AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grayson tried to ignore how that made his skin itch. Tobin hadn’t asked Grayson any questions about the injury, but he knew the physician had prodded Mia for information the first night he’d come to tend Grayson. Mia had told Grayson that she’d managed to sidestep any specifics, though she had divulged the use of Flame’s Breath, which was just rare enough to denote Grayson had been tortured—probably at the castle. Thankfully, Tobin hadn’t pressed for more information after eagerly pocketing his coins.
“The infection seems to be gone,” the physician concluded. “The fevers should be behind you as well. Is your pain manageable?”
For a brief moment, he considered lying. If he said he was in pain, Mia might insist he take more of the olcain powder. He knew the medicine was in his pack; he’d checked the other day, when Mia had briefly stepped out of the room. He hadn’t taken any, but he’d replaced the packet carefully.
He wanted it, but he hesitated to take it. If Mia asked him to, though . . .
No. She wasn’t going to ask him to take more. She’d made it clear when he’d first woken that she hated what the olcain had done to him. And if he told Tobin he was in pain, the man would just give him some weaker medicine.
Mia and Tobin both stared at him, waiting for him to answer.
He cleared his throat. “Yes, the pain is manageable.”
“Any headaches?” Tobin asked.
They were mild now, hardly worth noting. “No.”
“Good.” Tobin glanced at Mia. “You’ve done well in caring for him.”
She squeezed Grayson’s fingers. “Is he well enough to travel?”
“I would advise waiting until the wound is fully scabbed over. That should be just a few more days. The infection and your dependence on olcain both took a toll, so you should be careful not to push your body too far.” He looked to Mia. “I’ll be traveling to a couple of other villages nearby, so it may be a few days before I can return.” The physician handed Grayson a healing balm, and Mia paid him.
Grayson didn’t miss the flash of greed in the man’s eyes as he pocketed his payment.
“I’ll return when I can,” he said as he left.
Grayson closed the door behind the physician and twisted to face Mia. “We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Mia bit the inside of her cheek. “Tobin said you needed a few more days.”
“He only wants us to stay so he can get more coin. I’m well enough, so there’s no point in losing any more time.” It had been nine days since they’d escaped the castle, and he was anxious to move on and reach Porynth before Zadir sailed away—even if that was less likely with every day that passed.
He also didn’t particularly like Jon, the innkeeper. He was a man of few words with a watchful gaze Grayson didn’t trust. He’d only interacted with Jon a few times, since he and Mia had kept mostly to their room, but something about the innkeeper made Grayson’s instincts flare.
He’d learned from the talkative Keegan—who brought them their meals—that his mother had died two years ago. Jon left the care of the inn to Timothy and Garrett during the day so he could work in the nearby logging camp, where most of the men from the surrounding villages worked in order to afford the king’s heavy taxes. He came home smelling of pine and covered in wood dust. Whenever he and Grayson were in the same room, Jon stared at him, distrust in his suspicious gaze. Thank the fates there was no sign of recognition.
Still, they’d lingered too long. The only reason a patrol hadn’t been through here searching for them was because Henri would be focused on the larger cities along well-travelled roads, and Edgewood was little more than a hunting village on the edge of the forest. But it was only a matter of time before soldiers made their way here, or someone in the village visited a larger city and heard about Grayson’s desertion.
Unless Henri would try to keep that quiet. Grayson didn’t think the king would enjoy sharing the fact that his enforcer had run away.
Mia chewed her lip and glanced to the window, which revealed a sky full of thick gray clouds. The storm last night had lasted for hours, and it looked like they were going to get another one before nightfall. “All right,” she finally conceded. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”
He breathed out in relief. “Thank you.”
Her dark eyes pinned him. “We can try to move quickly, but I need you to promise me that you won’t push yourself like that again.”
“I promise.” He truly was feeling much stronger. He took a step toward her. “Let’s not tell anyone we plan to leave; we’ll pay Jon in the morning, and then go.”
A question rose in her eyes, but before she could ask about his motives for secrecy, there was a knock on the door.
Grayson moved to open it, a hand hovering over the hilt of one of his belted daggers.
It was Keegan, the innkeeper’s youngest son. The boy grinned up at Grayson. “Hello, Alun. Can I talk to Rena?”
Mia slid beside Grayson, and the smile on her face was soft. “Hello, Keegan. How are you?”
“Good,” the boy said at once. “Want to pick the garden with me?”
