fur. “Aren’t you pretty?”
She nuzzled my hand, and memories of Novus geysered. Oh, how I missed him. When she licked my chin as he always had, I ruffled her ears and giggled. Giggled like the old me—the girl I’d been, a hologram now darkened.
I rose, and my breath caught upon a mixture of mist, musk, and citrus. Just three paces behind the dog I’d been loving on stood the biggest male I’d ever seen in person.
This is new, I thought as I gazed up at him.Up. Not down or straight ahead.Up.
He was damn near over a half foot taller than me with limbs solid enough to support such long bones. His hands were like bear paws, his shoulders linebacker broad. He wore all black, a dripping, fur-trimmed cloak tied at his sun-kissed neck. A short beard of brown whiskers covered his jaw and surrounded a wide mouth—soft, full, and upturned at the corners. The dark hair on his head, more fluffy than curly, was unintentionally mussed, making him unintentionally sexy. His heavy eyebrows angled toward the long bridge of his sloping, round nose. His narrow-set eyes reminded me of warm molasses cookies. Those eyes now gazed at me in quizzical consideration as he closed the space between us and bent to pat the dog’s head.
“Good girl, Sionna,” he praised her in a deep Irish brogue. His mouth quirked up on one side. “Very good girl.”
Sionna wagged double time.
If I had a tail, I’d be wagging it too.
Realizing I’d been staring for far too long, I spun back to face the bar wench. She smirked at my dazzlement, scrubbing her counter.
“Hello there, Pete,” she said to the stranger, who sidled to my right, untying his cloak. Her gruffness didn’t fool me. I could tell by the warmth inhereyes that she was quite fond of Pete. “Finally come to pay your tab, have you?”
“All in due time, Jade.” He chuckled and draped his cloak over the barstool beside him, revealing a studded jerkin and a close-fitting pair of leather trousers. He’d sheathed a dagger on his left hip. A scabbard hung on his right. He looked dangerous, but I didn’t feel in danger.
Jade sighed as though she’d heard his excuse a million times. “What’ll you have then?”
