CHAPTER 38 His Golden Eyes Locked on Her Tongue

CHAPTER 38

His Golden Eyes Locked on Her Tongue

Brownie

Brownie decided to make use of the tepid water basin to wash off a bit of the road. Before she went downstairs, she did a basic check on the doors, the windows, and the exits. If she jumped from her window, which conveniently opened wide enough for her to clear with ease, then she would land mere feet from her horse at the front of the inn.

The hallway ended in a big window overlooking the side of the building opposite the horse stable. It was a narrow section just big enough to walk single file along, and it would make a great escape route—especially if she could clear the jump onto the next-door roof, which was only two levels.

With a kick in her step and her instrument slung over her shoulder, Brownie wandered downstairs.

“The others are waiting for you this way!” Amber smiled at her and showed her to a private room. When Brownie walked inside, she noted that Pjori, Jack, and Rufus were already seated. Rufus was perusing the tea menu in the chair closest to her.

He looked up and gave her a pained smile. “The waitress will be back in just a second, want to share a menu?”

“That sounds great.”

The other two were happily sipping their own drinks as Brownie leaned over the beastman to stare at the menu. She was surprisingly conscious that her hair tickled his shoulder and he flinched, but the two of them ignored it. At least, she tried to ignore it.

She had just finished dragging her eyes over the menu when the waitress came to take their order and she took her seat .

“It’s good to have you here with us, Minstrel Bronwynn,” Jack started, putting his cup aside and leaning back into his chair, crossing his legs. She noticed that Pjori, too, put his cup aside.

“Honestly, I’m happy to be of help.” She slapped a fist into her open palm. “Just point me in their direction, and I’ll tell you if I recognize anyone who might have gotten away. I got a good look at the undercover castle staff and the other slave traders—not that you should need help identifying the slave traders.”

She couldn’t resist the jab.

Jack didn’t seem to mind, however, and nodded encouragingly. “That’s all we can ask. I’m also wondering if you can tell me about some of the assassination attempts you’ve seen? I wasn’t at the party today, but I understand this wasn’t your first time witnessing a hit?”

Brownie tapped her chin in contemplation while her mind raced with possible answers. Finally, she settled on, “Yes, I’ve performed for a lot of very powerful people. I’ve seen a couple assassination attempts in my time, including today. There was this one time in Sumbria, a rebel attacked the royals in their theater box. And of course, I was at the Spring Ball. But only the attacks by Marquess Chadwick and Lady Tate were made by Servalt assassins … The Sumbrian royals were attacked by other Sumbrians.”

“I should point out,” Rufus added, “that Peldeep also had that molten ash vane assassination attempt, but the maid found guilty was from the Empire of Sands.”

Jack frowned. “They could still be working with Servalt.”

“Aren’t you going to the Assassin’s Guild?” Brownie turned to Rufus. “Why don’t you just ask?”

“You’re going to the Assassin’s Guild?” Pjori asked. He raised an eyebrow at the commander general.

“After this.” Rufus shrugged. “I’m going to negotiate terms with the new guild leader.”

“You can’t,” Jack stated, matter of fact. “Now, if we could—”

Rufus cut him off. “And why not?”

Brownie wondered how Jack planned on stopping a high-level commander general of the Dark Lord’s army from carrying out his quest, and hoped her Mint O’ Mile tea came soon. And snacks.

“Because ‘the boss’ isn’t like Gloria,” Jack said. He nursed the last bit of his tea in his hands, resting it on his lap. “She doesn’t accept meetings, and she will ambush anyone who is dumb enough to fall for one. Now, can we get back to the matter at hand? ”

Oh, that was interesting. Brownie noticed how Rufus awkwardly glanced between her and Jack before giving in. “Alright, but we need to talk about this ‘boss’ later. I have a quest to meet with her, and my king won’t take kindly to excuses.”

Brownie wondered if Jack realized that Rufus was leading him on. If he turned around and went home right now because it was too dangerous to proceed once Rufus had learned that the meeting was actually a trap, King Keith wouldn’t bat an eyelash. He’d just take Rufus’s word at face value, and they would make a new plan. Henrietta’s husband didn’t have a micromanaging bone in his whole body, and he carried an unnatural trust in his subordinates … Maybe it was a skill?

“Minstrel Bronwynn—”

“Brownie,” she interrupted Jack. “Everyone can just call me Brownie. Unless you’re hiring my musical services, I’m here to help as just myself. And calling out ‘Minstrel Bronwynn’ all the time is getting a bit old.”

Pjori nodded approval from his chair, and Jack gave her a long-suffering expression from constantly being interrupted.

She had no sympathy.

“As I was saying,” Jack said, firmly. “If you could just tell us more about the assassin from Sumbria? I’d like to know what they looked like?”

“There were actually four assassins at the Sumbrian Royal Theater.” Brownie tapped her chin.

A knock sounded three times on the door. At Pjori’s acknowledgement, the waitress opened it to bring in a trolley with Rufus and Brownie’s tea, and a collection of baked snacks. She also brought in two teapots full of steeped tea refills for Pjori and Jack.

Jack was strangely quiet, but his hands shook slightly as they gripped his cup.

Maybe he had a thing about being interrupted? Her Aunt Luna, a Celestial Maiden, would positively glow in the dark when people interrupted her. Sometimes, she even emitted [Light] damage in an area of effect if she wasn’t properly respected. Luckily, Uncle Gordon worshiped the ground she walked on and was ever in her favor.

Brownie thanked the waitress and accepted her teacup of aromatic meadowmint and early-spring chamomile blend. She closed her eyes, appreciating the full experience as she took her first sip of the high-quality beverage.

“Ooh, hot!”

Rufus laughed. Watching her blow on her drink, he set his teacup aside and opted to sample a cookie instead. Brownie stuck her tongue out at the beastman. His golden eyes locked on her tongue, and he flushed a bit, looking away.

“SO! Back to the questioning! You said there were four assassins?” Jack got her attention again. He spoke slowly and with purpose … so much so that her years as a Rogue told her that maybe, just maybe, he was hiding something.

“Yes …” Brownie looked around. Pjori was quietly sipping his tea and eyeing the entire affair just as he’d done in the holding cell. Rufus had looked sheepish when she arrived … and Jack was Jack.

Ah.

[You have attempted to activate the Perk: Liar’s Palace . You have succeeded.]