Read Online Shadow Blessed (The Shadow Accords Book 1) by D.K. Holmberg - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D.K. Holmberg
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they would take him from the tavern without another incident. “An accident. That’s all.”
The sober man eyed Carth strangely and then nodded, rushing forward to grab Bren. He pulled on the larger man, dragging him toward the door. “You’re drunk, Bren,” the man said.
“That’s what I told you,” Bren answered.
“You said you were a drunk . I’m saying you are drunk.”
Bren grunted as the door opened and he was pulled outside. “Pretty much the same, don’ you think?”
The other men with him glanced at Carth and shrugged as they followed the others out of the tavern.
Carth grabbed Kel and pulled him to the kitchen, feeling that crawling sensation between her shoulders again. As she closed the door behind her, she noted the thin man watching her again.
“What was that?” Vera demanded as soon as the door closed. “Did you try to steal from one of my patrons?”
Kel hung his head. “I’m sorry, Vera. It was a—”
“An accident,” Carth cut in, shooting him a glare to keep him silent. What had Kel been thinking? Why would he have risked thieving from a man like Bren? There wasn’t likely to be much of value in his purse anyway. Any real coin he had would have been spent on ale throughout the night.
Vera crossed her arms over her chest as she looked from Carth to Kel. “Accident?”
Carth shrugged. “The man was drunk, Vera. He bounced off the pole into Kel when they got tangled up. Can’t blame that on Kel.”
Vera watched her a long moment before scanning the tavern and then waving her hand. “Get out of here, both of you.”
Carth started away from the kitchen. When she reached the door, she realized that Kel hadn’t followed.
His hands were clasped together, and he fidgeted with his fingers while looking at her. “Vera,” he said.
Vera stood in front of a pot, stirring what smelled like chicken broth, and glanced up. “What is it?”
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have—”
Carth slammed the door to the back of the kitchen open, startling Kel. “You coming?”
The other boy blinked a moment and nodded. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled to Vera and ran toward the open door.
When they were through, Carth jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She pulled him down the hall to their room. The floor creaked overhead and footsteps thudded across the boards. Carth lowered her voice and leaned toward Kel. “I saw what you did. What were you thinking, grabbing at that drunk?”
“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
Kel attempted to shoulder past her, but she grabbed his wrist to keep him from getting too far. “That’s why we’re here, but it’s not to get caught. We’re only to take scraps. Bren didn’t have any scraps for you to claim!” They reached their room and she pushed open the door, stepping aside to let Kel into the room.
“Who’s Bren?”
Carth closed the door more firmly than she intended. “Bren was that stupid drunk you decided to steal from. Didn’t you even look at him? He barely had enough to pay for his drinks, and then you go and grab for his purse.” She planted her fists on her hips as she faced him, waiting for him to answer, but he didn’t. A flush rising in his cheeks was all the answer she got. “Well?”
Kel threw himself onto his bed and backed into a corner. “What do you want me to say? I don’t recognize scraps as well as you do.” He pounded the wall with his fist, turning his back to her. “Stupid thing, anyway. They’re not scraps. Just coin from all the drunks they let into their tavern.”
Carth took a seat on the edge of his bed. “It’s either that or you sell what Vera wants you to sell. It’s what we’ve got to do because we’re strays.”
“Strays. Etan and I are strays. Not you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kel managed to turn so that he could look at her. His hair stood in disarray, rubbing against the
The sober man eyed Carth strangely and then nodded, rushing forward to grab Bren. He pulled on the larger man, dragging him toward the door. “You’re drunk, Bren,” the man said.
“That’s what I told you,” Bren answered.
“You said you were a drunk . I’m saying you are drunk.”
Bren grunted as the door opened and he was pulled outside. “Pretty much the same, don’ you think?”
The other men with him glanced at Carth and shrugged as they followed the others out of the tavern.
Carth grabbed Kel and pulled him to the kitchen, feeling that crawling sensation between her shoulders again. As she closed the door behind her, she noted the thin man watching her again.
“What was that?” Vera demanded as soon as the door closed. “Did you try to steal from one of my patrons?”
Kel hung his head. “I’m sorry, Vera. It was a—”
“An accident,” Carth cut in, shooting him a glare to keep him silent. What had Kel been thinking? Why would he have risked thieving from a man like Bren? There wasn’t likely to be much of value in his purse anyway. Any real coin he had would have been spent on ale throughout the night.
Vera crossed her arms over her chest as she looked from Carth to Kel. “Accident?”
Carth shrugged. “The man was drunk, Vera. He bounced off the pole into Kel when they got tangled up. Can’t blame that on Kel.”
Vera watched her a long moment before scanning the tavern and then waving her hand. “Get out of here, both of you.”
Carth started away from the kitchen. When she reached the door, she realized that Kel hadn’t followed.
His hands were clasped together, and he fidgeted with his fingers while looking at her. “Vera,” he said.
Vera stood in front of a pot, stirring what smelled like chicken broth, and glanced up. “What is it?”
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have—”
Carth slammed the door to the back of the kitchen open, startling Kel. “You coming?”
The other boy blinked a moment and nodded. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled to Vera and ran toward the open door.
When they were through, Carth jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “What was that about?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She pulled him down the hall to their room. The floor creaked overhead and footsteps thudded across the boards. Carth lowered her voice and leaned toward Kel. “I saw what you did. What were you thinking, grabbing at that drunk?”
“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
Kel attempted to shoulder past her, but she grabbed his wrist to keep him from getting too far. “That’s why we’re here, but it’s not to get caught. We’re only to take scraps. Bren didn’t have any scraps for you to claim!” They reached their room and she pushed open the door, stepping aside to let Kel into the room.
“Who’s Bren?”
Carth closed the door more firmly than she intended. “Bren was that stupid drunk you decided to steal from. Didn’t you even look at him? He barely had enough to pay for his drinks, and then you go and grab for his purse.” She planted her fists on her hips as she faced him, waiting for him to answer, but he didn’t. A flush rising in his cheeks was all the answer she got. “Well?”
Kel threw himself onto his bed and backed into a corner. “What do you want me to say? I don’t recognize scraps as well as you do.” He pounded the wall with his fist, turning his back to her. “Stupid thing, anyway. They’re not scraps. Just coin from all the drunks they let into their tavern.”
Carth took a seat on the edge of his bed. “It’s either that or you sell what Vera wants you to sell. It’s what we’ve got to do because we’re strays.”
“Strays. Etan and I are strays. Not you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Kel managed to turn so that he could look at her. His hair stood in disarray, rubbing against the
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