Page 103 of Keldori By Daybreak

“And when he says break-ins happen all the time—”

“He’s going to find our inn, break-in, and steal our things.”

I snorted. “Good luck to him. Tiernan will destroy half the street before he lets anyone near Fana.”

The guards outside the shop continued to talk, and Ciarán shushed me.

“Come on,” the bearded guard, Kamryn, goaded. “It’ll be easy money and easy Skal.”

“If you want to go through the effort of finding where they’re staying and breaking in, go right ahead,” the blond guard said. “When they go to the local guard post in the morning about it, I’ll make sure it doesn’t get looked into, but I’m not going with you. Not after last time.”

“Suit yourself,” Kamryn laughed. “But there were a few girls in the party if that changes anything for you.”

My stomach dropped, and Ciarán’s thoughts inside my head turned violent. They lacked words and structure, but I could see all the things he wanted to do to this guard.

“Oh yes, mountain women. My favorite.” The third guard scoffed. “You are paying, aren’t you?”

Coins clinked as Kamryn passed off a money pouch. His two friends disappeared inside the chocolate shop while he leaned against the wall, holding his Skal—our Skal—aloft to inspect it.

“Stay here.” I pushed past Ciarán.

“Wren!”

But I was already running into the street and throwing myself at the guard.

23. Orthopedic Trauma

I would’ve liked to hit him. The way Kamryn the Guard’s jaw slackened in surprise when he saw me charging told me I would’ve gotten at least one good punch in before he had the bearings to fight back.

Instead, I begged.

“Please!” I pulled on the front of his barony coat, letting my knees go weak with feigned fear. “Please, help! He came out of nowhere and attacked me!”

The corner of Kamryn’s beard turned upwards as his look of shock dissolved into something more sinister. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and pocketed the Skal bottle.

If he had been the guard who’d taken our Skal at the Northern Gate, he didn’t recognize me.

“Don’t worry, miss. I’ll help you. Show me where he went.”

I led him back towards the alley, pointing to the street at the other end. Ciarán was gone, and I smiled with my back to the guard.

“This way! Fast!” I bolted down the alley, giving chase to an imaginary assailant. A pair of orange eyes glowed in the shadow of an alcove as I ran past, and a moment later, the Kamryn’s heavy footfalls cut off with a grunt.

I spun around to see him struggling in Ciarán’s arms as Ciarán pulled him back into the corner where he’d been lying in wait.

“That Skal,” Ciarán growled, his elbow hooked around Kamryn’s neck from behind, “it’s ours.”

Kamryn’s eyes widened, and he stopped struggling.

“You’re the travelers who came through last night,” he realized. He locked eyes with mine. “And you, you looked half-dead at the gate!”

“I got better.” I reached into his uniform pocket and found two bottles of our Skal. “There were two more. Where are they?”

“Sold them,” he sneered. “What’re you going to do about it?”

“I’m going to make you apologize to the lady for using her condition the other night to extort us,” Ciarán said. “And then I’m going to decide if I’m going to break your fingers.”

Kamryn started to laugh, but then Ciarán twisted one of his fingers against its socket, and the guard broke off in a pained grunt.