Blood of the Watcher (The Dark Ability Book 4) by D.K. Holmberg

for weapons, or anything that might put them in danger. Four men sat around a table near the bandolist. They diced and talked too loudly to be much of a threat. He saw nothing about them that made him uncomfortable. Unfortunately, he’d learned such an observation didn’t mean they were harmless. He’d thought there was nothing to worry about from the waitress when Brusus had been poisoned, and he’d nearly lost a friend that night.
    No other patrons sat in the Barth, though Rsiran figured that was probably for the best. Too many people would make him suspicious about why they had suddenly chosen the Barth. Even under Lianna’s management, the Barth had never been all that busy. She had been busy enough, and her cooking had brought in more people than had come under Karin’s management, but that had been part of the Barth’s charm.
    “When will he get here?” Rsiran asked. He shifted on his stool, trying to find a comfortable way to sit, but his body ached from working with Haern all afternoon. As fit as he felt, given his working the forge, it seemed his training introduced him to muscles he didn’t even know he had. Somehow, even his buttocks throbbed.
    “Don’t know.”
    “Jessa?” he asked. There was tension in her voice. Had he not known her nearly as well as he did, he might not have heard it, but he was around Jessa pretty much every day, and he knew her as well as he could know anyone. He leaned toward her and rested his arms on the table, reaching for her hands.
    She swallowed as he touched her. “Not yet.” She pulled one hand away and touched the charm she wore, now with a bold yellow flower inside. The large petals fell from the charm, making them look as if they had been formed together. Rsiran wondered how she managed to stuff the flowers inside.
    “What are you keeping from me?” he asked.
    She looked over, and her eyes were drawn, but she only shook her head.
    Rsiran waited. If Jessa didn’t want to answer, then he wasn’t going to push, but whatever she wasn’t saying troubled her. He continued to drink his ale, while she occasionally picked up the dice and tossed them across the table. She never bothered to look at how they landed.
    Rsiran didn’t know how much time passed before the door to the Barth opened. They both glanced to look. Haern came in and wiped a trail of rain off his cloak, sending splatters of water to the ground. It hadn’t been raining when they arrived at the Barth.
    “Is he with you?” Jessa asked.
    “Coming,” Haern answered. He took a seat next to Rsiran. An amused smile came to his lips as he saw the way that Rsiran shifted on his stool. “You look like you’re sore.”
    Rsiran rubbed his thighs and shook his head. “How is it that I hurt like I do?”
    “You need practice. Muscles take a while to get accustomed to different movements. Maybe you’re not as strong as you think.”
    The comment brought a smile from Jessa that faded quickly. “He’s strong enough.”
    “Better hope so,” Haern said.
    Jessa shook her head.
    Rsiran looked from Haern to Jessa. Neither was willing to meet his eyes. “What does that mean?”
    “Wait for—”
    “Yeah, Brusus,” he said. He reached for Jessa before pulling his hand back. What wouldn’t she tell him? Why keep something from him? Didn’t they share in the risk together? What didn’t she want to say to him?
    He began to feel a growing irritation the longer he sat there. Had she learned something about the pair he’d seen in the forest? If so, why not tell him?
    He drank his ale, finishing the mug in a long draught, and nodded when one of the servers came by to check if he wanted another. Jessa only watched him.
    Rsiran lost track of the time before Brusus finally arrived. He swept into the Barth, his eyes surveying the tavern, flaring slightly darker green as he did, before he pulled off his cloak and hung it on a hook near the door. When he took a seat across from Haern, he pulled a stack of coin from