Sunset, She Fights by Tameri Etherton

Author:Tameri Etherton [Etherton, Tameri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781941955307
Publisher: Teacup Dragon Publishing
Published: 2019-10-31T23:00:00+00:00

10

As roadside inns went, this one wasn’t terribly awful. Theo stepped from the tub and waited while Simpson dried him with a serviceable, if not soft, towel. After a day in the saddle, he was only too happy to shed his travel clothes. The rough cotton irritated places that ought not to be bothered. He slipped into a velvet frockcoat and silk trousers, feeling at once more himself.

After careful consideration, he decided to stop by Rainne’s room—the finest the inn had to offer and the room Theo himself should occupy as a prince, but he’d insisted Rainne have it. She’d objected, of course, but in the end she’d thanked him politely. Not profusely or forced gratitude, but more like a stubborn acceptance, which confused the hell out of him.

The door opened a crack and Rainne’s maid peered through. Her eyes darted to Theo’s face, then to inside the room and back. Desperation or fear or anxiety clouded her lovely features.

“I’d like to ask Lady Delarainne to sup with me.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but she is already abed and wishes to not be disturbed.”

“Already?” It couldn’t be half past seven and yet she was in bed? “Were we too hard on the road today? Can I get anything for her?” He’d make sure they rode at an easier pace tomorrow.

“She’s taken a sleeping potion. I truly am sorry, my lord.” Alona curtseyed and closed the door.

Theo stood in the hallway, staring at the rough wood for a long moment. Never in his life had someone closed a door in his face. And certainly he’d never thought a mere maid would be the first. It was outrageous. And yet, he wasn’t upset.

He patted his frockcoat where his heart beat beneath layers of fabric. Shouldn’t he be livid that she’d spurned him this way? Not Alona, but Lady Delarainne. She’d said she suffered a sickness, and if he were honest, he hadn’t quite believed her. She seemed robust enough on their travels. There wasn’t an illness he could think of that came about only after the sun set, but here he was…standing alone like a fool.

He turned toward his room at the end of the hall, ready to order Simpson to bring him supper, but changed his mind and pivoted toward the stairs. After the day he’d had, a drink was in order. Rainne had shown compassion to the highwaymen when he’d wanted their heads. Fae brigands this far north? The next thing he knew, ogres and trolls would roam the countryside as if they were lords. That would be the day he’d let his sword speak for him and he’d kill every last one of their kind.

He needed that drink more than he thought. Generally, he didn’t let himself get so worked up about the other races, but seeing the fae threaten Rainne had unleashed something primal. The need to protect her and all elves flowed through his veins. His ancestors had fought to keep Elvenwood a haven for the elves. He might never be a king or a warrior, but he would do everything in his power to defend his kin.

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