I had only managed to fall asleep due to my training; the warmth and scent of the sexy human sharing my bed constant reminders that I was not at home and it wasn’t my brother climbing in after having given away his own bed to a drinking buddy. But fall asleep I did, until I suddenly snapped awake. I held my breath, my senses on full alert.
There. Someone was outside our door and it wasn’t the sound of an innocent passerby. There it was again, a scraping sound on the floor outside. I flung the covers off, leaping out over Kelly who was startled awake at the sudden movement.
“What’s going on?” he demanded.
“I think someone just barricaded us in,” I replied tersely.
“Huh?” a sleepy Richard joined in.
I was already at the door. Normally it would have opened outward but even after flipping the simple lock to unlatch the door, it didn’t budge.
“Here, let me help,” Kelly said, joining me. Richard stumbled over and together, we pushed against the door to no avail.
“Sorry,” came the inn keeper’s voice, “but they said they’d burn the whole place down one night and we’d never know when they were coming, so we’d all die in our beds.”
His footsteps hurried away.
“Try the window,” came a whisper before scurrying after him.
Richard turned, leaning his back against the door. “Well, at least it isn’t personal on their part,” he lamented.
Kelly yanked the top cover off of the bed. “Toss this over yourself. I don’t trust that they’ll just leave us in here unmolested. I’m going to check if it’s clear.”
I didn’t either. A well-aimed flame could set the building alight during the day just as well and we’d be trapped unless we could make it out that window. I covered myself to protect my eyes and skin from the harsh rays of the sun.
“Yeah, could be a trap.” Richard swiped a hand down his face. “Don’t know who it is, but you certainly cheesed off somebody powerful enough to make good on the threat if Paul would knuckle down to it.”
I grabbed my sword and buckled it on over my hips, the scabbard cold against the naked flesh of my back. Refusing to leave my supplies, I hurriedly picked up my satchel next, tossing the strap over one shoulder before picking up my boots and clutching them one-handed to my chest.
“Here, let me,” Kelly offered, carefully draping the blanket so it covered me from head to toe. “Richard, grab our clothes.”
“What about our boots?”
“If it’s clear, you can drop them out to me, but if it’s not, we’ll just have to bail and make a mad dash to get away.”
I heard the clink of a belt, followed by another, then the rustling sounds of Richard picking up our clothes as he padded around the small space. Good, they weren’t leaving their weapons behind. The darkness under the woolen blanket lightened slightly, accompanied by the sound of the curtain rings being pulled across the pole over the window. A grunt came next, immediately followed by the sounds of the window opening.
“That boy certainly is sweet on you,” Kelly said. “Our mounts are hitched to the drainpipe, munching larples.”
“How do you know it was him?” Richard challenged.
“He mentioned the window,” I reminded him.
“It looks clear. There’s a couple bales of bedding straw placed rather conveniently, too, so I’m going to go for it.”
My fingers tightened around my boots, anxious in case the next sounds were of him injuring himself during his escape, or being attacked.
“Okay, he’s untied the beasts,” Richard said. “No one’s out there except him, which is really weird, but I’m not going to be sorry about it. I’m going to guide you to the window so you can drop down, okay?”
He grasped my arm gently through the fabric. I didn’t bother telling him I could echolocate to find the opening. He was doing me a kindness, one I wasn’t about to throw in his face, needing all the allies I could keep. Besides, this was quicker.
He led me the few short steps and assisted me in sitting on the ledge, still wearing the blanket over my face and body.
“Just let yourself drop. The bales will soften your fall and Kelly is right there to make sure you’re okay.”
I launched myself backward. The wind was knocked out of me, but the blanket stayed on.
“You all right?” Kelly’s concerned voice said.
“Yeah, but you’ll have to help me onto my beast and guide him.”
“Already fastened his reins to my saddle.”
He helped me up after taking my boots from my hands. Those he slid onto my feet, hurriedly fastening the buckles. Several soft thunks told me Richard had tossed down their own boots and probably the clothes. I acutely felt Kelly’s absence when he moved away. A soft thud followed by an “Oof!” indicated Richard had now also made it out.
“Just stuff it all into your saddlebags and let’s get the hell outta here,” Kelly ordered his friend and deputy. “We can find a safe place to stop for a few minutes to get dressed, preferably somewhere with enough shade that Pilar can get his clothes on too.”
I clutched the pommel tightly as my mount lurched forward. We’d only gone a short distance after turning onto the main road when shouts sounded behind us. Kelly quickened our pace as a loud crack rent the air.
“Those fuckers are shooting at us!” Richard shouted in outrage.
“Don’t fire back, just keep riding!” Kelly shouted.
Another shot, this one sounding closer than the other had, the gunman either correcting his aim, or a second person with much better aim joining him.
“They’ve turned around and gone to the tavern. You think they’ll be all right?”
“They won’t be able to prove they helped us and it certainly isn’t their fault those assholes weren’t there to catch us coming out the window,” Kelly pointed out. “You able to make out who they were?”
“Hats were pulled down too low and I didn’t recognise their beasts.”
Kelly slowed us to a less jouncy lope. “Sorry, Pilar, but after that, we’re not stopping. If they’ll shoot at law enforcement, I’ll feel much better calling in reinforcements.”
That sounded good to me. I had reinforcements of my own I intended to call upon. These thugs were worried about one human sheriff, his deputy, and a lone Hunter? Things were about to get much more dire for them. My fangs dropped, eager to sink them into my prey. Those fuckers were dead, they just didn’t know it yet.