There was something here.

  Here. In a town. In a tavern. Just a few days ago I would have laughed at the possibility. But after the past few nights…

  I eyed every patch of shadow in the dim hallway. There’s something in the inn. Maybe. Or maybe not. But… maybe. My eyes darted to the doors that stretched out ahead; each had a small patch of brightly colored paint on it. My own bedroom had a sky-blue smear on it, the same shade as what was on my key, and so logically…

  I didn’t know which room Teela had been given, but I found the red door quickly enough. I took a deep breath and knocked. There was some muffled noise from inside the room, but no answer. I tried again.

  “Go away!” I could practically envision the scowl he was doubtlessly aiming at the door.

  “Renner!” I hissed. “It’s Brin!”

  There was a short pause, and then, “Go away.”

  “No!” I knocked again. “Look, there’s… I need to talk to you!”

  There were several long moments of silence and then the door swung inwards.

  I immediately turned scarlet. Renner stood before me, wearing only his dark trousers and, oddly enough, his gloves. But the rest of him… before I could stop myself I was looking down at a broad chest, taught with lean muscle and downy chestnut hair. Behind him, sitting on a very mussed bedspread, was the dark-haired young woman from earlier. Her frock was quite loose, her cheeks flushed, and her lips plump and red.

  “What?”

  I pressed both hands to my burning cheeks. “Oh, salt, I’m sorry! I didn’t… look, can we talk?”

  His expression implied that I’d grown a second head and that he was considering tearing it off. “Ladyship… no.”

  “It’s important!” I hissed, lowering my voice and casting a furtive glance towards the woman. “There’s something… I don’t know, there’s something downstairs! Something bad!”

  He curled his lip but looked past me, down the hallway, and seemed to consider my words. I worried at my nightgown sleeves and tried not to gawk at the buxom figure, who was looking straight at me.

  “Does your friend want to join us?” She tittered, waving at me. One hand reached out to grasp an unopened wine bottle on the nightstand. There was a mug brimming with fragrant cider wine beside it. “I don’t mind.”

  Renner made a choking sound and I shook my head, backing up a step. “Uh, no, no! No, thank you. Just need to, um, borrow your… my… er, friend.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose and I leaned forwards. “I think there’s something… um…” I bit my lip, trying to think of how to convey my thoughts without alarming the young woman. “L-like from the fog,” I whispered. “Here.”

  “Salt and ash, hold on…” he growled, then spun on one heel and strode across the bedroom. I glanced away, my face burning, as he cradled the woman’s chin and he stooped to murmur something in her ear. She giggled and flopped back down onto the bed, and a moment later he rejoined me at the door with his tunic, boots, and belt re-secured.

  As soon as the door was shut I hissed, “Down in the common room! You remember the stablemaster from earlier?”

  He glowered at me. I felt my cheeks grow even hotter.

  “Right, of course you… come look at him! There’s something wrong.”

  I whirled away from his very unhappy expression, snatched one gloved hand, and began tugging him towards the stairs. He grumbled as we went but allowed me to pull him along. When we reached the bottom landing I pointed towards the fireplace, where the unsavory older man was still hunched over his drink.

  “There,” I hissed, “Do you-”

  “Salt, can you be any more obvious?” he muttered back, and then it was my turn to be tugged forwards. I forced my gaze ahead, away from the distressing figure, as he led me to a small table set against the far wall. Renner very deliberately pulled a chair out and gestured for me to sit; I did so, facing almost away from the stablemaster, and Renner took the seat opposite me. Which, probably intentionally, faced the man in question almost directly.

  Once we had sat Renner’s eyes flicked up to meet mine. He still looked unhappy, but there was something else in them, too; wariness, readiness. Something in my chest knotted. He believes me.

  “Okay,” he breathed, leaning forwards. “We’re here. What am I looking for?”

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  I swallowed and forced myself to keep my eyes straight ahead. He’s being smart about this. If there is something here, pointing and staring will just alert it. “His shadow,” I whispered, leaning forwards until his face was only inches from mine. “Look at his shadow.”

  His gaze flicked away briefly. He frowned a bit and then resumed looking intently at me.

  Salt, we must look very intimate, sitting like this. I wonder if that’s what he intended, so no one would bother us. The thought was followed by another flush of heat, at which one of his eyebrows rose and he smirked ever so slightly.

  “Close enough for you, ladyship?” he chuckled. I made no response and his eyes darted towards the hunched figure again. “His shadow looks like a shadow.”

  “Watch,” I pleaded, fighting the urge to turn and look. What if I was wrong- it’s not something that’s here, it’s something wrong with me? A small crease formed in between his brows but he turned his head away, fixing more intently on whatever the man was doing behind me. I wrung my hands together and waited as another thought came to mind.

  He followed me. I told him there might be a Fae down here and he followed me. Most people wouldn’t march down the stairs to investigate if you told them there was a dangerous monster lurking around. Most people wouldn’t be so calm right now.

  Who is he?

  “I don’t see-”

  I whipped my head around, staring at the hunched figure. Sure enough, his shadow looked entirely normal. I turned back quickly, my heart pounding. “It was wrong,” I hissed. “Just a few minutes ago; I went over to talk to him and it… it didn’t move like he did.” Renner’s frown deepened and I continued in a low, somewhat frantic voice, “It happened last night, too! With Agnes.”

  “What, at the other inn?”

  “Yes! She came to my room and…” I licked my lips, hesitating, then forged ahead. “She wanted to… she thought that… she showed me the coins you gave her,” he grimaced and I continued quickly, because that was entirely not the point right now, “And asked if I needed help. But then her shadow…” I buried my face in my hands, aware of how mad I probably sounded and feeling helplessly frustrated. “It was like his,” I finished with a moan. “It was moving by itself.”

  Renner was silent. After a long moment I pulled my head up and met his eyes again. He was frowning, but… he seemed more thoughtful than outright disbelieving.

  “I thought I was just tired. Imagining things, you know?” He made no response. “But I… there’s something wrong.” I groaned and buried my head in my hands again.

  “You folks alright?” Master Lewen’s voice, warm but tinged with worry, made me jump. The stout innkeeper had approached us and was looking at me.

  “We’re fine,” I managed, smiling at him weakly. “Thank you.”

  He gave a little nod and drifted away, glancing back once or twice. I sighed again and looked at Renner.

  “I…” my voice faltered at his expression. He was glaring behind me- towards the stablemaster, presumably.

  “Something wrong?” his voice matched his expression; hostile, bordering on threatening. I turned around.

  The older man’s weathered face was bone-white. He was looking at Renner with a startling mixture of confusion and fear, and he cringed back as I turned to look at him.

  “No,” he said, voice strained, and stood. He was shaking. “No. I thought…” he coughed, bumping against the table and spilling what remained of his drink across. He barely seemed to notice and instead turned away, visibly shaking, and fled out the front door.

  “Gil? Hey, Gil!” Master Lewen ran towards the door. He stared out into the darkness and then turned towards us, looking thoroughly baffled. The few other patrons had gone quiet and were watching with similar looks of uncertainty. “I miss something, folks?”

  I spread my hands helplessly. “I… I don’t know. He seemed very upset earlier, when he was drinking…”

  “Seemed even more upset when he noticed I was here,” Renner muttered under his breath, drumming his fingers rapidly against the tabletop. His eyes were fixed on the door.

  Master Lewen moved to grab a rag and clean up the spilled drink, shaking his head sadly. “Probably drank before he came in. He’s had a hard run of it lately.” After a moment he straightened and added kindly, “Don’t take it personally, folks. He’s just… he can be a bit off, sometimes.”

  “It’s fine,” I offered, for lack of anything better to say. My gaze was fixed on Renner, who appeared to be deep in thought.

  Master Lewen continued to clean in silence and the other patrons resumed their quiet chatter. I leaned in towards Renner.

  “Something’s wrong,” I said again.

  He frowned and cut his eyes back towards me. He was quiet for a long moment and then simply said, “Yeah.”

  I bit down on my lower lip, fighting back a swell of relief- and fear. He believes me. He agrees with me. But… salt, what is going on, and what do we do about it?

  I thought hard for a moment, and Renner appeared to do the same. It’s not as though we can simply leave. It’s well past sunset. And if there is a Fae here, that would be the perfect time for them to… to… what do they want?

  I’d always been told that Fae wanted nothing more than bloodshed; to hurt, to feast, to kill. The existence of pacted seemed to indicate that perhaps there was more to their desires than that. If there was a Fae at work here- in the town, or somewhere nearby- then… why? What was their goal?

  Renner’s voice broke into my musings, but his words were not directed at me. “Lewen. You have any rooms with more than one bed?”

  “Sure. The beds are a bit smaller- rooms for families, you understand.”

  My companion grunted, still frowning at the door. “Right. The lady will pay for one,” he gestured towards me.

  “I will?”

  Master Lewen walked behind the bar and opened a wooden cupboard. He fished a small iron key out and approached us with it. “Is this about Gil? I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable, Miss.”

  I opened my mouth to reassure him but Renner cut me off. “Our other friend- the one with the big hat. What room did you give her?”

  “Yellow, sir. But I’m sure she-”

  “Thanks,” he stood, sounding entirely insincere, and frowned down at me. “Come on.”

  I rose and turned to the innkeeper. “Thank you,” I said, gently elbowing Renner in the side. “Is it all right if I pay you in the morning?”

  He nodded and handed me the key, which had a small white patch of paint on it. “Of course, Miss. I’m sorry again; please, enjoy your night.”

  I thanked him again and then we headed back up the stairs. Renner’s lips were pressed into a thin line.

  “Grab your things and head to that room; get Teela, too. We’re gonna sleep in shifts and leave as soon as the sun’s up.”

  I nodded furtively, swallowing. “O-okay. You’re… you’re coming, too?” I peered up through my lashes, feeling suddenly almost shy. It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable sharing a bedroom with a man- Royce and I had dozed together beneath witchwood branches and under the summer sun plenty of times- but… it was the sudden feeling of wanting him there.

  He believed me. He thinks I might be a monster, but he still listened and he wasn’t afraid and he stayed calm and… and I think I’ll feel safer if he’s nearby.

  Renner paused at the door to his room. Heat blossomed through my cheeks as I remembered the beautiful young woman waiting behind it. He heaved a forlorn sigh but held my gaze. “Yeah, ladyship. I’m coming, too.”