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“What do you mean?”
“I mean...” I licked my lips. Had I really never told him? “I wasn’t trying to save myself from Vesper. I was trying to save you. And I did.”
“Tell me everything,” Draven said, his eyes intense as he looked at me.
I sighed. “We heard you coming. Vesper was going to ambush you. He had a length of wire. It wasn’t going to be a fair fight.” My eyes locked with his. “I couldn’t let him do that.”
“So you killed him. To protect me.”
I nodded. “I didn’t know who else was with you. I had hoped... maybe Lancelet...”
He looked away. “No such luck.”
“That wasn’t your fault. I know you tried.” There was a lump in my throat.
“I thought you killed him to protect yourself.” Draven shook his head. “You did it for me.”
I snorted disdainfully, thinking of how easily Vesper’s blade had sliced through me. “I did a poor job if it was to protect myself. I don’t know if shielding is supposed to be part of this, but I have no idea how to do it if so.”
“Elemental wielders often can shield, but not all,” Draven mused. “We’ll have to give it a try and find out.”
He stopped. “Here we are.”
I looked up to see a quaint, half-timber shop. Curving bow windows framed in delicate ironwork protruded out into the street, laden with an assortment of trinkets and pretty curiosities. Weathered stone steps led up to a heavy oak door where curling gold letters displayed the shop's name.
“Arcane Masterpieces of Myntra,” I read out loud. “Really? How arcane can they be if they're being sold in a shop in a major city?”
Draven swatted my arm playfully. “Please keep your skepticism in check. The owner of the shop does not take kindly to critics.”
He pushed open the door and stepped inside as the bell over the doorframe rang out with a soft tinkling sound.
A woman stood with her back to us, bent over a stack of books she was sorting. Her dark red hair fell loosely over a tight-fitting black silk dress that accentuated her curving figure. Polished black leather boots and lace stockings peeked artfully out from under the knee-high silk skirt.
As she heard us enter, she began to turn, catching sight of Draven first. “Oh, it’s you. I thought you weren’t coming until later in the week.”
“Plans changed,” Draven replied, just as I exclaimed, “Laverna?”
My hands were fishing for the knife in my boot before I could say another word.
Draven’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. “Stop, Morgan. It’s not what you think.”
“No?” I said furiously. “Are you sure? Because Ithink–no, I’m pretty fucking sure–that she was working with Vesper all along.”
“I know. But she wasn’t. I checked.”
“What do you mean ‘you checked’?” I demanded. “You’ve met with her before this?”
“Of course, he has. He had to. In order to prepare your little surprise.” Laverna came towards me, a beguiling little smile on her lips.
“If it’s a gift from her, I don’t want it,” I spat, turning back towards the door.
“Morgan, wait. You burned her inn down. Don’t you think you at least owe her a moment to hear her out?”
I turned back slowly. “Oh, that’s low.Iburned her inn down, did I? As I recall, she and Vesper arranged that ambush. An ambush where you almost died, might I add.”
“Vesper arranged it,” Laverna said smoothly. “I would never have risked my inn. I knew he thought you might be attacked that night and that he planned to follow you, nothing more. That man always had more tricks up his pretty sleeves than I could ever keep track of.”
“Right,” I said sarcastically. “You knew nothing about his plan to use my blood to open a magic portal in a lake to get a priceless enchanted sword and then murder me.”
