Free Return (Lady of Toryn trilogy) by Charity Santiago Page B

loud that someone else should have suffered the twenty years of nightmares.
     
    Funny, how things worked out. She'd spent their entire journey trying to get through to Drake, and it had taken a revelation like that to give him a personality that was something like human. And maybe Trace to draw him out of his shell. Damn it. Stop thinking about it, Ash.
     
    "I'm glad you didn't go back to the mansion in the Eastern Canyon," Ashlyn said absently, toying with the end of her braid as she stared into the fire. "For years I had all sorts of stupid visions of you sleeping in that nasty coffin, gathering dust and cobwebs and gods know what else. I finally went there to make sure, just for some freaking peace of mind." She frowned as she encountered a particularly nasty snarl in her hair, and pulled her fingers through it, annoyed for the first time at the lack of care that she showed the thick locks.
     
    "Restlyn asked for assistance with the tavern," Drake said, volunteering information that Ashlyn hadn't asked for. "It seemed natural to stay afterwards." He raised his head, eyes narrowing. "Is that the man who spoke to you at the inn?"
     
    She didn't answer, busily remembering their parting after the fall of Lord Angelo and the destruction of the final power plant that had been draining magic from the sun. It had been uneventful, less dramatic than she would have liked. She'd grinned up at Drake, saucily asking if he had any stanes he was willing to part with. He'd pressed a theft stane into her hand, turned and walked away as if they had nothing at all to say to each other after living in close quarters, fighting side by side and nearly dying together for more than a month.
     
    When she'd looked down at the stane, which transformed its wielder into a master pickpocket, she had burst out laughing. Drake may not have cracked jokes very often, but when he did it was well worth the wait.
     
    If only she’d told him how she felt after defeating Lord Angelo. Instead she'd had to wait to see him at North Camp Inn…ridiculously happy without her.
     
    "Ashlyn?" he questioned when she stayed silent.
     
    "Huh?" She glanced at him, frowned as she followed his gaze to the Cosmea entrance. A man stood at the head of the stairs, staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Oh, Gods. Yeah, I guess it is. I didn't think he'd be hanging out to keep an eye on me, for crying out loud."
     
    "Is he a friend of yours?" The real question, Who is he, was underlying Drake's words, his manner of speaking bordering - but not quite - a monotone.
     
    Yeah, some friend. She didn't even know his name. "Just a loyal fan. You know, thieves like me, we're famous."
     
    Pointed look with those ruby eyes. "Toryn ladies like you can be famous as well."
     
    "Well, yeah." Ashlyn shifted uncomfortably, glaring daggers at the stupid man for putting her through this conversation, for making her lie to Drake. Drake, of all people! The guy who really didn't give a crap about anything, and she was fibbing to him. "I just hope he doesn't figure it out. But what can I say to him? 'Hi, glad to meetcha, don't ask me to tell you my name.' It's hard to be subtle about that sort of thing."
     
    "Yes, I would imagine so." He looked keenly at the man for a moment longer. "Perhaps I could explain to him that's it's . . . impolite to intrude on private conversations."
     
    Yeah, that'd be just super. Ashlyn searched for something to say in response, and fell back on her inherent ditziness to save her.
     
    "Aww, Drake! We're having a private conversation?" she blurted out desperately, choosing the only thing that she knew would scare the crap out of him. "That's one step up on the ladder of love. Next thing you know, I'll have you dancing with me at the Festival tonight." She put a hand on his arm, batting her eyelashes dramatically. "You will dance with me, won't you?"
     
    He didn't react as violently as she'd expected. If Ashlyn had asked Drake to dance