Serpent's Kiss || Kingdom at the End of the World - Book I

[4] The Soldier and the Girl

The thought was sobering. "He's one of the Queen's henchmen," she said, all traces of laughter gone.

Dimitri hummed, unconcerned. "What did he want?"

"I don't know. He was asking about Sir Beaufort." Erika kept her voice level and disinterested.

"Ah. The weird doctor." Dimitri grinned when Erika shot him a glare. "Sorry, the handsome, weird doctor."

Erika rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes, him."

Dimitri waggled his eyebrows. "He your sweetheart?"

"What? No!" The hot blush that spread over Erika's cheeks went at odds with her words. She threw Dimitri a suspicious glare. "What do you know about it, anyway?"

Dimitri's eyes turned shifty. "I heard you, two nights ago. I didn't eavesdrop, I swear!" he hurried to add, probably in response to Erika's horrified expression. "But...boss, what the hell are you doing with a guy like that?"

"A guy like what?" Erika mocked.

Dimitri tried for a glare, but ended up looking more worried than mad. "Rich asshole comes to mind. Who the hell does he think he is—coming here at all times of the night, bossing you around, then fucking off to do who-knows-what and leaving you all alone! Boss, do you actually know anything about this man?"

Erika looked away. "I know enough, and besides, Va—Sir Beaufort isn't...anything to me." She kept her eyes on the counter. She couldn't look at Dimitri. Not without doing something stupid, like crying.

Dimitri rose with a disbelieving grunt. "All I'm saying is, be careful. People lie, you know. Especially men, and almost exclusively to pretty women."

Erika bit back a smile. "Get," she mock-snapped, making shooing motions with her hand.

Dimitri bowed exaggeratedly low. "Yes, Your Highness." He twirled on a heel and disappeared into the house proper, soft laughter trailing in his wake.

Erika shook her head. She glanced at the large crate that sat beside the register and sighed. They were to visit Valeri in a day's time. Erika had meant to go alone, but doubted she would manage to deter Dimitri now that he was in the know - or believed himself so, in any case. The ride through the mountain was certain to be entertaining.

The thought had Erika brightening. She righted the ledger and grabbed for her discarded notes, taking some petty pleasure in imagining Dimitri in Valeri's presence. She would have to make sure Dimitri kept civil, for his own sake, but that didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy watching the young man turn that surprisingly sharp tongue on their supernatural neighbor.

For all of her mildness two nights prior, Erika wasn't quite over being angry with Valeri. Thoughts of Beaufort Manor's newest resident still left her feeling cold. Victor Fair's visit had been far from a pleasant experience. Knowledge of the man's interest in Valeri, on the other hand, had the potential of being useful. Information was power. Erika didn't at all like feeling powerless in Valeri's presence.

It might not be a bad idea to remind Sir Beaufort that Erika MacLean wasn't someone he should be taking for granted.

#

Victor Fair shifted in his seat on the narrow, thin mattress that passed as luxurious at Dale's Inn. The bed frame whined mournfully. Victor eyed the thin, rickety chair pushed against the wall for the umpteenth time. Its seat appeared a breath away from caving in, Victor's coat obviously too heavy a burden. The chair would surely turn to cinder if the man tried resting his own weight against it.

A report lay in Victor's lap. He had already filled several pages, most of them dedicated to Erika MacLean and her unusual patron. The account was detailed but clinical, neither implying nor assuming anything regarding the young shopkeeper's defensive attitude. Thinking of nothing he could add, Victor set the papers aside and rose. The mattress retained a rather distinctive indentation. Victor's mind conjured a tasteless joke regarding lumps and rear ends, delivered in Lightning's mocking drawl. The Captain's amused expression flit behind his eyes.