“Room for the night?” The young innkeeper smiled at me, and then recognition dawned on his face as he noticed Rio. “Ah! Sir Mortimer, it’s been a while.”
“Hullo, Hektor. Just dropping by to reserve some rooms for the night. Afraid we won’t be able to use them until near morning, now, but I hope that’s not a problem.”
I noticed how the innkeeper nearly groveled before the half-blood and wondered how much of Rio’s talk was laced with silent threats.
“Oh, no problem at all, sir. I have just two rooms open for tonight and tomorrow. I trust that will do, or do you need just one?” He gave me another smile, which I cautiously returned.
“The two, please. We’ll need three beds, though. Can you manage it?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Splendid. Here is our payment in advance.”
Rio laid some coins on the counter that looked like far too little to be covering two rooms and three beds. I eyed the half-blood suspiciously, but he gave away nothing.
“And here are your keys. Your rooms will be at the end of the hall. The extra bed will be in place by the time you return. Sleep well.”
He seemed like such a nice man to be living under Rio’s thumb. Then again, I realized that for all his ‘m’lady’ talk, I too was under the half-blood’s power.
As we walked down the hall, Rio turned and half-shouted, “Tell the same to your wife.”
The innkeeper’s eyes flickered to me, then back to the half-blood. For just a split second his welcoming smile faded, but it returned even more brilliantly.
“Yes, sir.”
I glared at the half-blood through my eyelashes. “His wife is a faun, isn’t she?”
“However did you guess?”
It was obvious why he had chosen this inn above the others he was bound to have influence over. I was thankful, but perturbed. If I – ancients forbid – were married to a human and owned an inn, I would be more than a little vexed to find two rooms reserved for less than the price of one.
Once we reached our rooms, I saw that our rooms were right next to each other. Upon entering, I saw that there was also a connecting door. How convenient