Once Renner had all his gear he stepped outside, leaving me to dress as quickly as I could. Before anything else, I grabbed my waterskin, splashed some of its contents onto my blood-smeared hand, and scrubbed away all evidence of my dream.

  My bare skin prickled when more air blew in. It brought with it the pungent smell of rotting plants; the last of the rotbutter. I gagged and shut the window.

  When I had finished dressing and opened the door, my companion was nowhere to be seen. I adjusted my pack, clutched my book, and headed for the stairs.

  Lewen, bleary-eyed and yawning, was fussing with a large black kettle beside the fireplace. Renner was next to him, arms folded, leaning against the wall.

  “Which street?” he was saying.

  Lewen cast a smile in my direction. “Oh, let’s see… if you head west out the door, past the bakery- it’s got a yellow signpost outside, can’t miss it- then up past the mill. His house is behind it.”

  “Right.”

  I cleared my throat. “And what about the town Watch, sir? Do they have a building somewhere?”

  His hands slipped and he nearly dropped the kettle.

  “The Watch? Ah. Well, we’re a small town, you know. Peaceful. But Davith Rell acts as captain, and you can find him right near the town square. His office is beside our temple.”

  “Peaceful, huh? So, not a lot of excitement?” My companion’s voice was deceptively mild as he rubbed his jaw. But there was something in his eyes… he was calculating. Weighing. Watching our host too closely.

  Lewen barked a laugh. His red jowls trembled. “Oh, stars, no! Sometimes there’s a boundary dispute off on one of the farms, of course, or some of the younger lads stay out too late and cause a ruckus. But by my bones, this is a safe place.”

  I tightened my fingers around the book. “Teela’s gone.” My voice came out flat, almost hostile, and the innkeeper rubbed his neck.

  “Right. What you said earlier… Miss, I do recall some of the festivities last night. Perhaps your friend found some, ah, company?”

  I bristled, watching him warily. Renner’s cautious declaration from earlier echoed through the back of my mind. Could he have something to do with this? Is he just lying, playing dumb? He certainly seems genuine, but…

  “She slept in the same room as us. We came down and asked for a new key, remember?” Renner’s tone was still very casual, almost dismissive, but his eyes were glinting.

  Lewen blinked at him. “Oh. Ah. Right. I’m… I’m terribly sorry, folks, I’m just not quite myself this morning.” He gave an abashed little grunt and paused, staring down into the contents of the kettle. Whatever was inside of it smelled like earth and herbs. “Could’ve sworn I only had one cup, too.”

  Could dark magic have somehow muddled his memories of last night? If there was some kind of monster here at the inn, even if it didn’t hurt him, could its very presence have messed with his head? The idea had me shivering and glancing about, as if every dark corner just beyond the pale dawn light could be hiding something sinister.

  But… Renner and I didn’t wake up confused. And if there was a Fae, it… well, surely we would have been closer to it than the innkeeper. So why didn’t its magic do anything to the two of us?

  My ‘immunity,’ for lack of a better word, could perhaps be explained by my own magic, or perhaps by my pact. I had no idea how it all worked, but those were at least two possible explanations.

  Renner, though… Why wouldn’t it have affected him? He seems entirely clear-headed.

  My thoughts were cut short as Master Lewen’s eyes brightened and he gave his head a little shake. “Ah, but not to worry about me! Can I fix either of you a bowl of porridge?”

  “No.” I winced immediately after the reply, very near a snarl, had escaped my lips. It doesn’t matter what Renner said. I have no right to be rude to him. It’s entirely possible that he has nothing to do with whatever is going on. I managed a weak smile as I moved towards the door. “Perhaps we’ll have some of your fine food later, sir.”

  “As you will.” He nodded a farewell as we stepped outside.

  The street was empty. Its gray cobblestones were cast in shades of pale silver and dulcet pink. There was a faint layer of glittering frost settled on some nearby patches of grass. Crisp air swept my hair back, nipping at my nose. Renner pulled his cloak tight.

  I turned to face him. “Where should we start? The Watch, or the stablemaster?”

  “Stablemaster. We’re not going to the Watch.”

  “Alright. Wait, what? Why not?”

  He hunched his shoulders against the breeze and started walking. “Because this might get ugly.”

  I stood shivering for a moment, parsing through all the things that statement could possibly mean.

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  And then, with dawning horror, I recalled Renner’s admissions to Teela back in the cave.

  He’s killed people. He didn’t even acknowledge they were people. And he was going to let those awful men hurt Teela, and he tried to stab me and…

  What am I doing? Gods, what am I doing?!

  I could too easily remember the warm, nervous little flutters from last night. The kinds of feelings I’d had years ago, when Royce’s blue eyes were so close and his breath was warm against my lips and his hands were strong and gentle and… and I’d felt like that last night. Not enough to outweigh my fear, not enough to act on or be distracted by, but… enough to notice. I’d found myself looking to Renner for comfort, for reassurance… so much so that I’d almost forgotten the kind of man I was dealing with

  My initial impression had been unfavorable, to say the least. And he’d certainly not thought very highly of me, either. He wasn’t someone I would name as a friend, and he certainly would say the same about me.

  Last night, though… it felt as if something between us had changed. Like he’d started looking at me as a person, instead of as a potential enemy. And certainly his company throughout the night had offered me a great measure of peace. The look in his eyes from earlier, the wary concern when he’d touched my wrist as gently as if he were holding shattered glass… the image flickered behind my eyes. It was a look that made me want to believe his genuine concern was finding Teela.

  And yet…

  “Are you coming?” He had stopped several paces ahead and was watching me.

  I brushed chilly fingers against the coarse wool of my cloak. I couldn’t quite seem to meet his eyes.

  “What…” My voice sounded very small in the frosty air. “What do you mean by that?’”

  “What?”

  I didn’t answer. His face hardened, jaw tight and muscles working. The silence stretched on until he shifted his cloak, just a bit; enough for me to see one gloved hand reach up and thumb a knife hilt.

  I took a step back. “You can’t mean to-”

  “I mean to do whatever is necessary. If you have a problem with that, then you probably shouldn’t come.”

  My shoulders tightened. “Of course I’m going to come! But the priority here is finding Teela… right?” I held my breath, almost afraid of what his answer might be.

  He readjusted the cloak and waited a while before responding. Then, in a voice like steel, “Right.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed him. There was something about his expression, something too bright in the glint of his eyes. It gave me the impression that… well, as awful as the thought was, that he hoped the stablemaster would be found responsible. Like he wanted there to be bloodshed.

  He turned and continued up along the cobblestone, cloak sweeping along at his heels. With no idea what else to do, and with a different kind of cold seeping into my skin, I hurried after him.

  It took a while to reach the stablemaster’s house. We passed rows of charming cottages along the way, and several shops that had not yet been opened for the day. The town was almost completely silent, aside from occasional gusts of frosty air rustling at fallen leaves and creaking signposts. For some reason, the stillness made me feel uneasy.

  Fellbrook would be alive with sounds, even at this hour. There would be chickens, hounds, songbirds, and buzzing insects. But here… it’s just so quiet.

  Past the mill- which smelled of earthy, sweet flour and made my stomach grumble- and down another uneven cobblestone street we found what appeared to be his house. It was made of dull wood, dark and almost damp-looking around the base, with faded red shutters covered in cracks and chipped smears of paint.

  The door was closed, but there was a little brass bell affixed to its frame. I reached up to tap the metal.

  “Wait.”

  I glanced around, feeling as though… well, as though I was doing something unsavory. As though I should be careful not to be seen. Which was silly, of course, but the hairs along my neck still prickled with nervous, wary anticipation.

  We had passed only a few other people on our trek through town. And this particular section, with only the mill and a few sparse homes and a quietly babbling stream, appeared to be deserted. There was no one nearby. No witnesses, I thought with a grimace, and side-eyed my stone-faced companion. No one nearby to dissuade him from… from whatever he thinks this man deserves.

  “Why?”

  Renner moved to stand sideways beside a mud-smeared window. He peered at the glass, mouth twisted downwards.

  “I take it you’ve never met someone pacted, ladyship. At least, not the kind of meeting that ends in fire and blood.”

  I swallowed. He didn’t wait for me to answer and lifted one hand to, very pointedly, grip the knife-hilt again.

  “Whatever this guy may seem like, if he is bound to a Fae, then… well, then that trumps everything else. Maybe he’s a nice guy, deep down, or maybe he’s a scumbag or anything in-between. Doesn’t matter. His pact is gonna dictate what he does, at least when it matters.”

  I looked away, mind racing. “You mean… what, it forces him to… to do… whatever it is the Fae wants?” My voice came out shrill, and I fought to lower it.

  His eyes glinted and he began stalking around the side of the house. I followed, fingers twisting at my cloak. “Something like that.”

  I had to fight to keep my breathing even. That isn’t… that’s not how it’s been for me. At least, not yet. I agreed to answer his questions, and I have, but… it’s been of my own free will. Nothing’s forced me to answer, save my fear of what will happen to Royce!

  And that fear was mine. I was certain of it. It wasn’t a feeling or sensation caused by some sinister, magical bond; it was born of love. I could still choose to go against it; the Fae had told me so, himself.

  Not that that means anything. The thought twisted through the back of my mind, bitter and angry and… ultimately, impotent. I’m sure he’s not telling me the truth about things. Not that he’s even told me very much, but there’s… gods, I don’t know. Something about the way he says everything; so arrogant and so sure of himself. Like he’s telling me half-truths, manipulating me, and he knows perfectly well that I don’t know a salted thing about his awful Court and the monsters in it and what they want and I have no way to refute any of what he-

  “Something on your mind?”

  I flinched. Renner’s eyebrow was cocked, and his face had that odd, blank cast to it. He’d been looking at me like that a lot lately. Like he was trying to appear uninterested, but was actually gauging every facet of my expressions with fierce attentiveness.

  My palms grew clammy. It’s almost like he… like he knows. He can’t, of course, it’s impossible, but… but that’s what it feels like. Like he knows exactly what kind of dreadful things I’m thinking about, and he’s just daring me to say them out loud.

  “No,” I bit out.

  He continued watching me. I leaned against the dingy wood and closed my eyes. “Renner, we don’t know for certain that this man isn’t a… a victim of some kind.” I heard him scoff and continue walking with soft, slow steps. His boots barely rustled the grass. “I’m not saying you’re wrong; maybe he is pacted, or maybe he’s a horrible criminal who kidnapped Teela, or maybe… salt, maybe lots of things!”

  He didn’t answer. We came to another dirt-smudged window and he squinted at the glass.

  “But he also might not have any idea what’s going on. Or he might be confused, like Master Lewen-”

  “Who’s probably lying.”

  “We don’t know that! He seems to genuinely not understand what happened last night. It’s not right to assume that he’s lying!”

  He slipped past the window and turned, moving around the back of the house. I followed.

  “The world you live in sounds nice, ladyship.” His eyes cut to me. “Real quaint. Rose-colored glass- isn’t that the saying?”

  I bristled and fought the sudden urge to stamp one foot into the soft earth. Then my gaze swept past Renner, towards the back door. It was propped open ever so slightly, and lying there in the shadows beyond…

  What is that? It looks like a log, or perhaps some kind of animal. Or… oh.

  Renner bared his teeth in a grimace. “But if you ask me, growing up in that cozy little village of yours didn’t do you any-”

  I shoved past him with a cry. My shoulder slammed into the door, nearly knocking the half-rotted wood off its hinges.

  The stablemaster lay sprawled facedown across the floor.

  He wasn’t moving.