Page 44 of A Vow of Shadow and Blood

“Two of the same,” one of them answers, and the woman nods her head.

“They look free,” I finally say to Tori, and something about the word makes my stomach twist. An emotion fills me that I don’t understand, but thankfully Finn returns before I’m forced to figure it out.

He places three wooden cups on our table, and I wonder why they don’t have fancy glasses like the bloodhouse. He picks his up and takes a large swig, his face twisting as he swallows.

“What now?” I ask.I need to get out of here.

He shrugs as he starts to lift the cup to his mouth again. “We wait.”

Frustration boils my blood, and I snatch the drink from his hand.

“For what?”

He eyes me as though I am the most annoying person he has ever met.

You likely are.

Shut up.

“For a signal. A sign. I’m looking out for it, but you’re distracting me.”

He tries to snatch the cup from my hand, but I pull it away. I bring it to my nose, and just the smell alone makes my head spin.

“Oh, I don’t think it’s me that’s distracting you,” I say. “I need your head clear tonight.”

“I can handle my drink.”

I stare at him, driving my point home. When he refuses to back down, I lift the cup to my lips and knock back the brown liquid. It burns down my throat, forcing a gasp as heat floods my body.

“What the hell is that?” I ask when the spinning in my head finally subsides enough for me to speak.

He sits back as he watches me in amusement. “One of Rita’s concoctions, no one really knows what’s in them, but they do the job.”

“What job? Poisoning you?”

“Helping you to relax. Now I think about it, it’s a good job you took it from me. You definitely need it more than I do.”

I flip him off, and he bursts out laughing.

“See, loosened up.”

I scowl at him but quickly reach for the cup he placed in front of me and press it to my lips, taking a long swig as I close my eyes to enjoy the sensation. I sink back in my chair and for justa moment pretend that my worries don’t exist, but a loud crash brings me straight back to reality.

I reach for my dagger, but a soft touch stops me, and I find Finn’s hand covering mine.

“Easy. Someone just fell.”

I look back and find a group of men and women all laughing as one of them scrambles off the floor, leaving behind several wooden cups to roll on the ground where he just lay.Now I know why they don’t have glasses in here.A burly man with a thick ginger mustache slaps him playfully on the back as the two laugh. I turn back to Finn.

“How long do we have to be here?” I can feel Tori’s eyes burrowing into me from the side, but I dare not look at her. I hate how well she can read me, and I’m not in the mood to be analyzed.

“Apparently not very long at all.” I turn my attention to where Finn is looking and find a stocky guy with muscular arms walking toward us.

“You were looking for a room for the night?” he asks.

The man’s dark brown eyes scan over the three of us, and whatever effect the drink had on me disappears. Finn gives an answering nod.

“I was told there would only be two guests.”