The lady smiled at Kalen as he dropped eight gold coins on the counter. “You are sure this will be enough for a couple more nights? I do not want to overstay my welcome,” he said, flashing her a brilliant smile. The woman waved him off.
“This is more than generous, sir. Stay as long as you would like.” He tipped his hat to her and made his way outside once more. This would be his last attempt, he promised himself. After this, he would return to Eerea and make sure Andreas wasn’t tearing the place apart. He waved at the inn keeper as he walked through the door.
Before he could even fully turn back to look where he was going, he crashed into a girl, who let out a string of curse words. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” she yelled, her violet eyes glowing with rage. For a moment Kalen was stunned. But he quickly regained control and slipped into his charm in one swift movement.
“I apologize, my lady. It appears my mind is elsewhere. Do forgive me.”
Her eyes narrowed, her lips set in a scowl. “You are lucky that I hadn’t been carrying anything that I could have dropped while your mind is ‘elsewhere’,” she replied, her voice sharp.
Kalen saw that this girl wasn’t going to fall for his charm the way most other women did, and thus decided to drop the act all together. “I truly am sorry. I just found out that the woman I care about is dead, so you will have to excuse me if my thoughts aren’t all there,” he said, his tone a little harsher than he intended. He like to believe that he could pretend that Lana’s death didn’t affect him too strongly, but in moments like these he knew just how wrong he was.
The harshness drained from the girl’s face and was replaced by pity. He almost hated that more. “I’m sorry to hear that. But that still doesn’t give you an excuse to trample over unassuming damsels on their way to greet their aunt at work.”
He gave her a half smile, admiring her stubbornness. “Let me make it up to you then.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?”
“Dinner, here at your aunt’s work place, tonight, on me. It’s the very least I could do,” he suggested, his lips curving just the slightest inch into a smirk.
“So you almost knock me over, and score a date with me?” she said, raising her eyebrows. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Don’t think of it as a date then.”
She seemed to consider it. “Fine, but then you are paying for everything. And if you show up late, I will make sure my aunt puts rats in your pillows tonight.”
“Mallory, don’t you dare threaten my guests!”
She rolled her eyes and Kalen found her slightly endearing. “I’ll be here at eight.”
“Good to know,” she said and turned away, but caught herself midway. “Your name….?” she asked, suddenly realizing she missed that one important detail.
“Kalen,” he replied effortlessly.
“Kalen,” Mallory echoed, and he ignored the twist of pain her felt knowing it was not Lana’s voice pronouncing his name. “I’m Mallory,” she said quickly and walked inside.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said the empty air and went forth to confront his final lead. He was determined to discover the truth about his past.
***
Mallory gazed at her aunt through her thick eyelashes as she rested her head on her arms while leaning on the counter. “What’s that guy’s story?” she asked once Kalen was out of sight.
Her aunt shrugged. “He came in here about a week ago, leaving bright and early every morning only to come home very late each night. He pays handsomely though.” The inn keeper winked at Mallory and she suddenly straightened out.
“Aunt May, you better not be insinuating what I think you are insinuating,” Mallory cautioned.
May shrugged and started wiping down the counter, making sure it was clean. “He’s an attractive young man and he’s new to town. He probably hasn’t heard the gossip. Just think of how happy your mother would be if you were finally able to get a suitor.”
Mallory gaped at her aunt. “I cannot believe you are so willing to pimp me out to the first attractive man that walks into this place that doesn’t know my story.” She grabbed the cloth from her aunt and took over the cleaning duties. “Besides, just how long is it before he does hear my story? People in town like to talk. And the moment they do, you know he will just be running the other way.”
“You are just being paranoid because you don’t think you will ever find a man.”
She flicked the cloth at her aunt in jest. “No, I’m just not delusional as you and my mother are. I have accepted that I will not be one of those luckily married ladies that bears children and pleases their husbands.”
“Now, now, you do not have to use that town. You are the product of one such lady.”
“Yeah, and look how well that turned out.”
May cocked her head to the side in a thoughtful manner, her eyes sad. “I didn’t realize you blamed your mother for what happened.”
Mallory furiously started shaking her head, “No, no, no, aunt may, no. I don’t blame my mother. I know it isn’t her fault. Agh, all my words are coming out wrong. I just meant, that I didn’t turn out as the perfect daughter I know she would have wanted. If I did, I would be married by now.”
Her aunt gave her a slight nudge. “Well, perhaps that Kalen is your ticket.”
She closed her eyes and willed herself some strength to deal with her aunt. “There is no point in raising your hopes. Besides, he just told me that he was mourning the death of a woman he cared about. I sincerely doubt he would want to get involved with me.” Mallory didn’t, however, add that she wasn’t planning on getting involved with him. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was still waiting for her hero to return. No one believed he would, but she never gave up hope. The moment she did, she would lose everything.
In the meantime, she just had to keep herself busy until she could find her way back to the man she really loved. Perhaps she could even accomplish finding the prince or princess before then and triumph over all her goals. Kalen did seem interesting, but there was something about him that had her nerves on edge. For that reason, and that reason alone, she agreed to meet with him that night.
YOU ARE READING
Haunting Shadows (Book 2)
Fantasy"What if my sins are all I've become? Will you still love me if the Andreas you once knew is too far gone to ever get back?" Lana had survived burning on the stake, but at what cost? Every time she closes her eyes, she revisits the horror of burning...
