AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They entered the inn through its vast doors, carved from cedar and fortified with rusty iron inlays. Statues made from the same materials framed the entrance on either side. One depicted a sculpted beast, half wolf, half human. Stuck mid-shift, its massive hands formed the shape of a triangle, the universal symbol of peace.
The other sculpture was of a man. The heavy cloak draped over his shoulders reminded Violet of what she’d seen people wear around the town earlier in the day. The man stood proudly, a good head and a half shorter than the wolf beside him. His hands formed the same triangle symbol.
But a glint of silver, the only known poison that could kill a shifter during the full moon, hung from the sculpture’s belt like a warning hidden under the guise of partnership. If only Violet had been as good at reading signs before now… Perhaps her friends’ betrayal wouldn’t have devastated her so.
She allowed her nose to dip into the fabric of Gavin’s coat and closed her eyes. Everything spun around her, weakness threatening to pull her into a slumber. Her body was failing, her mind numb, but she couldn’t let herself fall asleep, or she might lose it all again. She had to stay awake. Had to keep plotting her next move.
If werewolves inhabited these mountains, she could use that to her advantage. They usually worked against the Society of Crows and would be an excellent ally to have on her side. However, they were also expensive, and she didn’t have enough coin to pay for safe passage across the mountains.
The warmth of the inn’s receiving room seeped through her numb skin. The doorbell’s chime alerted the innkeeper of their arrival, and soon a stout lady rushed toward them. Her tangerine-colored dress billowed in the air with her quick steps.
Hopefully, Gavin would avoid talking with her. Non-magical humans were often curious about sorcerers, and Gavin’s gray aura must have given them away as soon as they entered. But Violet couldn’t find it within herself to ask him to stop using magic, not when the spell he was casting was keeping them warm.
His steps slowed as the innkeeper reached them. She studied Violet’s face first, then the curve of her bleeding body and the frozen layers of her coat. Her small hands covered her red-stained lips, muffling a shocked gasp that made Violet roll her eyes. “Gods, what happened to her? Is she all right?” She spoke loudly enough to draw the attention of the entire room.
Why couldn’t Violet escape people and their false interest in her wellbeing? They acted like they cared, but when the tides turned they always shut their doors in her face, shouting insults while hiding in the safety of their seemingly perfect lives.
Truth was, they lived in the same broken world as she did. They simply denied it.
The ones who acted the nicest in public always stabbed you in the back when the time was right. “It’s none of your business, and leave the gods out of this.” Her voice came out with less of a bite than she intended. Damn, but she was weak.
The innkeeper’s rosy cheeks lost all color, and her pale, almost non-existent brows dipped, covering her round eyes.
Gavin’s hands tightened around Violet’s ribs, warning her to keep quiet. “My wife and I have been out in the cold for a while, and she had a terrible fall and is hurting. I hope you’ll forgive us for dirtying your space.”
Wife. This was the first time she’d ever heard that word from his lips. The way her heart sped was unacceptable, and it darkened her surly mood further. Violet narrowed her eyes. Whatever game he was playing to have her succumb to his trickery, it would not work.
Blushing, the woman brought her hand to her chest, evidently another display of false concern. “Was it the storm? Harley, our maid, came back not long before you two walked in. She said she nearly broke her back by slipping on the ice right outside the inn.”
Violet closed her eyes. If only she’d hit her head during the fall. Then she wouldn’t have to suffer through this small talk. An icy sensation crawled up from her wound, dulling her senses further. Was she the one who whimpered? Surely not.
Gavin stiffened at the sound, pulling her closer and inhaling deeply. “We have to get going. Please send extra towels and something warm to eat to my room. I need them immediately.” His tone was clipped. Was she imagining the concern in it?
Just as the icy grip of pain came again, something warm chased it away. Healing magic radiated outwards from every point he touched her. Her eyes fluttered open. When had she closed them? Gavin’s jaw was clenched tight, and sweat beaded over his face, droplets trailing down his tanned skin.
He must be exhausting every resource he possessed to keep her awake and comfortable. Why?
“We will send some right away. Do you need me to call the healer?” The innkeeper’s skin turned green as she looked at the floor. “She is losing an awful lot of blood.”
The room kept spinning. Her eyes felt so heavy.
“That won’t be necessary. I’m a healer. I’ll take care of her.”
Violet glanced back over Gavin’s shoulder at a group of patrons sitting by the fire. They were talking in hushed tones, their eyes following them as Gavin headed for the stairs. Her heart sped, and she looked away just as quickly, the prickle of their stares heavy on her all through the room.
“Put me down now. I can walk by myself and get my own room.” Her frozen feet might not hold her up, and she had serious concerns about ridiculing herself if she tried to walk, but she couldn’t allow him to do everything for her. There were only two plausible reasons he’d heal her after what she’d done to him. One, he was waiting for her to collapse so he could take her back to the Iron City without a true fight. He’d already admitted that was his goal. With her present, he could demand the contract of marriage be dissolved because of her actions and be rid of her forever.
Which would be fine by her, right? It would. What had her gut twisting was what the Society of Crows would do to her if that happened. It had nothing to do with him.
Or two, he was trying to fool her into trusting him. Then, later, he’d betray her like all the other people she’d cared for.
She wiggled in his arms, pushing away from his chest and ignoring the flare of pain. “Put me down. Now. Next time I say it, I won’t be so nice.”
Had the cold frozen her brain alongside her toes? Was she insane for asking him to put her on the ground when injured? To demand her own room when she needed to save her coin to work with the werewolves?
“Was that you being nice?” His brows arched, and she glared at him, at the smirk that curved his thick lips. “There’s no need to be difficult. Would you be able to walk to the third floor on your own?” Violet tightened her lips into a fine line. “I thought so.”
“You can’t seriously consider this. We aren’t friends, and here you are calling me your wife, claiming you want to heal me. We both know this is not real.”
