----


    203. CHANGING THE RULES


    SIGRID


    As I was buttoning up my pants, Ss returned, and I was grateful


    he gave me my space.


    “Everything alright out there? No trouble?” I asked, sitting at the


    table.


    “No, mydy. Most of the guests have already left or are still


    asleep,” he replied, about to empty the water from the tub.


    “Leave that for the innkeeper. Come eat; I was nning to stay


    longer, but I can’t. We need to head back today,” I said, not


    bothering to exin.


    Iwas frustrated; I’d wasted money on something I wasn’t


    interested in and couldn’t even see my great-uncle.


    But I couldn’t stick around with this unusual situation in Electra’s


    body.


    “What are you waiting for?” I was spreading jelly on a slice of


    bread when I turned my head and saw him standing beside me.


    “... Pm waiting for you to finish so I can eat the leftovers,” he


    answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. But his


    eyes kept darting toward the food, and I could see the ravenous


    hunger in them.


    Iwanted to huff in annoyance.


    Honestly, following all these inhuman rules was exhausting.


    ----


    “You can eat. You don’t need to wait for me to finish to pick at


    leftovers. Come on, take whatever you want, there’s enough for


    both of us,” I pointed at the bread with the tip of the knife, taking


    abite from my slice.


    Slowly, ahand with rough fingers covered in smalll scars reached


    out for the bread and took a torn piece.


    I thought he’d sit down and start eating —men are like bottomless


    pits, and he clearly needed food.


    His clothes hung loosely on him; still, he stood there like a statue,


    just chewing in silence.


    “What now? You’re making me nervous. Sit down already,e


    on, I don’t have time to waste.”


    “at the same table as yourdyship?” he asked, looking at me like


    T’d grown two heads.


    Right, that other rule—ves don’t sit at the same table as their


    masters.


    “Yes, Ss, at the same table. Forget who we are for a second,


    alright? There’s no one else here, and I’m in a hurry. If you pass.


    out from hunger while riding, 1’ll leave you behind!”


    I spoke sharply, trying to regain some of that bad-ass facade that


    was slipping more and more each day.


    In the end, he dragged the chair and sat down.


    At first, he kept reaching for food while watching my reaction,


    going so slow that I ended up serving him a te stacked with


    ----


    slices and pouring him a ss of milk.


    Insilence, the only sounds were our chewing and the low growls of


    his stomach devouring the food.


    Despite the quiet, it wasn’t ufortable


    Ss was a person full of darkness and hatred—I could feel it. But


    I’ve always been drawn to the macabre, the strange, the shadows


    everyone else rejects. They fascinate me.


    ad


    We gathered our things from the room and headed down to the


    reception to pay for the night.


    “Cover yourself well, despite the camouge spell I cast on you,” I


    warned, making sure his features were hidden under the cloak.


    The ce was full of guestsing and going, all kinds of


    supernatural creatures.


    Electra was a well-known figure, so when I saw a group of witches


    coming down from the second floor, I grabbed Ss by the arm


    and practically dragged us out to the stables where the horse was


    waiting.


    “Come on, Ss, get on,” I extended my hand, and this time, he


    took it with more confidence.


    He went straight for my waist, and holding the reins, I spurred the


    ck stallion into a gallop out of the stables toward the road.


    ‘The city hadn’t fully woken yet; the streets were less crowded, so


    we made it through the gates quickly.