Page 117 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

We moved forward, hearing torches crackling and popping against the wind.

“And the other homes?” I asked. They all seemed to be built around the central building. I frowned. They weren’t just round, but extremely small. Smaller looking than even my apartment.

“Not homes. Rooms. That’s where we stay,” he said. “Like I said, it’s a lot of privacy. For a brothel.”

“Good, we’ll need it.”

“Will we?” he asked, voice low.

I bit my lip, thinking of him pushing me against the tree. “So, I can look at your leg.”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, shuffling forward. “Come on, then.”

I pulled open the front door, bracing myself for all sorts of nudity and states of undress. My cheeks were preemptively red with embarrassment at the idea of walking into a room full of people having sex. And being with Rhyan.

But it was nothing like that. We had entered a private entrance hall that reminded me more of the Great Library. In front of us was a desk, behind which a beautiful middle-aged woman poured over a scroll. Long shiny black hair, typical of Elyrians, fell in curls down her back, and she wore a long-sleeved black dress of thick woven cotton. A golden ashvan charm hung from her neck, and golden bangles chimed against her wrist. There was a fireplace off to the side for warmth, and several torches flickered against the walls, which were plain save for a few shelves holding leather scroll cases.

“Close the door, you’re letting in the cold,” she called without looking up.

Rhyan shifted behind me, sealing the door into place. “Evening,” he said. “We’d like a room for the night if you have any available.”

“Entertainment?” she asked, still not looking up. “Company?”

“Just the room, thanks,” Rhyan said. “And maybe if there’s any dinner left?”

At last, she looked up, and a wide grin spread across her lips. “Ah, you. Should’ve known.”

I could see the moment she registered his injuries. But within the same moment she schooled her expression to remain neutral. Her eyes flicked to me, and I lowered my face, self-consciously pushing my hood over my forehead.

I didn’t have a diadem. She’d never seen me before—she’d have no idea who I was. But her eyes betrayed her intelligence, and the fact that she recognized Rhyan made me nervous.

“Friend staying with you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Rhyan said.

“We have a room. But there’s only one bed. Will that be a problem for your friend?”

Rhyan coughed. “Not at all.”

“How many nights?” she asked.

“One for now,” he replied.

She turned to the wall behind her and grabbed a key hanging from a hook. She pointed her stave at it, and it glowed with blue light as she chanted a locking spell over it.

Rhyan reached into his belt pouch, but I fished through mine, producing several gold coins, and pressed them into his hand.

He looked ready to protest but then offered a curt nod.

“Room seven,” she said. “Two hundred gold for the night and two dinners. We’ll have two breakfasts made up for you in the morning. If you want lunch, let us know. Lunch is free. And if you need another night, we can do that, too.”

Rhyan limped forward and placed three large gold coins on the desk.

She handed him the key. “Too much,” she said.

“Silence is appreciated,” he said slowly.

“Of course.” She swiped the coins behind the desk, and tucked them into a box with a sigil I didn’t recognize. The sigil was simple, a purple Valalumir before a golden sun. Her eyes tracked mine. “It’s antique. We’ll have those two meals to you shortly.”