A Soul For Trouble

Chapter 28

Dev jiggled the knob again and pounded on the door when it refused to budge. "The king said I could stay in the same room with her."

"I'm not sure what the king told you, but my orders are from Captain Larenis, and he's said to keep you two separated."

Damn guards. He paced the room, trying to decide if picking the lock later tonight would be worth it. If he heard snoring on the other side, he'd go for it.

A knock came from the wall that divided them. "Dev?" a faint voice asked.

He rushed to source of the sound and pressed his ear against it. "Trouble, are you alone?"

Muffled laughter answered him. "Don't worry. It's just me and Cinder."

He relaxed a bit and leaned against the wall. "Do you know how to cast a ward?"

"I can learn."

"Forget it. I don't want you taking any more lessons from him."

"Are you two going to shut up and sleep, or do I need to move one of you to a different room?" the guard shouted from the hall.

"Don't worry, Dev. I'll be safe tonight."

He listened for anything else from her, but silence filled the void. He'd gotten so used to her body lying beside his, he feared he couldn't sleep without her. He sank onto the bed and listened to the guards. When the clock chimed, the brisk footsteps and increased rumble of conversation told him a new set of guards stood outside. So much for catching them asleep.

If he really wanted to escape, he could knock them out with magic and blow away the door. He had diplomatic immunity, after all. But Trouble didn't, and that's where things got tricky. Whatever he did, he had to make sure she wouldn't pay the price for it. By Jussip, when did things become so complicated? But he already knew the answer. It all started when he ran into a yellow-haired barmaid in a tavern on the other side of the kingdom.

He lay there until the clock chimed again, trying to find a way to get into her room. Too bad he couldn't just walk through a wall.

He bolted up in bed. That's it. As much as he hated ritual-type magic, this was the best solution he could come up with at the moment. He grabbed a piece of chalk from his bag and drew an outline of a door on the wall between their rooms. Then he sat cross-legged on the floor and started casting.

***

The grey light of dawn shone through the windows when the outline of the door finally shimmered to life. Dev stood and stretched, wincing as he discovered new knots in his back and shoulders from sitting still for so long. He extended his hand toward the wall, smiling when it passed through without difficulty.

He crossed the portal and found Trouble sound asleep in her bed. Cinder stretched out next to her and only raised his head when he entered the room. He frowned. "Don't get used to this," he whispered to the wolf. "When we get back to Gravaria, you'll be sleeping on the floor where you belong."

He grabbed a chair and carried it to the side of her bed, muttering under his breath the whole time about how she was spoiling his wolf. How much effort would it take to shove him off the bed and take his place?

Cinder bared his teeth as if he knew exactly what Dev had been thinking.

The damn wolf was too smart for his own good. "Fine, you can stay there tonight. But tomorrow..."

He placed a paw across her stomach in a possessive gesture.

Great, so now he had to compete with Cinder as well as Kell and Loku. Trouble certainly lived up to her name.