Aristotle seemed pleased with the accommodations and remarked on the wealth of this inn given the accommodations for their visiting horses. She let some of her tension fade.
They shared a silent meal in the common room of the hostelry and she made sure to only use her right hand to handle the food. She didn’t know if this place held the same standards as the Islamic peoples of her world, but she didn’t want to piss anyone off. Better safe than sorry .
The men’s determined silence kept Iliana locked in her head. What would happen when they finally reached the coast? Beyond the name of the city, she knew nothing about it. Given the uneasy partnership they had going now, most likely they’d split up. Which leaves me where?
She let her gaze rove around the room and stifled the urge to shake her head. The rules to the game were different here. She shot a look at her companions, but both concentrated on eating. No help there. If nothing else, she’d be with Aristotle. Maybe he’d give her some direction.
She’d nearly finished her spicy rice dish when Ahmad wiped his face and stood up. He scanned the room then fixed his gaze on her for a few seconds before turning to Brandon.
“I have some business to attend to, Crowe, but I’ll return this evening after sunset. We should leave before dawn.” He shot another look at Iliana. “Your services aren’t needed, desert crawler, but you can come with us to Ros Torach.”
Ahmad turned smartly on his heel, striding for the doorway and street beyond before she could answer. Well, okay, then. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Brandon, but her companion shrugged and returned to his own meal.
“Friendly guy. I don’t know how you can stand to be around him when he talks so much.”
Brandon snorted and wiped his mouth with his arm. “I don’t work with him for his conversation skills.”
“Why do you work with him?” She stacked their platters to make it easier for the serving woman to take.
“He’s an expert at getting into things.” He stood and she followed him up to their rented room.
“What sort of things?”
Brandon didn’t answer until they’d closed the door behind them. Iliana sat down on one of the two beds in the room and pulled her boots off. She hadn’t developed any blisters, but her feet felt gritty from all the sand. She yearned for a bath, but she didn’t trust her companions enough to be that vulnerable.
Brandon leaned against the window, scanning the street outside. “Cellars, locked doors, vaults. Things of that nature.”
She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, surreptitiously checking for her belt pouches and sword. “He’s a safe cracker? A thief?”
Brandon nodded. “One of the best who knows the Knalish pretty well.”
“Why would you need a thief who know the Knalish?” Before he could answer, she held up her hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know. I’m just getting you across the desert and that’s it. The less I know the better off I’ll be.”
“You’re not even curious?”
Iliana snorted. “Of course I’m curious. But you know what curiosity did to the cat.”
He tilted his head with a half smile. “Actually, I don’t. What did curiosity do to the cat?”
“Killed it.” She rubbed her hands over her face as he chuckled. She tried not to enjoy the way his eyes danced or the happy sound of his laughter. He’s not Taggart Crowe. “Did you guys steal something and that’s why the army is after you?”
“I thought you didn’t want to know.”
“I don’t want to know specifics, but I do want to know if they think I did it, too.”
Brandon nodded as he retreated to the other bed. He reached down to one of his packs and opened it as he sat on the mattress. He pulled out some oil and a cloth before retrieving his sword and working on the blade.
“Do they think I’m part of this little escapade?”
He merely raised his eyebrows at her from across the room.
“Great.” She
They shared a silent meal in the common room of the hostelry and she made sure to only use her right hand to handle the food. She didn’t know if this place held the same standards as the Islamic peoples of her world, but she didn’t want to piss anyone off. Better safe than sorry .
The men’s determined silence kept Iliana locked in her head. What would happen when they finally reached the coast? Beyond the name of the city, she knew nothing about it. Given the uneasy partnership they had going now, most likely they’d split up. Which leaves me where?
She let her gaze rove around the room and stifled the urge to shake her head. The rules to the game were different here. She shot a look at her companions, but both concentrated on eating. No help there. If nothing else, she’d be with Aristotle. Maybe he’d give her some direction.
She’d nearly finished her spicy rice dish when Ahmad wiped his face and stood up. He scanned the room then fixed his gaze on her for a few seconds before turning to Brandon.
“I have some business to attend to, Crowe, but I’ll return this evening after sunset. We should leave before dawn.” He shot another look at Iliana. “Your services aren’t needed, desert crawler, but you can come with us to Ros Torach.”
Ahmad turned smartly on his heel, striding for the doorway and street beyond before she could answer. Well, okay, then. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Brandon, but her companion shrugged and returned to his own meal.
“Friendly guy. I don’t know how you can stand to be around him when he talks so much.”
Brandon snorted and wiped his mouth with his arm. “I don’t work with him for his conversation skills.”
“Why do you work with him?” She stacked their platters to make it easier for the serving woman to take.
“He’s an expert at getting into things.” He stood and she followed him up to their rented room.
“What sort of things?”
Brandon didn’t answer until they’d closed the door behind them. Iliana sat down on one of the two beds in the room and pulled her boots off. She hadn’t developed any blisters, but her feet felt gritty from all the sand. She yearned for a bath, but she didn’t trust her companions enough to be that vulnerable.
Brandon leaned against the window, scanning the street outside. “Cellars, locked doors, vaults. Things of that nature.”
She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, surreptitiously checking for her belt pouches and sword. “He’s a safe cracker? A thief?”
Brandon nodded. “One of the best who knows the Knalish pretty well.”
“Why would you need a thief who know the Knalish?” Before he could answer, she held up her hand. “You know what? I don’t want to know. I’m just getting you across the desert and that’s it. The less I know the better off I’ll be.”
“You’re not even curious?”
Iliana snorted. “Of course I’m curious. But you know what curiosity did to the cat.”
He tilted his head with a half smile. “Actually, I don’t. What did curiosity do to the cat?”
“Killed it.” She rubbed her hands over her face as he chuckled. She tried not to enjoy the way his eyes danced or the happy sound of his laughter. He’s not Taggart Crowe. “Did you guys steal something and that’s why the army is after you?”
“I thought you didn’t want to know.”
“I don’t want to know specifics, but I do want to know if they think I did it, too.”
Brandon nodded as he retreated to the other bed. He reached down to one of his packs and opened it as he sat on the mattress. He pulled out some oil and a cloth before retrieving his sword and working on the blade.
“Do they think I’m part of this little escapade?”
He merely raised his eyebrows at her from across the room.
“Great.” She
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