“They will probably eat her.” The Dushegubs were pragmatic. They didn’t feel affection, and Unessa was a source of nutrients. Since they didn’t need her anymore, they would…recycle.

Sean squeezed me to him. “They won’t get the chance.”

“Do you know something I don’t?”

“Quite frequently, yes.”

I rolled my eyes.

He looked terribly smug. “What is it you tell me when you pull some surprise out of thin air? An innkeeper has their secrets.”

“I’m too tired for secrets. Ask me anything, I’ll tell you.”

“Do you love me?”

“That’s not a secret. Everyone knows I love you.”

“Even when I throw myself at pirate ships?”

“Even then. Although please don’t make it a habit.”

We sat together and watched the ocean until the date ended and we could finally go to bed.

25

The dates are over and Kosandion is refreshed after the gift of Lady Wexyn’s time and care. It’s the second elimination ceremony at the inn. Oh the pageantry, the sites, the drama… Hark, do I hear a ship sinking?

We were back to the arena for the elimination ceremony. The previous elimination went well, so I saw no need to change the layout. Everything was the same: the miniature mountain topped with Kosandion’s throne jutting from the arena floor at the far end, the enormous banners of the remaining delegations suspended from the invisible ceiling behind it, the raised center stage shaped like a plateau, and the narrow bridge that led from it directly to the portal chamber. The only difference was, instead of parking myself by the bridge, I ended up in the observers’ section.

I had woken up with a slight fever and my head felt heavy, as if someone had poured lead into my skull without me knowing. Sean promptly freaked out and dragged me to a med unit, which diagnosed me with the beginning of a common cold, calibrated the right cocktail of antivirals, and injected me with it. Within a couple of hours, my head cleared up, my fever vanished, but Sean insisted on me “taking it easy,” which amounted to chasing me off to sit in a comfortable chair and eat snacks while Tony took my spot by the bridge.