Bandit Bride
Nineteen
“Is Lyle going to be okay?”
“Yes he’s fine, just a little banged up.”
“Where did Felix go?”
“For a walk.”
“Because if what Allen said?”
“I suppose.”
“When will he be back.”
“Jack.” Elisa threw him an exasperated look. “You’re interrupting my pacing.”
“Sorry.”
“I don’t know when Felix will be back. Soon, I’m sure.” Elisa resumed her pacing, focusing on the tap of her heels against the floor to keep her mind off of other things.
“What if someone tries to rob him?”
“Felix knows how to defend himself.”
“Maybe I should go look for him.”
“Absolutely not.” Elisa stopped mid-pace and spun around to catch Jack’s arm before he could escape. “Worrying about the both of you will turn my hair gray. If he’s not back soon, I’ll let Burns know.”
Jack sat back down but didn’t look happy.
“Is this something that happens to you guys a lot?” Elisa asked. “Getting jumped by strangers in alleys?”
Jack shrugged. “Sometimes I guess. Usually if we’re in places where no one knows us. If people do know who we are, they usually don’t bother us. Anthony used to say it was important to have a reputation that produced you so people would know they couldn’t mess with you.”
“Preceded,” Elisa corrected, smiling slightly. “A reputation that precedes you.”
She heard a footstep in the hall and turned hopefully, expecting to see Felix in the doorway. She was both disappointed and surprised to see Travis there instead. He smiled a little sheepishly and rapped a knuckle against the doorframe.
“Knock knock,” he said.
“What are you doing here?” Elisa asked. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Weren’t you on your way to Camsir?”
“Ah, yes. That’s where we had planned to go. Changed our minds; wanted something a little quieter for a while first. Where’s Felix?”
“Out.”
Travis’s lips quirked. “Still don’t trust me, do you?”
“You we’re trying to sneak into my tent the first time I met you,” Elisa reminded him. “Not exactly a stellar first impression.”
He chuckled. “Well that’s fair I suppose. I only ask about Felix’s whereabouts because I noticed a member of your crew seems to have taken a beating.”
“Lyle had an unfortunate encounter earlier but he’s fine.”
“Did Felix go out to find the perpetrators?”
“He just went out to clear his head.” Elisa glared at Travis and he held his hands up in surrender.
“I’m not trying to pry,” he said. “My crew and Felix’s go back quite a ways, is all. If they’re in trouble maybe we can help.”
“There’s no reason they’d be in trouble,” Elisa said. Travis arched an eyebrow.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “You’re a sharp girl but to be fair here, you just recently joined their ranks and as you may recall, we are all criminals here. Someone could have it out for Felix.”
Elisa pursed her lips, considering what he said. Felix seemed convinced that it was tied to some sort of deal his brother had made; and they had had that run-in with that Melvin character. Felix had seemed convinced that he wouldn’t pursue them outside of Camsir but maybe he was wrong. He could be out there right now, ready to turn Felix to a bloody pulp.
“Felix is coming back isn’t he?” Jack asked anxiously. He was holding onto his dagger hilt so tight that her knuckles were white.
“I’ll go look for him myself,” Elisa said finally.
“It could be dangerous,” Travis protested.
“I’m not going to be able to calm down until I know he’s all right.” Elisa pulled the sword Felix had given her out of her satchel and strapped it to her back.
“I wouldn’t want to encounter you in a dark alley while you’re armed,” Travis said, lips quirking in amusement.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Elisa said, ignoring him and turning to Jack. “You have to stay here, in case Felix comes back before I find him. Go see Burns and have him help you sharpen your knife.”
Elisa pushed past Travis, who was still standing in the doorway.
“Are you sure it’s such a good idea for you to-“
“Yes,” Elisa snapped and she seemed to finally startle him into silence for a few moments. “I’m not a known member of Felix’s group; I won’t be conspicuous and I won’t even be gone that long. He’s probably on his way back now anyway.”
“I can send one of my men with you.”
Elisa snorted. “No, thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” he shrugged. “But be careful out there, huh?”
“I’ll be fine, thank for the concern,” Elisa grumbled, stepping out of the inn. Travis was still watching her as she let the door swing shut behind her. She shook her head and began walking quickly away, scanning the Dark for any sign of Felix. She wanted to find him and get out of Trevail and away from Travis as soon as they could; she’d had a bad feeling since the moment she saw him here. Something was definitely wrong. She wrapped a hand around the strap that secured her sword, and quickened her pace through the shadowy streets.
“Yes he’s fine, just a little banged up.”
“Where did Felix go?”
“For a walk.”
“Because if what Allen said?”
“I suppose.”
“When will he be back.”
“Jack.” Elisa threw him an exasperated look. “You’re interrupting my pacing.”
“Sorry.”
“I don’t know when Felix will be back. Soon, I’m sure.” Elisa resumed her pacing, focusing on the tap of her heels against the floor to keep her mind off of other things.
“What if someone tries to rob him?”
“Felix knows how to defend himself.”
“Maybe I should go look for him.”
“Absolutely not.” Elisa stopped mid-pace and spun around to catch Jack’s arm before he could escape. “Worrying about the both of you will turn my hair gray. If he’s not back soon, I’ll let Burns know.”
Jack sat back down but didn’t look happy.
“Is this something that happens to you guys a lot?” Elisa asked. “Getting jumped by strangers in alleys?”
Jack shrugged. “Sometimes I guess. Usually if we’re in places where no one knows us. If people do know who we are, they usually don’t bother us. Anthony used to say it was important to have a reputation that produced you so people would know they couldn’t mess with you.”
“Preceded,” Elisa corrected, smiling slightly. “A reputation that precedes you.”
She heard a footstep in the hall and turned hopefully, expecting to see Felix in the doorway. She was both disappointed and surprised to see Travis there instead. He smiled a little sheepishly and rapped a knuckle against the doorframe.
“Knock knock,” he said.
“What are you doing here?” Elisa asked. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Weren’t you on your way to Camsir?”
“Ah, yes. That’s where we had planned to go. Changed our minds; wanted something a little quieter for a while first. Where’s Felix?”
“Out.”
Travis’s lips quirked. “Still don’t trust me, do you?”
“You we’re trying to sneak into my tent the first time I met you,” Elisa reminded him. “Not exactly a stellar first impression.”
He chuckled. “Well that’s fair I suppose. I only ask about Felix’s whereabouts because I noticed a member of your crew seems to have taken a beating.”
“Lyle had an unfortunate encounter earlier but he’s fine.”
“Did Felix go out to find the perpetrators?”
“He just went out to clear his head.” Elisa glared at Travis and he held his hands up in surrender.
“I’m not trying to pry,” he said. “My crew and Felix’s go back quite a ways, is all. If they’re in trouble maybe we can help.”
“There’s no reason they’d be in trouble,” Elisa said. Travis arched an eyebrow.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “You’re a sharp girl but to be fair here, you just recently joined their ranks and as you may recall, we are all criminals here. Someone could have it out for Felix.”
Elisa pursed her lips, considering what he said. Felix seemed convinced that it was tied to some sort of deal his brother had made; and they had had that run-in with that Melvin character. Felix had seemed convinced that he wouldn’t pursue them outside of Camsir but maybe he was wrong. He could be out there right now, ready to turn Felix to a bloody pulp.
“Felix is coming back isn’t he?” Jack asked anxiously. He was holding onto his dagger hilt so tight that her knuckles were white.
“I’ll go look for him myself,” Elisa said finally.
“It could be dangerous,” Travis protested.
“I’m not going to be able to calm down until I know he’s all right.” Elisa pulled the sword Felix had given her out of her satchel and strapped it to her back.
“I wouldn’t want to encounter you in a dark alley while you’re armed,” Travis said, lips quirking in amusement.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Elisa said, ignoring him and turning to Jack. “You have to stay here, in case Felix comes back before I find him. Go see Burns and have him help you sharpen your knife.”
Elisa pushed past Travis, who was still standing in the doorway.
“Are you sure it’s such a good idea for you to-“
“Yes,” Elisa snapped and she seemed to finally startle him into silence for a few moments. “I’m not a known member of Felix’s group; I won’t be conspicuous and I won’t even be gone that long. He’s probably on his way back now anyway.”
“I can send one of my men with you.”
Elisa snorted. “No, thank you.”
“Suit yourself,” he shrugged. “But be careful out there, huh?”
“I’ll be fine, thank for the concern,” Elisa grumbled, stepping out of the inn. Travis was still watching her as she let the door swing shut behind her. She shook her head and began walking quickly away, scanning the Dark for any sign of Felix. She wanted to find him and get out of Trevail and away from Travis as soon as they could; she’d had a bad feeling since the moment she saw him here. Something was definitely wrong. She wrapped a hand around the strap that secured her sword, and quickened her pace through the shadowy streets.