“What just happened…?” Ben asked, not bothering to disguise the concern in his tone.

  “I went to go get some breakfast and found you talking to Pesch Goldbry, so I came back to our room and summoned you here,” Spidena clarified as though it should have been the most obvious answer in the world. The witch was hurriedly packing up four candles that had been placed on the floor in the center of what looked like a circle of salt, with a piece of petrified wood, a bowl of water, and her comb.

  “You… You cast a spell?”

  “Yes. One of my easier ones. Though for some reason the price changed and it required me to use my comb,” Spidena stared longingly at the wooden bobble, but didn’t reach into the salt circle to retrieve any of the three items before taking in a sharp breath and straightening. “Come on! Get your sack and let’s move! I don’t think we can fit out the window, but we have to get to the back door before they figure out what has happened. Pesch knows I can do this, so it won’t take him long to—”

  The sound of pounding footsteps sounded outside the door.

  Spidena’s eyes widened in panic as she halted her movement.

  Ben opened his mouth, then conceded that it didn’t seem like there was time to pester her for details, and so closed it with an agitated grunt and moved purposefully.

  First he seized his canvas bag from where he’d left it resting beside the bed. Then he grasped the bookshelf that was filled with steel buckets, towels, brushes, and all other manner of cleaning materials, heaved it a short way across the dusty floorboards, and used it as a ladder to climb up toward the window.

  “Come on,” he beckoned as Spidena seemed to be paralyzed with indecision.

  “I told you I don’t think we’ll fit!” she cried out as Ben set to lifting the window latch and shoving it open.

  First he tossed his bag through, then he held his hand out to Spidena. “You will. Unless you’ve somehow gained twenty pounds since last night.”

  Spidena scowled at him, but took his hand, climbed up the bookcase, and, sure enough, was able to wedge her torso through. Until the window ledge met her hips. Then her legs kicked helplessly as her boots tried to find purchase on the wall to push herself the rest of the way out.

  A meaty fist pounded on the door.

  Ben sighed. Looping his arms around her legs, he lifted Spidena up a fraction, and shoved her out the rest of the way of the window. He followed shortly after with a quick jump and pull, and much more graceful landing than Spidena. He didn’t even need to look to know she was glaring mightily at the back of his neck.

  “Let’s go,” he called over his shoulder while slinging the strap of his bag over his head. “With any luck Paulav might have caught on and is waiting for us.”

  “I don’t think we should trust—”

  Ben ignored her and continued walking at a brisk pace around the inn, and while Spidena most likely had several more objections weaving their way toward the front of her mouth, a loud crunching noise from within the room they had just vacated, seemed to prompt her to swallow them, grab her own bag that had fallen over her head during her climb out the window, and ran after Ben.

  Ben didn’t look back as he strolled straight for the stables where Paulav’s caravan sat waiting with no one around it.

  Upon reaching the caravan, he pulled open the back door and gestured for her to get in.“There’s a false floor where he stores valuable trinkets. Get in it.”

  “Why are you the calm one?”

  Ben pointed at his face. “Military.”

  “I’ve seen you freak out almost daily!”

  “Mostly because I’m learning a lot about magic and I have no idea how to handle things with it. And besides, these people are pissed and looking for you. I'm just an innocent bystander. Now get in.”

  Spidena stuck her tongue out at him then proceeded to climb into the caravan without any further argument, though he could tell it was mostly because she was uncomfortable standing out in the open.

  After Ben showed her where the trap door was, he tossed down his sack with its gold beside her, and began closing the door.

  “Wait! Why aren’t you getting in here?” Spidena demanded, lifting her head up as though thinking she might climb right back out.

  “I’m going to get the horses ready so that when Paulav joins us we can leave quickly.”

  “They are going to think to come here first! You should hide!”

  Ben considered this. “True. Guess I’ll go find that water pump after all.”

  “What?”

  Bent closed the door with a satisfying thunk then latched it closed.

  Grinning to himself he stood up and made his way out of the caravan to locate that water pump.

  It was oddly refreshing not being the one chased or hunted. Even if the Pesch Goldbry fellow and his crew didn’t seem all that placid toward himself, either.

  Ben continued to casually make his way to the side yard, and spotted the water pump that Daffy had mentioned sitting just outside the border of some lavender plants.

  Stripping off his coat, vest, and shirt, Ben started the task of improving his overall hygiene, and waited. His senses prickling.

  He saw two large figures skidding to a halt out of the corner of his eye, but pretended not to.

  “YOU!” one of them bellowed.

  Ben ignored them, and made a point of scrubbing more attentively under his left arm. How did blue lint get there? He wasn’t even wearing anything with blue… Spidena’s shawl maybe?

  Heavy footfalls stopped behind him.

  “Where is the witch?” the man growled.

  Ben looked over his shoulder. “Oh. Hello again. Don’t tell your employer that I’m bathing. He seemed upset, but I think we can all agree it’s an improvement.”

  “The witch. Where did she go?” the woman repeated the question as she glowered down darkly at Ben, the scar in her eyebrow adding a level of ferocity to her dark aura.

  “No idea.”

  “You’ve been traveling together.”

  “Yeah. We were. I promised to travel with her in exchange for an incantation. You made her run off and I can’t say I’m not thrilled. Who asks to be travel companions for a measly incantation?” Ben scoffed before bending over and sticking his head directly under the spigot.

  He half expected a boot heel to ram itself into his ass. He merely hoped it wouldn’t go too deep… He’d had a tough time relieving himself as of late. Most likely thanks to the lack of fruit or vegetables in his day-to-day travel diet.

  When he straightened, Ben relished in the way the icy drops of water dripped down his back.

  He sincerely wished he could take off his pants and scrub his undercarriage as well.

  Actually.

  Ben unlaced the front of his pants

  “WOAH! NOW! SIR! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!”

  Ben paused and looked with no small amount of surprise and mirth at the ferocious looking woman who was holding up her hand—presumably to protect her eyes from the sight of Ben’s nether regions.

  “What is with you people and hygiene? I would’ve washed in a private bath but you had problems with that too!” He finished stripping off his trousers, stepping out of them, and then made himself gloriously awkward to look at by thrusting his groin under the freezing water. He knew he had said earlier to Daffy and Obbie he wouldn’t do such a thing, but… desperate times required desperate measures!

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  His efforts paid off as the two muscled employees of Pesch Goldrby backed away rather swiftly.

  Ben grinned, pleased with his efforts—even if it did equate to his manhood crawling back into his body from the cold—That is until he looked to his right and found Paulav and Obbie watching him with varied expressions.

  Paulav had his lips sucked back in a thin line, while Obbie had a languid smirk and a nobly arched eyebrow.

  “Man Chop, be still my heart, you do know how to appeal to all species.”

  Ben stood straight once more. Perfectly naked, and dripping wet.

  Goosebumps erupted on his skin when a cool breeze wafted by, prompting him to resume his casual efforts to dress himself once more.

  Obbie’s gaze affixed itself to Ben’s groin, making him hurry. With his attire back on his body, Ben started sidling over to Paulav.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” the burly man hollered at Ben’s back.

  “Away. Before the witch comes back and forces me to keep traveling with her.”

  “Ben! That isn’t very nice!” Paulav scolded in surprise. “Daffy would be heartbroken to hear you talk about her that way. She really believes the two of you are going to be an absolutely lovely couple, and I have to agree!”

  “Spidena? With him?” The woman behind Ben gave a laugh of disbelief, drawing everyone’s attention back to the duo.

  “How is it you know the witch?” Ben asked with a feigned air of disinterest. In truth he was grateful to have a reason not to respond to Paulav’s comment.

  The tall woman and her associate looked at each other, then back at him. “It’s not your business.”

  “Well it wasn’t your business either when you tromped on up to me asking questions, but I was polite about it.”

  “You even provided them some entertainment this morning,” Obbie added helpfully.

  The tips of Bens’ ears burned, but luckily his complexion was dark enough that it would be hard to see. It was one thing to strip naked with the hopes of scaring away two people, or encouraging them to lose interest in him, it was quite another for Obbie to stand there and gawk.

  The hired muscles stared at each other, then folded their arms.

  “We’ll be waiting right here for the witch, and you aren’t going anywhere until she shows up.” The woman jabbed a finger in Ben’s direction.

  “Like hell I am,” Ben snorted. “Paulav let’s go. We’ve got a wedding to attend.”

  “Now, Ben, I hardly think that—” the merchant had started to once again protest leaving Spidena behind.

  “She magicked you out of the room. She wouldn’t have done that unless she intended to leave with you,” the woman interjected sharply.

  “What makes you think I didn’t magic myself away?” Ben asked with a heap of indignation mixed into his voice.

  “Obbie told us you’re a dodder,” the man explained bluntly.

  Ben shot the fairy an irritated glance. Obbie shrugged, unbothered.

  As the tension mounted between everyone, however, the fairy let out a resigned sigh. “What will you give me if I give you the opportunity to escape?” His voice was low as he directed the offer to Ben.

  Both Paulav and Ben rounded on him interestedly.

  “Well what do you want?” Ben tried to hide his impatience. He knew Obbie would be the type to toy with him if he let on how badly he wanted to leave and not get pulled into more shenanigans that could ruin all of the great progress they’d made in their journey to Kintel.

  “How about a kiss?”

  Paulav looked utterly heartbroken, his blue eyes bright with a pain so potent it shocked Ben when he glanced at him. He knew the merchant had developed something of a crush, but was he the type to fall in love at first sight?

  “Or?” Ben pushed testily.

  Obbie dropped his head back with a breath of annoyance. “You take me as your date to this wedding you’re going to.”

  “Paulav is going. I’m not going. I was lying before when I said I was to the goons.”

  “Oh, you should go!” Paulav interrupted earnestly, though as soon as he said this he realized what this meant and as a result blinked rapidly before clearing his throat.

  He looked so sad…

  Feeling at a complete loss as to what to do, a flutter of black wings overhead drew Ben’s attention up. The sight of Wolf took him aback as he had quite forgotten about the pet bird in all of the excitement. But it did offer him a potential bargaining chip as he watched the raven scan the ground worriedly, looking for his witch.

  Ben faced the fairy more squarely. “No deal. But just know… if this carries on? Us waiting and me being detained?”

  “Detained. Such a fancy word to say what’s happening, Man Chop,” Obbie flirted with a grin.

  “The longer I’m here, the more upset Wolf gets.” Ben pointed at the raven, drawing Obbie’s attention to the bird.

  “So?”

  “So how do you feel about bird shit all over every window of the inn?”

  Obbie’s smile dimmed and his eyes fluttered. “That kind of thing happens.”

  “Wolf also likes shiny things. How will you like it if you start having guests that find their belongings missing?” Ben continued, sensing that the conversation was starting to turn in his favor.

  “The bird won’t come inside!”

  “Well why not? Conquestorov was allowed inside.”

  “He’s a minion not a real bird!” Obbie snapped, his jovial attitude from before turning sour.

  Another great idea presented itself to Ben. “And you’re certain Pesch Goldbry has no problem with Conquestorov being here?” It was a gamble. But everything Spidena had said about Lord Earhav making her nervous made him think that it was possible if she was merely stressed about Pesch, and frightened of Earhav, then he was by far the bigger threat.

  Obbie’s mouth clamped shut, and as though on cue, the front door to the inn banged open, and out stormed Pesch.

  “YOU TWO!” he roared at the woman and man, making them both stand at attention. “AND YOU!” Pesch pointed at Obbie, his eyes flashing. “GET OVER HERE NOW!”

  Ben smiled as Obbie turned pale. “Sometimes I quite like the way magic balances the world.”

  “Man Chop I will drag you into any hell I feel like when this is over,” Obbie said through gritted teeth.

  Ben decided to be generous and let the fairy have the last word while at the same time casually moving to stand behind Paulav, blocking himself from view of Pesch. Lowering his voice he then spoke. “Spidena’s already in the caravan, let’s go.”

  The merchant looked over his shoulder at Ben, his eyes widening and a twitch of a smile on his lips when he realized that Ben had never been planning on leaving Spidena, then he looked back at Obbie in open distress.

  Gods. He looked like he wanted to help Obbie.

  “Paulav, if we don’t leave now they will catch Spidena.” Ben hoped that two souls in need of aid would be able to call Paulav’s senses back, though knowing him it wouldn’t be easy leaving someone in distress—particularly when he had a deeper interest in them.

  Thankfully, after a full ten seconds of wrestling with himself, he nodded. “Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

  And so the two men turned and left the dramatic scene unfolding behind them, though Paulav did keep looking over his shoulder at Obbie, his reluctance undisguised.

  It made Ben regret not trying to talk Paulav up more to Obbie. Though he somehow doubted this would be the last time he’d see The Fey Way.

  Maybe next time he would bend the fairy’s ears on all the benefits of dating a kind seeb like Paulav.