Next, to me, Willem rolls his shoulders, and I know if his wings were visible, he would be ruffling them irritably. Neither of us likes the mortal realm. "Let's get this done quickly," he mutters.
“Try not to draw attention to yourselves,” I warn the others as we pass the first buildings and step onto the main thoroughfare.
"That will be a challenge," Aiden smirks.
The villagers are already gaping at us. The mortals wear mostly drab colors and scratchy materials. The women wear cloths over their heads, holding their hair back. The streets are dirt and mostly mud from the rains the night before. I wrinkle my nose at the stench as we pass an alleyway. A woman in a high window dumps a bucket of filth into the alley without even glancing at the occupants below. The buildings are made of rough stone and thatched wood roofs. Candles are lit in the highest window of each building, and I purse my lips at the sight.
A candle in the window is an old practice, meant to keep Death out the door. From the last reports, five people in this particular village had been soul-leeched. I have no doubt they started lighting candles after the first few deaths, and they won’t stop for some time – even if we do catch the Nephilim.
The villagers watch us suspiciously, pushing their children behind their legs or ushering them indoors. I don’t bother hiding my sneer as we make our way towards the village inn. Whispers echo around us and I sense Briar’s heartbeat quickening nervously. She won’t be used to villages or people like this. I should keep a close eye on her. I almost stop in my tracks as the thought completes itself. I grind my teeth and call back the shadow from her hand. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t go on pretending that there isn’t a part of me that cares. Damned soul bond.
The sun is beginning to set, orange rays streaking over the horizon and turning the blue shade of the sky to lilac. I can feel Briar’s desire to stay out and watch the rest of the sunset, but I brush it aside. The village inn is in the town center, on the edge of what could be considered the square. It’s three stories high and built sturdily, lanterns hang from the walls beside the door and the gables of the roof. I stare at the unlit windows, wondering if the Nephilim is in there – waiting until dark to reveal himself. Willem and I exchange a dark look. We don’t know if the Nephilim is still in this village or not. The last Reaper who reported to us gave us the information three days ago. The Nephilim may have moved on, but Night, I hope it hasn’t.
The heavy door creaks as I open it, but the occupants inside don’t bother looking up from their drinks or food. A wave of heat hits me, accompanied by the smell of food and body odor. I curl my lip in disgust. Behind me, I hear Briar sniff and then cough politely. I turn to Willem, “Get a table, I’ll arrange rooms and dinner.”
“You want to eat here?” Willem’s brows raise.
I tilt my chin towards Briar. “She’s hungry.”
Willem’s blue eyes cut towards Briar and I know he’s listening for sounds of her hunger. “How would you know that?” He asks suspiciously.
“Just a guess,” I quip. “Mortals get hungry.”
I don’t wait for him to respond before I slip away from the group. I weave between the tables, careful not to brush up against any of the mortals, and head for the long counter where the innkeeper stands. I glance behind me. Willem is ferrying Briar and Aiden to a table in the corner. His hand sidles to the small of her back, ushering her forward, but she lurches away clumsily. I narrow my eyes at the sight and feel a flare of territorial rage. She is not Willem’s to touch. My fangs descend slightly as the rage bleeds into my more predatory urges. For an instant, my vision goes red and I imagine pulling my Second away from Briar and ripping out his throat. I heel my anger with a deep breath and my fangs slip back. I can’t call any attention to us, and deep down I know Willem meant nothing by the touch. But Briar didn’t like it. And so I don’t like it.
“Ow can I ‘elp ye?” The innkeeper asks hesitantly.
I realize then that I’ve been standing silently at his counter for too long. I purse my lips, cursing myself. “Three rooms,” I say. “And dinner for four.”
“Three rooms, eh?” The man nods. “That yer table?”
“It is,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “Is there a problem?”
“Not if ye have the coin,” the innkeeper says expectantly.
I roll my eyes and drop five gold coins on the wooden counter. The innkeeper’s eyes are wide for an instant before he slips the coins off the counter and into his apron pockets with a suspicious glance around the room. I hide my disdain and wait for him to procure the keys for the rooms. When I was younger, I didn’t understand mortal greed, but I accepted it for what it was. Now, I can hardly stand to witness it. Briar and her father have even betrayed me for money. By saving her eldest sister, Rose, for a better match with a mortal prince, they’ve enriched Ryrn’s
