A wave of pain and nausea overwhelmed him so badly he squeezed his eyes closed to try and curb it. As he did, the memory bled back.
That bloody prick of a shopkeeper.
The woman in the turquoise cloak.
The tunnel. That long ass ladder. The darkness.
Her fuckingstranglinghim. Banging his head against the wall.
And that’s when he realized the lantern that hung above him was the same one he had found in the dark cave. Apparently, a trap he’d waltzed into.
Oh gods, where did Nef go? She had been waiting at the top. Did she go back to the inn or—
Vesper's eyes flew open again.
His head swivelled as he took in the wood walls, flooring, and furniture all in the same honeyed hue. The scent of woodsmoke hung in the air. His brows drew together as he studied the pictures tacked to the wall, some abstract, scenery, or the silhouette of men. A mix of charcoal, watercolour, and ink. His attention snagged on a detailed set of wings captured mid-flight. It put his silly sketches to shame.
To one side of him, there were hooks on the walls, two chairs for the table he was strapped to shoved into a corner, a window with dark blue curtains drawn, and a wooden partition that separated the main room from a kitchen. The front door lay on the far side of the room, out of reach. Even when he rocked his weight, the table legs screeched a pathetic sound but barely moved. He tilted his head back to find a simple bed behind him with a beige quilt. And in that bed was—
Nef. She was asleep, her pale cheek nestled in her palm. Vesper opened his mouth to say her name, call her, warn her to run, but footsteps from the direction of the partition startled him.
A strip of cold steel kissed his throat. The unmistakable press of a blade.
His eyes slid to meet a mismatched gaze—one eye an icy silver and the other a devastating cerulean. A turquoise vestige swathed her. Deep burgundy hair fell over her shoulder in a waterfall.
He knew that hair. That vestige.
And as the scent of blackberries swept over him, he was certain. He was also certain he was beginning tohatethat smell.
The woman Nef had followed smiled down at him as she held a knife to his jugular. The blade scraped against Vesper's throat as he swallowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but she sank the metal a hair's breadth deeper into his flesh. He clamped his lips closed.
She held the knife much too casually. Too practiced.
“I get to speak first” she said, her voice like a song. “Who in the name of the goddess do you think you are?”
Vesper’s eyes widened and his mind raced. It was a simple question. A snarky one, but it was still a simple question with a simple answer.
The blade bit into his throat, wet warmth swelled, and yet, he couldn’t find his voice. Didn’t know how to react. How to get out of this situation. Could he spill his plan? That seemed idiotic to reveal all that to a stranger. But maybe she knew Kyrith. Or maybe shewas, but then why was she attempting to murder him? And with such joy?
“I asked you a question,” she hissed. “Are you some sort of moron?”
Vesper attempted to shake his head without her opening his throat like a tin can. But at the moment, he couldn’t form a fucking coherent thought.
“I'll ask onemore time, then,” she said, her voice low, full of the promise of violence. “Whoareyou?” She drew out the words slowly, like it would help him catch them. How bloody gracious of her.
He summoned his courage. “What did you do to her?”
“I didn’t doanything.” The woman’s brows drew together. “And I suggest you answer my question. Now.”
“Why is she in a bed and I’m tied to a godsdamn table!”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Because I’m not worried about her.”
“And you’re worried about me? What the fuck do you think I’m going to do? Flip this table on you? Strike you with my magic? Oh, wait. I can’t.” Vesper wiggled his fingers beneath the table, then through bared teeth, he hissed, “And who the fuck areyou?”
The woman smiled as the blade bit into his neck. “You first, dumbass.”
He retreated like a pup with his tail between his legs. “Alright, alright, listen, there’s been some misunderstanding,” Vesper rasped. He flashed her a tight grin he hoped would smooth things over. “I don’t mean any harm.”