“We are?” Surprise parted her lips.
“Yes. We’re going to visit my magic supplier. Once you have what you need, and if you’re as good as you say you are, you’ll be returning home in no time.”
Her hand dropped to her side. “Right. The sooner the better.”
I stepped back, putting some distance between us. My words sounded hollow to my ears. Maybe because I knew them for the lies they were. I’d already framed her father and had him thrown in jail to get her here. Now she was in my home, a beautiful mix of contradictions and secrets, the question became: What wouldn’t I do to keep her here?
Chapter 10
Liana
“We’re not taking the carriage?” I climbed down the stone steps, staring at the pair of horses stamping their feet in the driveway.
“I thought you’d prefer to ride into town. It’s cold, but the sun’s out,” Bowen said, handing me the reins to a beautiful chestnut horse.
He had dressed fully in black again, the same as he was the day I first saw him. Dark riding gloves encased his fingers, and the hood from his cloak created deep shadows over his face. He seemed to wear the color like a suit of armor, using it to intimidate, but also to shield himself beneath it.
The gesture to ride into town may have seemed small to some, but I noted the struggle it must have been for him. Traveling in a carriage allowed him obscurity, and he’d offered to trade that in for my comfort at the expense of his own.
“I would prefer to ride, thank you.”
Bowen offered his hand to help me mount the horse, and I took it, sliding up into the saddle. The sun felt wonderful on my face, so I tilted my head back to breathe in the fresh, salty air. I leaned into the horse, nudging my heels until we took off at a gallop.
After days of being cooped up inside the manor, riding across the countryside felt exhilarating and almost reminded me of being back home. Bowen seemed to be enjoying it too. He was a skilled rider and seemed more at ease atop the horse than he had inside the shadowy carriage. Bowen might consider obscurity a necessity, but it was clear a part of him longed to be unshackled by whatever demons held him captive.
We slowed as we neared the congested streets in town. Bowen took the lead, navigating us toward the market district.
It was years since I’d traveled these streets, yet somehow, it all seemed familiar. Things never change as much as they should. There were still impoverished merchants hawking their wares from beneath tattered awnings, and youngsters running rampant, searching for their next meal. Even the smells were the same: sizzling meats, fresh fish, and the acrid scent of spices, all with the tinge of unwashed bodies and desperation.
I followed Bowen down one side street then another, until we came to an arched doorway set into a stone building. There was no indication it was a shop of any kind. No signage and no windows to peer through at the merchandise. The place was deserted, and we were far enough from the main road I couldn’t hear street noise.
“This is it,” he said, helping me dismount.
“Are you sure?” I asked while he tied our horses up to a lone hitching post. “It’s just a hole in the wall.”
A breeze whipped through the alley, forcing me to pull the hood of my cloak over my head as its icy fingers froze the back of my neck. Rubbing my hands together for warmth, I peered at the solid wooden door. A giant metal ring serving as a knocker had been affixed in the center.
My lips quirked. “Let me guess—there’s a secret knock to get inside.”
“Very funny. This is a reputable establishment.” Bowen approached the door and lifted the iron ring. He let it fall against the wood, waited three seconds, then knocked twice in rapid succession.
I muttered under my breath while we waited for someone to answer, “That sounded like a secret knock to me,”
The door creaked open, and we stepped inside a small vestibule leading directly to a staircase. I blinked, searching the space for whoever had opened the door. Bowen repressed a smirk at my confused expression.
“Magic,” he whispered, placing his hand at the small of my back and urging me up the staircase.
“Creepy,” I countered.
The stairs groaned with each step, and I held onto the railing until we reached the landing. At the top, we stopped in front of another door. This time, Bowen didn’t knock, but he had to duck beneath the doorframe to enter.
Inside, soft, muted light filtered in from skylights and cast glowing pools across the floorboards. The shop was cozy and infused with the scent of sandalwood and rose water. Rows and rows of shelves displayed strange objects and trinkets while other wares hung from the low ceiling.
A woman flung back a ruby-and-gold tasseled curtain connected to an adjoining room and approached the counter. She had thick waves of luxurious black hair and flawless skin. Her hazel eyes were heavily fringed with dark lashes, and her mouth was wide and full. She smiled coyly at Bowen and leaned her elbows on the counter. Her luscious hair flowed around her shoulders, and she toyed with the ends, wrapping the locks around her fingers.
“Hey, stranger,” she purred. “It’s been a while.”
“Have you been staying out of trouble, Cora?”
