Tagra rumbled with a growl.
Malian quickly patted her on the side. ‘She’s a shapeshifter.’
‘She looks like a wild bear,’ the guard said.
Tagra gnashed her teeth.
‘She’s not a wild be—’
‘Open the gates for a Sun Elf warrior,’ Caelan interrupted.
The guard’s eyes flicked over him before widening even more. ‘Did they start putting growth-enhancers in the water in Dorlendell?’
Malian felt an inkling of guilt as the words reminded her of the giant trees that now towered over the village.
She glanced back at Caelan to see him scowl at the guard.
He leaned forward, displaying the Sun Knight’s tattoo on his arm. ‘Do you know what this means? Open the door before I report you to the Sun Guard.’
The guard disappeared from view before they heard the sound of a bolt being drawn back and the gates swung open to allow them into the city.
‘Welcome to Ilsador,’ the guard said, rolling his eyes as them as they passed.
Caelan nodded as he passed, offering the shallow-faced elf a silent thank you.
‘Make sure that bear doesn’t eat all the horses in the stables,’ the guard muttered once they had passed him.
Tagra swung her head back, glaring at him.
Malian breathed a sigh as they trotted into the vast city. They had arrived here in one piece, which was a miracle all by itself. Now, she just had to find the stupid rune and destroy it to get her life back to normal.
Where are you going to go? You can’t go back to Dorlendell. Maybe I’ll find a new life here, a better one…
‘Where are we going now?’ she asked Binks.
‘We’re finding an inn and getting some sleep.’ He nodded ahead at the elegant building in front of them. Silken drapes fell down the windows, covering what Malian suspected was overly opulent interior inside the building. At the entrance stood a pretty elf, greeting people as they walked in.
Malian’s eyes were drawn to a sign in one of the windows, which caused her blood to boil as she read it:
No pets or dirty humans allowed.
‘I am not staying there!’ Malian scowled at the haughty-looking hostess in the doorway.
Binks shrugged. ‘Just cover your head or something. A bed is a bed.’
She clenched her jaw as he stared at the hostess, who was waving him over.
‘It looks pretty welcoming to me.’ Binks peered back and winked at her before he jumped off Tagra, his eyes never leaving the dark-haired elven beauty.
Malian clenched her hands into fists, a feeling of helplessness descending on her as she felt Caelan climb off Tagra’s back behind her as if he too had just accepted the fact that she was an outcast here.
He’s an outcast too. He’s just too proud to notice it. Maybe I can fool myself for one night?
She mulled over how bad it would be to be stuck in an inn with a hood over her head all night.
Maybe I can sleep in the stables with Tagra instead?
She jumped when something warm brushed against her leg. She peered down to find Caelan staring up at her with expectant eyes.
His hands were held out as if he wanted to help her down.
Surprised by the chivalrous gesture, which was a rare experience for her, she offered him a smile.
She reached for his shoulders, feeling his hands wrap around her waist before he lifted her down off Tagra’s back, and she slid down his hard body until she was standing close to him.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she stared up at the elf. There was something about the attention he paid to her that caused her pulse to race.
‘Thank you,’ she muttered, lifting her chin to meet his gaze, her breath coming out in short, sharp gasps.
He lowered his head to look down at her, giving her his full attention. ‘You’re welcome.’
Binks loudly cleared his throat as his hands pushed between them. ‘What is this?’ he demanded.
‘What?’ Malian glanced back at Tagra, a blush warming her cheeks as she watched the bear transform into a tiny kitten.
‘I’ll say this to you once, boy. If I have to say it again after tonight, I’ll be using my powers to burn off your skin. Do you understand?’
Malian turned to stare at Binks in horror at his choice of words. She saw Caelan blanch at the imagery as he nodded.
‘If you touch my daughter.’ He pointed to Malian. ‘I’ll turn you into a woman! Got it?’
Caelan nodded. ‘Yes, sir. I’d never dishonour—.’
Binks cut him off ‘Don’t even… I saw that look!’ Binks muttered as he lost his train of insults and became gooey-eyed over the elf who was beckoning him towards the inn with a wave of her slender finger.
‘Don’t be such a hypocrite!’ Malian cried. ‘The irony of you lecturing me while you’re…’ She trailed off while waving at the inn ahead of them. ‘When did our relationship become a hypocrisy?’
‘It’s always been one,’ Binks replied, waving away her question because he was still transfixed on the elven inn.
‘It has not!’ She tried to control her rising temper, but being embarrassed in front of Caelan was bad enough. Having new rules about what she could and couldn’t do was unacceptable.
‘Sure it has,’ Binks muttered. Then he waved at the elf in the doorway. ‘Does baby want something short ‘n’ sweet?’
‘You can’t just make up a new rule now.’ Malian clenched her fists.
‘I didn’t. I made the rule when I became your guardian. I just didn’t tell you it until now.’
‘Oh, and why is that?’ She shook her head and bent to pick up the mewling Tagra-kitten and cradle her in her arms.
Binks peered over his shoulder, his eyes like slits as he stared at her and Caelan. ‘Because there were never any human males that you became attracted to before.’
‘I’m not a dirty human!’ Caelan cried with a look of horror on his face.
She looked from Binks to Caelan, unsure of which one of them to hate the most. One was telling her what to do, and the other was using slurs to describe humans.
‘You can both get lost! I’m going over there to get some sleep.’ She pointed to the tavern on the other side of the road before turning on her heel and heading towards it.
‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ She heard Caelan’s cry behind her, which was followed a few seconds later by his heavy footsteps.
‘Ye gods, I don’t want to get a room in that dump,’ Binks cried shortly afterwards before he too followed them.
9
SPARKS FLY
Malian felt a shiver run down her spine as she eyed the dark tavern. From its rotten wooden shutters to the grimy bricks, it didn’t look like an inviting place to stay. Her eyes flicked over two cloaked figures that were hovering in an alley down the side of the building. Their faces were shaded with dark hoods as they whispered to each other in the dark.
Ignoring the instinct to avoid this place like the plague, she squared her shoulders and strode towards it.
It’s better than an inn full of racists, right?
She gripped Tagra against her chest as she hurried across the cobbled street, trying to ignore the sounds of Caelan and Binks as they followed her.
‘Wait. It doesn’t look safe!’ Caelan’s voice sounded closer than Bink’s.
She hurried her pace. ‘Are you worrying about a dirty human?’ she muttered. ‘The Sun Knights will be most upset.’ She shook her head before nudging Tagra up onto her shoulder.
As she approached the rotten saloon doors, she brushed her fingers over the dagger at her hip because this place did look dangerous. It sounded dangerous too, judging by the loud voices, blending into a roar coming from within.
After taking a deep breath, she pushed open the doors and stepped into the tavern.
Her eyes widened. The public house was packed to the rafters. People seemed to fill every corner, some sitting and drinking; others dancing on tables and
kicking over the candles that lit the room.
Heat blew through the doors, warming her face while the stench of beer and sweat assailed her nostrils. She stepped into the room, her boots squelching on the beer-soaked floorboards.
Humans, elves, dwarves and gnomes drank together, laughing as if the great divides between their species had disappeared as soon as ale had been introduced to them.
Malian smiled. This place felt wonderful. Sure, it was dirty and broken, but the revelry inside it was warm and welcoming.
She jumped sideways as a red-bearded dwarf pushed past her. ‘Outta da ways!’
‘Sorry.’ She offered a smile.
He glanced up at her. ‘Nice kitten.’ He nodded at Tagra. Then he roared with laughter, spilling some of the ale out of the two steins he carried.
‘That’s just disgusting,’ Caelan muttered behind her. ‘Uncouth lout.’
The dwarf peered up at Caelan. ‘Bloody hell! It’s a prissy giant!’ He laughed again before carrying on his way in a drunken stagger that travelled sideways rather than straight ahead.
Malian peered over her shoulder as Tagra curled her tail around her neck. She saw Caelan’s face enflame with a red blush.
‘He was just drunk,’ she said with a smile.
‘He was off his head,’ Binks said as he strode into the bar, fanning his face with a large green frond. ‘It’s a Yalishi den. They’re all wasted.’
‘I wondered why they weren’t fighting.’ Malian nodded at the elf and the human, who were making out in the left corner of the room while surrounded by a cloud of purple smoke.
Caelan winced. ‘He’ll regret that in the morning.’
Malian turned to face him with her hands on her hips and a scowl narrowing her eyes. ‘Yeah, if he’s not careful, he’s going to wake up covered in dirty human cooties.’ If she could breathe fire, she’d have incinerated him when she snorted before turning on her heel. ‘I’m going to get a room,’ she called over her shoulder as she stormed towards the bar.
‘I didn’t mean you!’ She heard Caelan shout over the various noises in the room.
‘Oh, that makes racism much better!’ She shouted back without turning to see if he was following her. Although, the idea of him following her caused her pulse to speed up, which she tried to ignore.
It doesn’t matter how sexy he is. He’s still an idiot.
A strong hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. ‘Stop! Let me at least apologise.’
She pulled her arm out of Caelan’s grip, stepping back and coming to a halt when she backed into the bar. ‘I’m not interested in what some inbred elf has to say.’
His eyes darkened, and he stepped closer, crowding her against the bar. ‘What did you just call me?’
‘Elf, sorry is that insulting? Would you prefer failed Sun Warrior?’ She moved closer, squaring her shoulders and glaring at him with fire in her eyes.
The muscles in his jaw tensed in anger, and she could feel his hot breath on her skin. ‘Are you done, or do you feel the need to insult me some more?’ he asked.
‘All’s fair,’ she muttered, trying to ignore the feeling of his hot body pressing against her.
‘In love and war,’ he murmured as he lowered his head as if he was about to kiss her.
Her skin burned with feelings that she’d never encountered before, scorching as if a river of lava was running through her. She tried to catch her breath, but combination of anger mixed with raw sexuality was making it difficult for her to breathe.
She reached back to steady herself on the bar, her fingers encountering a towelling bar mat. Briefly glancing down at it, she registered fire around her fingers before turning back to Caelan.
Then her eyes widened as she realised that her hand was on fire.
Did I knock over a candle?
She turned back to her hand and then snatched it off the bar. Flames were quickly spreading up her arm in a blaze, but she couldn’t feel a thing. The fire on the bar made a rapid path down the length of it, eating away at the wood and fuelled by spilt alcohol as it engulfed the surface.
‘I’m on fire!’ she cried, shaking her arm to try to put it out. Embers dropped onto the wooden floorboards, causing the old tavern to burst into flames too.
Caelan gasped. Then he scooped her up into his arms and raced towards the window. Anticipating his intention, she covered her face with her hands.
With a roar, he launched through the window, shattering the glass and bursting through the shutters with her in his arms.
Tagra meowed, jumping off her shoulder before her tail was singed. She landed on the cobbles outside the tavern a few seconds before Caelan did.
‘What are you doing? We need to put it out!’ Malian cried, watching the flames lick around her arm in horror.
‘I am doing,’ Caelan muttered before he grunted and hurried over to a horse trough. He unceremoniously dropped her into the cold water.
She yelped as her body was engulfed in icy water, swallowing large amounts of it as she struggled to push herself upward. She burst through the surface, hitching her breath and shivering.
‘What the hell?’ she cried.
‘Is it out? Are you okay?’ Caelan knelt beside the trough, peering at her arm.
She raised her arm from the water to examine the damage, widening her eyes when she realised there wasn’t any damage. Her arm looked slightly pink, but there were no indications that it had been on fire. ‘Er, maybe we put it out fast enough.’
Caelan frowned. ‘How did the fire start in the first place?’
‘It was your fault. You made me knock over a candle.’ She scowled at him.
‘I didn’t see any candles near you.’ He shook his head.
‘Oh, then I guess I must have conjured it then.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘Maybe…’ He studied her with a curious expression in his eyes.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Humans can’t conjure anything other than rabbits out of hats.’ She pushed herself up out of the trough, ignoring his hand as he tried to help her.
‘Stop messing around. We need to get out of here.’ Bink’s voice caused her to glance up and notice that the tavern had exploded into an inferno. People were running from it screaming.
‘Shouldn’t we help?’ She pointed to the people coughing around them.
‘I got them all out. Plus, I don’t think they’ll be happy to see us here.’ Binks pointed to the group of guards who were rushing towards the building. ‘I’d prefer not to stick around and see the inside of an elven dungeon again if you don’t mind.’
Malian nodded and stepped out of the trough. Quickly scooping up Tagra as she passed her, she followed Binks towards a dark alley across the street.
‘But where are we going to sleep?’ She heard Caelan shout behind them before listening to his footsteps on the cobbles behind her.
10
DUNGEONS
Malian mumbled as she rolled over and buried her face in Tagra’s furry bear belly while trying to block out the bright sunshine that was beaming down onto her and blinding her through her closed eyelids.
Unable to block out the sunlight, she rolled over to the other side, frowning when her hand rested against hot skin.
A masculine grumble echoed in her ear before an arm curled around her waist and hauled her closer to a muscled male body.
She snapped open her eyes to find herself snuggled up beside Caelan, staring up at his face as he lightly snored.
What the hell? Did I smoke a pipe full of Yalishi leaves last night?
Although her mind rebelled against the idea of snuggling up to the snobby elf, her body appeared to enjoy the feeling.
He did save you from burning to death last night.
Yeah, by dropping me into a trough!
She gasped when she peered back up at him to find his eyes open. There was sparkle of mischief in the warm brown depths.
‘Morning.’ His voice was husky, and there was an inviting smile playing on his lips.
She couldn’t help but smile back. He looked so cute and sleepy, which was a look she hadn’t seen on him before.
‘Get your perverted elven paws off my child before I electrocute you!’
Caelan’s arm jerked from around her waist, and his eyes widened in horror as Master Binks’ voice shattered the sleepy silence.
Malian spun around to see her gnomish mentor standing in front of them, waving his staff at Caelan. She squinted, her eyes still adjusting to the bright sunlight that was beaming down onto the littered alley they were sleeping in.
She shook her head at the angry wizard and then sat up. ‘What is it with you lately?’ she muttered before yawning and stretching.
‘As your guardian, it is my duty to protect you.’ Binks puffed out his chest.
She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘Really, since when?’
‘I taught you to fight, didn’t I?’ Binks banged his staff on the ground.
‘I’m not sure that randomly attacking me when I don’t expect it is a lesson,’ she muttered as she stood up and brushed dust off the back of her shorts before adjusting her belt and ensuring her blade was still in its sheath.
‘If we were in my land, you would be a mage warrior by now,’ Binks muttered.
‘Would your mage warrior be sleeping in a skanky alley?’ she asked while peering down at the gutter running past them that was streaming with murky, vile-smelling liquid.
Binks let out a sigh. ‘Just wake that bear up. We need to get moving.’
Tagra lifted her shaggy head and scowled at him.
‘I think she’s already awake,’ Caelan muttered after Tagra jumped to her feet, knocking his head off her with a shake and causing it to hit the cobbles with a thunk.
He sat up, rubbing his head. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Yeah, what’s the plan?’ Malian folded her arms and rested her shoulder against the limestone wall.
‘We need to get into the Ilsador Archives, which means we need to be sneaky,’ Binks said, staring pointedly at Tagra.
Tagra narrowed her eyes at him.
‘Or sly, would sly work for you?’ Binks sighed at the bear.
Tagra sat down, emitting a ‘hmph!’ sound.
Lost Sorcery- Mage of Myths Page 6