Read Online Shadow Blessed (The Shadow Accords Book 1) by D.K. Holmberg - Free Book Online
Authors: D.K. Holmberg
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them bastards got cut last night?”
Carth looked for who spoke and found a younger man with a wild shock of dark hair on his head, leaning forward intently. The three others at his table all sipped tall mugs of ale, two of them with eyes already glazed over. They might be drunk enough for her to pilfer from them, but they had the look of sailors, men without much money. More than that, Vera had warned her to stay clear of men like that.
“Careful, Bren,” the man across from him said.
Bren raised his glass and took a long drink. “Why should I be careful here? There’s nothing but drunks here.”
“You’re here,” the man next to him said.
“I’m a drunk.” Bren took another drink. “Shouldn’t we talk about it? After so many getting cut, don’t you wonder what’s going on?”
“They’re still the A’ras,” the third man said. His brown eyes looked at the others more clearly, and in the time Carth had been watching, he hadn’t touched his drink. “You talk about them and they find out. Best to leave well enough alone, Bren.”
The other two men nodded.
Bren finished off his ale and slammed it down. “I’ll leave it alone, but you don’t need to be so damn scared to even talk about it. Especially now, with the Reshian making their presence known.” His voice rose as he spoke, and talk at some of the nearest tables began to die down. The sober man grabbed Bren and pulled on his arm, but Bren shook him off. “No reason to be scared down here, Foln. They ain’t down here. They’re never down here.” When another man grabbed at him, he stood. “Fine. I’m going.”
As Bren weaved his way through the tavern, he bounced off one of the poles and Kel slipped forward, moving too slowly as he slid his hand into Bren’s pocket and back out. Bren tripped over Kel and they both fell forward.
“What you think you’re doing?” Bren said.
Kel crawled back, his eyes wide.
Bren patted his pocket and Carth watched with growing concern as the man realized that his coin pouch was now in Kel’s hand.
“Boy?” Bren thundered.
Carth glanced at the kitchen. If Vera discovered Kel had been caught grabbing scraps, she’d throw him out. She might start to ask about how Carth and Etan managed to bring in so much coin. They all might be out of a place to stay.
Kel continued to scoot away, not saying anything.
The door to the kitchen opened and Vera poked her head out.
The voices in the tavern began to die down as Bren towered over Kel.
Carth darted forward and slipped her hand quickly into Kel’s pocket as she helped him up. Bren stormed over to him and shoved Kel away. As he did, Carth quickly dropped the coin pouch and kicked it toward the pole.
“You filchin’ from me?” Bren demanded.
Kel shook his head, his gaze going to Carth as he searched for help.
Damn him! Bren didn’t have enough coin to begin with, and he was already leaving. Kel knew better than to go after someone like that.
“I felt you grab—”
“Sir?” Carth interrupted.
Bren blinked, slowly turning his gaze away from Kel.
“I think you dropped your purse when you tumbled,” she said, motioning toward the pole.
Bren staggered toward the pole and leaned forward, carefully clinging to it for support as he did. He grabbed his purse from the ground and held it up to the light, a confused frown on his face. For a moment, Carth felt a flutter of fear that she’d grabbed the wrong purse, but then Bren shook it and stuffed it back into his pocket.
Conversations in the tavern began to resume. Carth allowed herself a moment to think that he might leave without saying anything else, but Bren took a step toward Kel. Kel didn’t move, standing stiff and frozen in place, staring with his wide-eyed expression at the larger man.
“I felt him grabbin’,” Bren muttered.
“I think you just bumped into him,” Carth suggested as she stepped between man and boy. She looked past him to his now-standing friends, praying that
Carth looked for who spoke and found a younger man with a wild shock of dark hair on his head, leaning forward intently. The three others at his table all sipped tall mugs of ale, two of them with eyes already glazed over. They might be drunk enough for her to pilfer from them, but they had the look of sailors, men without much money. More than that, Vera had warned her to stay clear of men like that.
“Careful, Bren,” the man across from him said.
Bren raised his glass and took a long drink. “Why should I be careful here? There’s nothing but drunks here.”
“You’re here,” the man next to him said.
“I’m a drunk.” Bren took another drink. “Shouldn’t we talk about it? After so many getting cut, don’t you wonder what’s going on?”
“They’re still the A’ras,” the third man said. His brown eyes looked at the others more clearly, and in the time Carth had been watching, he hadn’t touched his drink. “You talk about them and they find out. Best to leave well enough alone, Bren.”
The other two men nodded.
Bren finished off his ale and slammed it down. “I’ll leave it alone, but you don’t need to be so damn scared to even talk about it. Especially now, with the Reshian making their presence known.” His voice rose as he spoke, and talk at some of the nearest tables began to die down. The sober man grabbed Bren and pulled on his arm, but Bren shook him off. “No reason to be scared down here, Foln. They ain’t down here. They’re never down here.” When another man grabbed at him, he stood. “Fine. I’m going.”
As Bren weaved his way through the tavern, he bounced off one of the poles and Kel slipped forward, moving too slowly as he slid his hand into Bren’s pocket and back out. Bren tripped over Kel and they both fell forward.
“What you think you’re doing?” Bren said.
Kel crawled back, his eyes wide.
Bren patted his pocket and Carth watched with growing concern as the man realized that his coin pouch was now in Kel’s hand.
“Boy?” Bren thundered.
Carth glanced at the kitchen. If Vera discovered Kel had been caught grabbing scraps, she’d throw him out. She might start to ask about how Carth and Etan managed to bring in so much coin. They all might be out of a place to stay.
Kel continued to scoot away, not saying anything.
The door to the kitchen opened and Vera poked her head out.
The voices in the tavern began to die down as Bren towered over Kel.
Carth darted forward and slipped her hand quickly into Kel’s pocket as she helped him up. Bren stormed over to him and shoved Kel away. As he did, Carth quickly dropped the coin pouch and kicked it toward the pole.
“You filchin’ from me?” Bren demanded.
Kel shook his head, his gaze going to Carth as he searched for help.
Damn him! Bren didn’t have enough coin to begin with, and he was already leaving. Kel knew better than to go after someone like that.
“I felt you grab—”
“Sir?” Carth interrupted.
Bren blinked, slowly turning his gaze away from Kel.
“I think you dropped your purse when you tumbled,” she said, motioning toward the pole.
Bren staggered toward the pole and leaned forward, carefully clinging to it for support as he did. He grabbed his purse from the ground and held it up to the light, a confused frown on his face. For a moment, Carth felt a flutter of fear that she’d grabbed the wrong purse, but then Bren shook it and stuffed it back into his pocket.
Conversations in the tavern began to resume. Carth allowed herself a moment to think that he might leave without saying anything else, but Bren took a step toward Kel. Kel didn’t move, standing stiff and frozen in place, staring with his wide-eyed expression at the larger man.
“I felt him grabbin’,” Bren muttered.
“I think you just bumped into him,” Carth suggested as she stepped between man and boy. She looked past him to his now-standing friends, praying that
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