of her breasts pressed intimately against his chest. If he didn’t suspect that the elves were outside looking for a way in, he might have given in to his rising feelings again.
As it was, he gently pushed her away. “Get dressed.”
She reached for her smallclothes and dress. “Maybe it’s just John or Lottie,” she whispered.
“Maybe, but I’m going to find out.” He quickly pulled on his trousers and shirt.
It was hard to hear anything over the persistent plinking of rain and the occasional wall-shaking clap of thunder but he knew he’d heard glass breaking. Whoever it was had broken the window in the next room and climbed inside. His bet was on the elves. Who else would have cause to sneak up on them? Any person without nefarious doings would’ve walked through the front door, especially on a night like this.
“I’m going to check on the situation.” He drew his short sword. “You stay here.”
She grabbed onto his arm. “I’m not staying here by myself.”
“I’ll take you down to John and Lottie. We need to warn them.”
Together, Drea pressed against him, they crept out of the room. There was no one waiting for them on the landing. Slowly, quietly, they made it down the stairs to the main room. John and Lottie were still asleep at the table, their heads down.
“You wake them and get out.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Confront our guests.”
“I’m coming.”
He sighed. “Drea, it’s too dangerous.”
“Stop. I’m tired of hearing that. What would you know is too dangerous for me?”
There was another flash of lightning coming from upstairs. It was enough light to see a streak of movement on the landing.
“We need to get out of here.”
“What about John and Lottie?”
The couple hadn’t moved. Surely the noise of their movements and the thunder would’ve woken them up. Sebastian stared hard at them and noticed a dark pool beneath the table. Blood.
“There’s nothing we can do for them.”
Eyes wide, she turned her head and looked at the couple. Tears formed in her eyes. “They’re dead because of us.”
Sebastian wrapped his arms around Drea and took her down to the floor just as an arrow zipped by. It imbedded into the side of the table with an audible thunk.
“Follow me. Stay low to the ground.”
He started across the tavern, Drea close behind him. Another arrow flew overhead. It stuck in the door with a resounding thrang just as Sebastian pushed it open. They rushed outside. Sebastian shut the door behind them and dragged the water trough over to block it. It wouldn’t stop their pursuers for long, but might allot them a few extra moments to find an escape route.
He grabbed Drea’s hand, and together they dashed into the barn to find the horse was gone.
“We need to find a way out of here,” he said.
“There’s a boat. On the river.”
Sebastian looked up at the dark sky. Rain still poured down, lightning still flashed across the black clouds. Being on a boat was going to be dangerous in this weather. But he didn’t see any other options. There was no way they could outrun the elves in the woods. He suspected they had their horses tethered nearby.
He took her hand again and squeezed. “Don’t let go of me.”
“I won’t.”
Together they ran back out into the rain. The ground was slippery as they crossed the back yard toward the river. It was pitch black out but Sebastian couldn’t risk making a witchlight to guide them. The elves would see the light. He had to rely on Drea’s knowledge of the place and the occasional flash of lightning from the sky.
“Which way?” he asked.
She led him through the trees. They had to stop every once in a while so they didn’t trip over a tangle of bushes or a rotten log. Eventually, he could hear the rush of the river over the roar of the rain.
She tugged his hand and pointed. “There.”
Tied up to what he thought might be a dock was a small vessel. More a barge than a boat, but it would
As it was, he gently pushed her away. “Get dressed.”
She reached for her smallclothes and dress. “Maybe it’s just John or Lottie,” she whispered.
“Maybe, but I’m going to find out.” He quickly pulled on his trousers and shirt.
It was hard to hear anything over the persistent plinking of rain and the occasional wall-shaking clap of thunder but he knew he’d heard glass breaking. Whoever it was had broken the window in the next room and climbed inside. His bet was on the elves. Who else would have cause to sneak up on them? Any person without nefarious doings would’ve walked through the front door, especially on a night like this.
“I’m going to check on the situation.” He drew his short sword. “You stay here.”
She grabbed onto his arm. “I’m not staying here by myself.”
“I’ll take you down to John and Lottie. We need to warn them.”
Together, Drea pressed against him, they crept out of the room. There was no one waiting for them on the landing. Slowly, quietly, they made it down the stairs to the main room. John and Lottie were still asleep at the table, their heads down.
“You wake them and get out.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Confront our guests.”
“I’m coming.”
He sighed. “Drea, it’s too dangerous.”
“Stop. I’m tired of hearing that. What would you know is too dangerous for me?”
There was another flash of lightning coming from upstairs. It was enough light to see a streak of movement on the landing.
“We need to get out of here.”
“What about John and Lottie?”
The couple hadn’t moved. Surely the noise of their movements and the thunder would’ve woken them up. Sebastian stared hard at them and noticed a dark pool beneath the table. Blood.
“There’s nothing we can do for them.”
Eyes wide, she turned her head and looked at the couple. Tears formed in her eyes. “They’re dead because of us.”
Sebastian wrapped his arms around Drea and took her down to the floor just as an arrow zipped by. It imbedded into the side of the table with an audible thunk.
“Follow me. Stay low to the ground.”
He started across the tavern, Drea close behind him. Another arrow flew overhead. It stuck in the door with a resounding thrang just as Sebastian pushed it open. They rushed outside. Sebastian shut the door behind them and dragged the water trough over to block it. It wouldn’t stop their pursuers for long, but might allot them a few extra moments to find an escape route.
He grabbed Drea’s hand, and together they dashed into the barn to find the horse was gone.
“We need to find a way out of here,” he said.
“There’s a boat. On the river.”
Sebastian looked up at the dark sky. Rain still poured down, lightning still flashed across the black clouds. Being on a boat was going to be dangerous in this weather. But he didn’t see any other options. There was no way they could outrun the elves in the woods. He suspected they had their horses tethered nearby.
He took her hand again and squeezed. “Don’t let go of me.”
“I won’t.”
Together they ran back out into the rain. The ground was slippery as they crossed the back yard toward the river. It was pitch black out but Sebastian couldn’t risk making a witchlight to guide them. The elves would see the light. He had to rely on Drea’s knowledge of the place and the occasional flash of lightning from the sky.
“Which way?” he asked.
She led him through the trees. They had to stop every once in a while so they didn’t trip over a tangle of bushes or a rotten log. Eventually, he could hear the rush of the river over the roar of the rain.
She tugged his hand and pointed. “There.”
Tied up to what he thought might be a dock was a small vessel. More a barge than a boat, but it would
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