Fuse by E.L. Todd
Eleven
The travelingcompanions kept their hoods up as they entered the gate. The guards glanced them over but didn’t consider either one to be suspicious. They passed through without any trouble.
Once they were away from the gate, Cora pulled her hood down. “Looks like Solstice doesn’t know what happened in Polox.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way. I killed all the guards who saw your face, but that may not be enough.”
“The owner of the potion shop saw me.”
He clenched his jaw in irritation. “Great. Mathilda never forgets a face.”
“Mathilda?”
“That’s her name. She’s a witch.”
“A witch? I didn’t know they were real.”
“She doesn’t advertise it.” He scanned the crowd and made sure no one was paying too much attention to them. “If people found out, they would burn her alive.”
“Ouch…”
“Then you understand her need for secrecy.”
Cora walked beside him as they passed the buildings and the shops that were open along the street. Merchants were selling wooden plates and eating utensils, jewels, pots and pans, and various fruits and dried meat. She noticed no one was selling weapons, which was odd to her. “Why didn’t you want me to go in alone?”
“I’ve already shown my face, so they know I’m here. Besides, you clearly can’t do anything without almost getting killed.”
She ignored his insult because the previous statement intrigued her. “Why would they recognize you?”
He gave her a cold look. “You’re nosy, you know that?”
“Just curious.”
“You know that phrase, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’?”
She rolled her eyes and didn’t bother hiding it.
“If I had a stick, I’d throw it at you.”
“You would miss.”
“Ha. We’ll see about that.”
He guided her past the merchant tables and farther into the city. He wore all black, and it suited his personality perfectly.
“When you transform into a man, are you wearing clothes?”
“I’m wearing whatever I was wearing before I made the change.”
“And all your gear?”
“It comes with me.”
“I still don’t understand how it works…”
“You want to know a secret?” He leaned close to her ear. “I don’t either.”
They reached the rear of the city where a few isolated shops stood. None of the citizens of the town hung out in the street or outside the stores. In fact, it didn’t seem like anyone was inside them either. “What’s here?”
“You’ll see.” He walked to the small shop in the corner and knocked on the door.
“Do you think anyone will be here at this time of night?”
“Yes.” He stood there with an expectant look on his face, like he knew someone would answer it.
“Will we be sleeping here?”
“Maybe.”
She would love nothing more than to sleep in a real bed with blankets. She realized how much she took that luxury for granted now that she no longer had it. Living in Vax was boring most of the time, but now she realized what a gem it was. People disapproved of her unorthodox lifestyle, but no one had ever tried to kill her because of it.
The door cracked, and a face covered in shadow stared at them.
Flare immediately pulled down his hood and revealed himself to whomever it was that was staring at him.
The door flew open. “Holy—”
“Shh.” Flare covered his lips with his forefinger. “Save whatever outburst you have until we’re inside.”
“Come in, come in.” He ushered them inside with a wave of his hand.
Cora walked in behind Flare and stared at their host. He was a man who looked the same age as Flare. They appeared to be only a few years older than her. He had light brown hair similar to hers, and there was kindness in his eyes.
“I can’t believe it’s you.” The man gripped both sides of his skull as he stared Flare down. “I just… I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say nothing.” Flare extended his hands. “Let’s do what we do best.”
The man pulled him in for a hug and clapped him on the back.
Cora couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. It wasn’t clear how they knew each other, but she suspected they were very close friends. The fact that Flare had a friend beside his dragon was surprising, and it gave her hope that he wasn’t as cold as he claimed.
Flare pulled away then turned to Cora. “Let me introduce my friend Cora. Cora, this is a very good friend of mine, Bridge.”
Bridge looked her up and down and let out a long whistle. “Day-yum.”
Both of Cora’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh, hi?”
Flare’s expression immediately changed. He was happy just a second ago, and now he was out for blood. His brooding silence filled the air and infected everything around them.
Bridge didn’t seem to notice. “Welcome.” He extended his hand and shook hers vigorously. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Bridge.” His smile faltered when he realized his mistake. “He already said that, didn’t he? I mean, any friend of—”
“Flare.” Flare gave him a look that silently said everything his lips didn’t.
Bridge picked up on it. “Any friend of Flare’s is a friend of mine.”
She tried not to be offended by Flare’s distrust. She clearly had to work harder to enter his inner circle. The fact that he already had one hurt her even more since she’d lost her only family. “Thank you for making me feel welcome.”
Bridge placed his complete focus on Cora. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Is there anything I can get you?”
“Actually, both. We’ve been traveling for days.”
Bridge nodded toward Flare. “I know he’s a bit intense sometimes. Been there, done that.”
She chuckled. “I’m glad someone understands.”
“Come into the kitchen, and I’ll fetch you something.” He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the hallway.
“No.” Flare grabbed Cora’s other shoulder and pulled her in the opposite direction. “She can stay here. I wish to speak to you in private.”
She was being shut out again, and she didn’t like it one bit. She’d been nothing but loyal since the moment they met. If she really were an enemy, she wouldn’t have healed his wing. Actually, she would have told the Shaman Flare’s location in negotiation for her own freedom.
But that didn’t seem to mean anything to him.
They disappeared down the hallway and into the kitchen. Their voices trailed until they evaporated altogether.
Cora tried to stand still, but she couldn’t. If Flare wouldn’t confide in her, that didn’t mean she couldn’t eavesdrop on her own. He wouldn’t know the difference. She crept down the hall and avoided the cracks in the floorboards. She didn’t make a sound as she approached. When their voices were loud enough for her to hear, she stood still and listened.
“Where did you find her?” Bridge’s voice held his delight. “She’s one hell of a woman. Those legs are—”
“Say another word about her, and I’ll cut your throat.” Flare’s voice remained quiet, but it contained all the menace to make an entire army stand down. The threat was unmistakable. Even though Cora wasn’t in the room, she felt the tension. “She’s. Off. Limits.”
Bridge was quiet for a long time, probably just as shocked as Cora was. “I didn’t realize you two were involved. Man, you know I meant no offense. I’m just a big flirt.”
“We aren’t involved.” Flare’s voice still contained his rage. “She’s annoying and doesn’t know when to shut up. But that doesn’t change anything. Give her a hard time, and I’ll cut your head off. She’s not like the other girls. This one is different. Do we understand each other?”
“Different how?”
Flare was quiet before he found his response. “She’s pretty damn smart. She can shoot an arrow, and she always hits her mark. When I couldn’t hunt, she killed a full-size bear and dragged it to me. She stabbed a Shaman in the stomach and the eye and still made it out alive. Then she was ambushed by twenty guards and held her own, even though she’d never held a sword in her life. On top of that, she’s half elf. I don’t know what her purpose is, but she’s special. Damn special.”
Cora leaned against the wall and absorbed the words that filled the air. The endless compliments moved over her skin in a comforting way, and the corners of her lips rose in a small smile. Perhaps Flare didn’t think she was so stupid after all. He respected her even though he refused to admit it to her face. He kept his secrets locked up tightly behind his lips because he feared her, not because he distrusted her.
And that made all the difference in the world.