Kaizan chuckled. "Why do I feel that you are smitten by him more than anything, Anastasia."
Anastasia's head jerked in his direction. "I am not smitten by him!" She could feel heat rising in her cheeks.
"But you did say that you want to solve him because you find him mysterious," Ileus added with nonchalance.
She gritted her teeth because he remembered that conversation. "I— I just feel he— he is—" she stuttered.
"He is what?" Ileus goaded.
"He is a puzzle, and—"
"And you think you are the missing piece of the puzzle?" Kaizan asked with a raised eyebrow and a lopsided smile.
"No!" she countered vehemently. How did this conversation steer towards her? "I feel that I can solve the puzzle."
"Oh really?" Kaizen added.
"I mean— I mean I would like to solve the mystery he is. That's all!"
Kaizen nodded slowly. "Hmm… I understand. It's fine Anastasia. You don't have to explain further."
She glared at him for putting her in a corner. "What I mean is that he is a rogue!"
Ileus shifted behind her uncomfortably and grunted.
"But obviously, the dark prince is more welcome here than Faes, I believe!" she added.
"That goes without saying," Kaizan replied with a tight smile.
"You know what, In order to blend over here I am going to behave like you all, like a vokudlak!" she said, trying to growl the way Ileus growled. She tried to bring that rumble from her chest. Her voice became hoarse in a bad attempt to mimic him when she said, "I will not stay where my kind is not welcome."
"Anastasia?" Ileus said, with a grin in his voice.
"Yes?" She mimicked him again.
"Just stick to your original self. You sound horrible as a vokudlak."
"What!" Anastasia laughed and smacked his arm. "It was such a perfect sound I made while mirroring your style."
He shook his head. "It was horrible, I assure you."
Anastasia pursed her lips and became quiet as he chuckled. It was a lovely sound, after a long time she heard after the tragedy at Virgine Falls.
The inn was located not more than half a kilometer from there.
Anastasia noticed that it was a larger hut with almost two stories. It was flanked by two tall and dense pine trees that were laden with snow. A firelight burning inside flickered through the glass of the window. Kaizan and Ileus got down from their horses and knocked on the gate of the wooden fence that surrounded it. The door of the inn opened and a tall man with a lantern in his hand walked out. Elderly, with a little gray hair at his temple, he was handsome with a warrior-like build. He frowned and then raised his lantern to peer at men who were near the gate. He narrowed his light blue eyes as if straining to look at them, his expression sullen.
Behind them Aidan's hand moved to his sword.
The man's frown disappeared upon recognition. "Kaizan!" He greeted him with a grin. Keeping his lantern down, he walked across the snow, opened the lock of the gate and gave Kaizan a bear hug. "Man, where were you for a year?" he asked.
Kaizan hugged him back. "It is good to see you Robert!"
Robert looked up at the rest of the cavalcade, crinkled his face and shouted, "Come in, all of you, unless you want us all killed in this deluge!" Saying that he walked in with Kaizan as the rest of the group dismounted.
Ileus helped Anastasia to dismount.
"Have you been here earlier?" she asked him.
"Yes," came a monotonous reply.
Then how come Robert didn't recognize him? She shrugged and became quiet, happy that after traversing through Sgiath Biò for so long at least now they would have a mattress to sleep on. Anastasia rubbed Lovac's neck and said, "Have a good rest Lovac. You deserve an apple and a really nice stall."
Two servants came out to take the horses to the stables at the back of the inn.
Ileus untied the saddlebag from Lovac before the servant took him. "I hope he has enough for all," he muttered as he walked in.
Upon entering, Anastasia heard Robert saying, "It's good to see you Kaizan, but the rents have increased!" He shot a glance towards Ileus, but when his gaze traveled to Anastasia, he stared at her for longer than required. She lowered her eyes, hoping he didn't recognize as a Fae.
Ileus held Anastasia's hand as a warning to him.
"It is great to see you too, Robert," Kaizan replied, drawing back his attention. "Don't worry about the rent."
Suddenly a deep baritone voice from behind made them turn. "We meet again." A tall man who looked quite like Robert walked up to them. Wearing black breeches and a white tunic with a fur jacket, his beard gave him an older look. If he didn't have the beard, he would look just like Robert.
"Shawn." Kaizan gave him a tight nod. "We do have to finish what we started."
Shawn walked closer to Kaizan and suddenly gave him a bear hug. "Man! I missed you!" Kaizan laughed and it was the first time Anastasia saw him laughing like that.
Shawn's eyes traveled to Anastasia and just like Robert even he stared at her—hard with his blue eyes. "Who is she?" he asked.
Ileus put his hand on the small of her back and said in a strained voice, "She is with me."
"We are very tired, Shawn," said Kaizan, once again drawing his attention to him. "Do you have enough rooms for us?"
"We do!" said Shawn. His gaze kept flitting back to Anastasia.
Rest of the group had come inside and they had dropped their saddlebags on the ground. Everyone looked exhausted as hell, as if they could use a long sleep. Robert guided them to a small salon at the back of the room.
"Ileus!" a beautiful young girl, with black hair and a unique heart-shaped face, exited the salon. Her blue eyes gleamed when she sashayed up to Ileus. "I can't believe that I am seeing you again!" she purred as she took his hand.
