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Rubbing my hands furiously against the fabric of my hoodie, I diffused the friction that had been formulating in my fingertips, and the jeering snickers fell behind me. They weren’t following me.
I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
Above my head, the flickering orange signage sprayed an eerie glow of light over the unkempt street, but as I pulled open the door to the motel, I immediately longed for the garbage smell of outside to the reek of the interior. I almost gagged but managed to keep it together as I marched toward the front desk purposefully.
A half-asleep attendant sat behind a magic-shielded glass wall, reading something on his tablet. He didn’t look up when I entered, not even when I rapped on the glass with some force. He had no reaction at all.
“Hello?” I called out, wondering if maybe he couldn’t hear.
“What?” he grumbled without looking up, his lips barely moving beneath the brush of his beard.
My eyes narrowed, cocking my head. “How much is a room?”
His head still didn’t move. “By the hour or night?”
I blinked and then balked at the question. “One night… maybe more.”
My response intrigued him enough to meet my eyes. Interest sparked in his face as he looked me up and down, making my skin crawl.
“Youwant to stayherefor more than a night?” he repeated.
I shrugged nonchalantly.
“Maybe,” I said flatly.
“Are you sure?”
My stomach flipped, his questions troubling me.
Did he recognize me?
Jace had released an engagement announcement that had gone viral. The entire kingdom probably knew what I looked like by now—if they cared about that kind of thing. But maybe not everyone was obsessed with the royals… I hoped.
I should have disguised myself better. I shouldn’t have just gotten on the bus like this.
Even if Jace or Saint weren’t looking for me, that didn’t mean the media wouldn’t be all over the story of the King’s fiancée staying in a seedy motel on the border of Goldhaven and Ironhelm.
Oh, I really didn’t think this through. If I can just get into a room, I’ll make this right. I’ll disguise myself…
The bearded fae still stared at me, and I replaced my self-doubt with a hardened expression.
“Is that going to be a problem with you?” I growled, slapping my hands on the counter and cocking my head. Maybe if I didn’t act overly regal, he wouldn’t put two and two together, connecting me with Jace and the palace.
He threw his hands up in mocking surrender. “As long as you have money, I don’t give a shit.”
I should have countedmy blessings in the lobby because the room I’d been allotted was so much worse. In fact, if I could have slept in the entranceway, I would have preferred it.
The haphazardly made bed smelled of mothballs and decay, forcing me to pull the sheets apart and look for something rotting—or worse—between the sheets.
I didn’t find anything, which only made me more apprehensive because, really, where was the smell coming from?
The television didn’t work, but I didn’t bother complaining. I didn’t really want to watch anything. After I finished changing my appearance, I needed to focus on some kind of plan and maybe some sleep.
Showering seemed like a safe bet after so long on the road, but even the cracked, dirty bathroom couldn’t offer a proper washing experience. The showerhead barely trickled, and the tiny bar of wrapped soap dissolved so fast, I hardly had time to wash any of my crevices.
I’d been spoiled living in Goldhaven Palace with all its luxuries. But that wasn’t the worst part about it all.
I was so alone here, the sadness creeping into my bones like a virus.
