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Cautiously, I laid a hand on his back. "Luca, are you sure this is worth it?"
That made him pause in his knocking and finally turn to face me. His stern expression cracked. He gave me a small smile and lifted a hand to briefly cup the side of my face. "Of course you are worth it. Do not worry, this is a setback I expected. Julian will be able to help you."
"If he lets us through the door," I muttered, but Luca had already turned around and resumed his knocking.
I rejoined Theo, grasping his hand and letting him lead me toward the stream, but my mind was churning. It wasn't until we were in the car once again, carefully pulling out onto the rutted lane, that I voiced my thoughts.
"Luca only mentioned coming to see Julian when he saw my ring. He said he'd seen a ring like this before, and then he brought up Julian."
"Okay?" Theo glanced my way.
I wasn't sure how to make sense of my thoughts. "I don't know." I glanced down at the shimmering ring on my left hand. "I don't know what the ring has to do with whatever is happening to me…but doesn't it sound like Luca knows exactly what is happening here? I mean, he keeps saying Julian can help, and he's not saying what Julian is supposed to be able to do, but…doesn't it sound like he knows what's going on?"
Theo shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe. But why wouldn't he say something? You think he's keeping something from us?"
"Well, obviously he's keeping something from us. I mean, that's some history he must have with that Julian guy." I tipped my head against the seat. "What do you think happened between them?"
"Jilted lovers?" Theo suggested with a grin.
I snorted. "Childhood friends turned enemies?"
Theo's grin turned soft, and he reached across the console and took my hand. "Childhood friends turned lovers?"
My cheeks heated, but I rolled my eyes at him. "You're a dork. Let's just find a place to stay. Hopefully they don’t kill each other while we’re gone."
Theo nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Do you trust Luca?"
I paused, wanting to give his question the consideration it deserved. "Yes," I said finally. "I do. He clearly knows more than he's letting on, but I trust him. I think he really wants to help."
Theo gave my hand a squeeze, then released it. "Then that's good enough for me. Let's go find somewhere to stay."
I'd feared that the tiny village we'd passed through on our way up the mountain wasn't large enough for a hotel, but to my relief we found somewhere just off the main road through town—a cute little bed-and-breakfast-type-place. The proprietor was an elderly white-haired woman with glasses on a beaded string around her neck.
"I think we left the wrong person behind at the cabin," I mumbled to Theo, but between the two of us, we managed to get our request across.
"Vienas?" she asked, holding up a single finger and looking between us. "Du?" She added a finger.
"Oh," I said, catching on. "Du, please." I glanced to Theo. "Maybe three?"
But he ignored me. "Vienas," he said firmly. "Just one room."
I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off before I could start. "I'm not letting you wander off into the mountains of Velarta. We're all staying together, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until we figure out how to make this stop happening."
Of course he was right. "Vienas," I confirmed faintly, and the woman nodded. She handed us a key and beckoned for us to follow her up a winding staircase. The room was right at the top. It was charming, but tiny, with faded floral wallpaper and an attached bathroom. There was also a large wooden four-poster bed. Just one.
I caught Theo's eye and he sent me a mock glare. "When I said I wouldn't make you choose between us, I didn't mean like that."
I stifled a laugh and lifted a brow. "Oh no? Didn't Luca say he wanted to hear you sing in the shower? Maybe you two should take the bed."
Theo poked me hard in the ribs and I yelped.
"Maybe you get the bed to yourself, and the two of us stand sentinel by the door so you don't wander off," he teased.
I couldn't help the shiver that ran the length of my spine. I knew he was joking, but he wasn't wrong.
He must have seen my face fall, because his teasing smile disappeared and he reached for my hand and pulled me into his arms.
"I won't let anything happen to you," he said.
