Page 35 of Sky’s Edge

There was indeed a balcony off the room, windowed doors to it, and there were two more narrow windows on either side of it a bit away from the door.

And the whole place had a delightful nuance of the scent of evergreens.

“Have you eaten?” Tanyn asked, shrugging off his coat and tossing it on the back of a chair.

“No,” I answered.

“Do you want to eat or relax and have a drink first?”

I seriously needed a drink.

“Drink,” I said, dropping my bag onto the seat of the chair he’d used.

Pulling off my hat, and since he was moving to a drinks cabinet rather than helping me with my outer gear, I set it on the back of the chair, tugged off my gloves and shoved them in a pocket of my coat. I took that off too and tossed it on top of the rest.

I smoothed my hair so I didn’t have hat head, then moved to a snug, inviting, deep-seated armchair that was placed perpendicular to the fire and across from another chair a lot like it, however mine was a rust color, and the one across from it was the color of pine.

“What do you want?” Tanyn asked from the cabinet.

“Martini. Vodka, olives,” I answered, tugging off my boots so I could curl into the chair and tuck a throw around me.

Yes, it was a whole lot warmer in here than it was outside.

No, the chill wasn’t entirely beaten back.

After I got comfy, Hurley trotted over, sat beside me, and I reached down to pet his head.

“Your dog is cute,” I told him.

“He knows that.”

I looked at Hurley’s blissful face.

Yes, he knew.

“What breed is it?” I inquired. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like him.”

“Keeshond.”

That really told me nothing, since I’d never heard of that breed.

Hurley licked my wrist.

“You’re not only cute, you’re a charmer,” I told him.

Hurley panted then licked my wrist again.

I smiled at him.

Tanyn broke our moment by offering me a martini glass, three fat olives hugging the bottom.

“Thanks,” I muttered.

He moved to the chair opposite me holding what looked like a heavy, squat tumbler containing a healthy vodka rocks. He sat and lifted his glass to me.

“Welcome to Sigil.”

I lifted mine in return, tardily getting a weird feeling from him, and as such noticing he might be impassive, but he’d never been distant.