Read Online The Ritual by H. Anthe Davis, Erica Dakin - Free Book Online

and Zashter asked, “Do you have two rooms for a few nights?”
    The man nodded, casting a hooded glance at me and my sister. I quickly made the gesture to indicate that I too was a thief, then added with a few motions that Shani was with me and fell under my responsibility. The innkeeper gave a tiny nod, then peered at us when we moved closer. “Huh, more twins? Don’t see that every day,” he remarked, then turned back to Zashter. “Got two rooms in the back, if that suits?”
    “Perfectly,” Zashter said. “Have you got any food ready?”
    The man cocked his head. “You’ve got a nose, right?”
    “All he can smell is that piss-poor brew of yours, Tae,” Mior answered instead with a grin. “Your food is good, but I’d swear you use all the fluids you get from your goats, not just the milk.”
    “Oh aye? And you know what goat piss tastes like then, do you?” The innkeeper demanded, then grasped Mior’s hand with a wide grin. “Shut your lying mouth, or better, put some of that good food of mine in it. Four bowls of stew?”
    “Do you have a bath?” I asked before either of them could answer. Much as the thought of food appealed to me, we had been out on the road for a week and I felt grubby and in need of a long soak. Zashter raised an eyebrow at me, but I ignored him and waited for an answer.
    “Out that door, second left,” Tae replied. “Cold water’s free, two silver if you want it hot, and five coppers extra if you want soap.”
    It was a reasonable price, so I nodded my agreement. “Which room is ours?”
    “Follow me.” The innkeeper selected two keys and disappeared through a different door, which turned out to lead to the staircase when I trailed after him.
    The bedroom continued the clean and spacious theme, with a large double bed, a soft mattress devoid of bugs, linen that smelled fresh and vaguely floral and even the luxury of a pitcher and wash basin. Our room was on the second floor, though at this side of the building that appeared to be the first floor. Both rooms had balconies, but they looked as rickety as the ones out front and I decided against trusting my weight to them.
    I dropped my rucksack onto the blanket, dug out my spare set of clothes and made my way back downstairs, where Tae was stoically dragging a cloth across the bar. I nodded at him in passing, found the bathroom and locked the door behind me before stripping off my soiled clothes.
    The plumbing was as good as the rest of the tavern – in no time at all I had a full, hot bath foaming with soap, and with a satisfied sigh I sank up to my chin into the bubbles, letting the heat suffuse me.
    For a quarter measure I simply sat with my eyes closed, enjoying the soak, but then I started getting restless and dunked underwater to wash my hair, before leaning out precariously to grab my clothes and give them a quick wash as well. I was just rubbing the last stubborn mud stain out of my trousers when someone banged on the door.
    “Have you died in there? Other people want to wash as well, you know!” Zashter called.
    “So? Other people can wait,” I replied, peering at the fabric. Was that still mud? I dunked it down again just to be sure.
    “I could just pick the lock if I wanted to.”
    “You wouldn’t dare!” I sloshed water over the rim when I jerked upright involuntarily, and heard Zashter snigger.
    “Doesn’t sound like you’re too sure about that. Let’s see…” There was a moment of silence, then I heard the distinct clink of metal on metal and a brief rattle. It sounded too ostentatious to be a true attempt at picking the lock, but I stood up and reached for the towel nonetheless.
    “Fine, fine, I get the point, impatient fuck. You could have just waited!”
    “I’ve waited for over half a measure already.”
    “Oh, you’ve been timing me, have you?”
    “Don’t I keep telling you that you need to get faster?”
    I heard the distinct grin in his voice and couldn’t help smiling too. “I