He smirked immediately. "How did I know you were thinking that . . ."

"Maybe your conscience told you," I braved. The announcer continued.

"Or maybe your fanatically high-barred virtue is just that obvious," he said smugly.

I laughed once, looking over to him. "So now I'm too virtuous."

"I didn't say that," he shrugged, "it's probably not a bad thing to have a lot of."

I couldn't keep from smiling as I turned to watch the announcer make a final call for more challengers.

"Still," noted Jaden, so close that his breath hit my ear. "It might be good for you to try breaking the rules just once."

My body tensed. The soft exhale of his smile as he pulled away made a shiver run the length of my spine. I was so rocked that when the announcer declared Ikovos the victor, I missed out completely on the cheering.

Once Ikovos reached us and the crowd had dispersed, we talked about what we would do for the rest of the night. Of course, now that we had enough money, we planned on going back up to the tavern where they usually stayed to sleep. But it was still a few hours till dark.

They decided on a plan with little help from me, I refused to give any input barring another trip to the noodle place. We ended up pretty much just exploring through the city, stopping here and there at different stores. We quickly discovered that none of us were big on the shopping thing . . . which was normal for them being boys just not me.

All in all it really wasn't like any time I had spent with them before. For once I felt like I was on the same level as them, rather than something less. It probably boosted my confidence a bit that they glared severely at any boy that tried to talk to me, or even look at me, for more than a couple seconds. I figured this had to do with their lack of faith in my self-preservation abilities. There wasn't another reason I could think for it.

Now we were all sitting at the counter of the ramen restaurant. The sun had just started to go down, making the sky and atmosphere all about the city glow blue.

When we'd finished ordering, this time I got a ramen with meat added to it, I hopped off my seat to glimpse at the sky above. After a moment, I came back, smiling happily.

"It's so pretty out," I said, sitting down. "I wish it would rain while we're here."

"Please don't." Ikovos grimaced.

Jaden smirked. He was looking over the menu casually.

My lips pursed. I knew I loved the rain and Ikovos hated it . . . but Jaden had never said how he felt about it.

I guess that's a weird question to ask . . . almost as weird as sincerely wanting to know the answer. My stomach, which had been all-but constantly knotted since the blacksmith shop, tightened a bit further. I had to struggle to keep my eyes from drifting over just enough to study his arm.

Ack . . . pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

I was very near to unconsciously dropping my head into my hands when a soft tapping began to hit the buildings around us.

"Oh, great, " said Ikovos. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"What?" I looked at him. Then behind us to see that rain was starting to fall onto the streets past the awning.

My heart leapt. It was wonderful, the first I'd seen in at least a week. I squealed happily, smiling to match.

"This is totally your fault I hope you know," said Ikovos, glowering.

I bit my lip, leaning back to look up, then laughed. "But you already said that I couldn't control the weather."

He smirked perplexedly.

"Back by the lodge," I tried. Dead silence. "When it was raining . . . "

"Oh yeah," he said, laughing suddenly. "When you wore that jacket so it wouldn't get sunny." His laugh grew, substantially, till I was regretting bringing it up.

"Whatever. You were the one that got stuck wearing tank-top in the rain." I laughed. Then Jaden turned his head to me, expression obvious.

I instantly sobered, eyes slipping down. It wouldn't have been accurate to say that I'd forgotten he was wearing a tank-top, more like I'd been concentrating so hard on not noticing that I'd actually not considered it before my sentence.

I cleared my throat and sniffed, turning down to the counter just as the server set the hot bowls in front of us. Ikovos had stopped laughing, but the smirk on his face was wicked. I picked up the chopsticks.

"It's a very nice tank-top . . . ," I croaked out, stabbing at my noodles absently. Then I checked over.

He didn't look angry. He was just shaking his head with a slight smile on his lips. It relieved me completely and turned back down contentedly.

The cold, wet air around us, the freshly steaming meal . . . in my book, things couldn't have been better.

Chapter 16.

Past "STILL GLAD that it's raining?" shouted Jaden behind me.

We were walking in a line down the street, water pouring down on us from above. Despite the substantial noise made by the storm, it wasn't hard to make out his voice.

Guess that's how it goes when you say everything so surely.

"You don't want to know the answer to that," Ikovos replied for me. He was at the head of the procession.

Jaden eyed me.

I gave him a sort of "he's right" smile, but then added quickly, "Actually, I would wish it away for Ikovos's sake."

We both turned ahead to the boy. He had a large coat held up over his head to stop the rain, but it wasn't really helping much because the water was just running down his arms instead. The scowl that covered his face when he turned back wasn't the greatest either. Jaden smirked.

"You see, that's my favorite part of it." Then he walked past me to the front of our line.

My face soured. Why do I have to like such an ornery boy . . . ?

Soon after Jaden took the lead we arrived at the inn. From the outside the place really didn't look like anything special, just a three-story building on the edge. There was rain pouring down all around it. It was almost completely dark now.

Jaden hit the door first, stopping to hold it open for the both of us.

We rushed in, stomping our feet on the mat. The moment Jaden shut the door the mood changed. There was this warm, cozy, secure, feeling. The inside was all mostly wood, dark. The front room we'd entered was quite large. In the main center and left of the room was a mix of coffee tables and expensive-looking, maroon-red, couches. To the right was a long mahogany counter that ran the length of the wall. There were a few people, mostly men, sitting on the stools in front of it, some of whose eyes grazed us tersely as we entered. I don't think me or Jaden stood out too much apart from the dripping wet thing, but Ikovos had his head upside down shaking out his hair.

I smiled once at it, then continued to peruse the room.

I still hadn't pinned the cause of the warming feeling. There were fires absolutely everywhere, I suppose that could have been it, but . . . suddenly the culprit hit me, so obvious it made me wonder how I missed it.

Music. It was playing in the background, filling the air with a bright lively tune. There must have been a band, though I couldn't see one from here. Over by the seating area down the center there was a half-wall beside the staircase. They must be behind that.

I bit my lip excitedly, but when I thought of asking the boys if I could go look, I realized I should probably help make sure we got all our bags and stuff checked in first. I turned over to them. Jaden was already looking at me, so I addressed him.

"Can I help with the checking in or anything?"

"I got that," said Ikovos, straightening up before the other could answer. "Jaden, you get the bags over to the stairs."

Jaden's mouth tipped humorously. "Yes, sir."

Ikovos walked off without a response. I think he was still pretty irritated about the rain. Jaden picked up two of the bags, walking them over to the bottom of the stairs across the room.

I grabbed the other three and followed him.

"Did you have to carry three?" he asked once we got there, looking back at me dubiously.

I forced proud smile. "I'm strong." Then let the bags drop deftly to the floor. I almost tripped in the process.

He smirked, then leaned back against the railing, eyes shut. Standing that way, with his pieced hair and bronze, chiseled, arms still slick with rain, he looked like he was made out of stone. Any passerby was more likely to think him a statue than a boy.

I sucked in a breath and looked around the room to distract. Ikovos was at the bar talking to an older woman, before long he came back with two keys.

"Alright. We're on the third floor, room three-twelve and three-thirteen." He passed me one of them.

Jaden perked immediately. "What? Why two?"

"Ah, because Evelyn's here." He reached for a bag.

"She's staying alone?"

Ikovos nodded. "Where else?"

"With us." said Jaden, face incredulous.

Ikovos raised an eyebrow. "I don't think the Master's would go for that . . . plus Evelyn might not be comfortable."

Jaden scoffed. "Do you really think it's safe for her to be staying in a room by herself?"

"In this place? . . ." Ikovos looked around flatly ". . . Yeah. Sophie stays here all the time alone."

Jaden's eyes grazed me. I looked away, fidgeting with the key.

"This is totally different."

Ikovos laughed shortly at him. "I'm not even going to ask how that makes any sense. Now, I'm wet, I'm cold, and I'm not in the mood to argue about this right now. She's in the room right across from us. It's completely safe. She'll be fine." He started up the steps with two bags. "If you're so worried about it, just check it first." He continued up the stairs as Jaden's face narrowed.

"Fine." He grabbed the key out of my hand and picked up the other three bags before heading up.

I widened my eyes once, then followed after him.

We ran into a few people on our way up, but by the time we reached the third level things were pretty abandoned. Our rooms were straight down the hall to the left and right. Everything was lavishly decorated, yet somehow still welcoming.

Jaden slid the key into what I guess was my room, on the right, then walked in. Ikovos, who had dropped his bags by the other door, followed him.

After a moment, I entered too.

The room was beautiful, very similar to the main floor below. One excessively pillowed bed in the middle, a couple sofas, heavily draped windows. The single room off to the side must have been a bathroom.

"I still think this is a bad idea," said Jaden, walking past almost as soon as I'd entered and dropping the keys into my hand. Ikovos eyed him, then smirked back at me.

"He's a little overprotective."

I smiled, blushing slightly. "It seems like a pretty safe place . . . Do you guys always come here?"

"Pretty much-" he nodded "-whenever we're in Rizenn. We don't visit the towns a lot, so when we do come Thoran likes us to stay in the nicer places." He lifted his shoulders. "I mean, it's not the ritz or anything, but . . ."

We both looked around.

"I like it."

He smiled. "I'm glad." Then he looked down at the watch on his wrist. "Well, I'd better leave so you can get settled in and stuff."

I nodded and he walked out. Once he'd clicked the door softly bind him, I took a breath and wandered about the room. I'd really never stayed in a place like this, especially not by myself. It was very exciting! I sort of wanted to test out the bounciness of the bed . . . but I was still all wet so I dug into my pack for a change of clothes instead. When I did I accidentally woke Tanis up. He'd been so quiet all day that I'd almost forgotten he was in there.

I really was the worst pet owner ever.

He twirled around a couple times on the pack then lay back down happily.

Hmm . . . must still be too early for him. He's gonna need food though, when he wakes up.

I picked up my clothes and, forgoing a shower, quickly got changed, hanging my wet items up on the towel rack to dry. Then I walked out into the hall, gently closing the door shut behind me.

Man, it's so quiet.

I'd decided I would go grab Tanis something to eat . . . plus I kind of wanted to check out the music.

I made it two feet before looking back at the boy's door. With how Jaden had been, if I just disappeared without telling them . . . I'd better let them know I'm going down.

I walked back over and tapped on the door boldly.

Jaden opened it up to my surprise. It looked like he'd already changed, though I doubted he'd had time to shower.