Free the Darkness (King's Dark Tidings Book 1) by Kel Kade Page B

not as if they were going to change.
But, perhaps that was why the man was holding the woman’s hand. Perhaps he was
staring into her eyes to gauge the truthfulness of her words, and he kept a
grip on her hands to keep her from accessing a weapon. Perhaps this was an
interrogation. He had never seen anyone enjoy an interrogation so much, though,
and both of the young people’s behaviors did seem to fit the definition of
enjoyment.
    Rezkin realized he was focusing his own attention in one
place for too long and went back to surveying the room. After a few moments, a
cloaked young woman who entered the bar while he was seating himself turned to
survey the room. When her eyes landed on him they widened, and her jaw fell
just enough to part her lips.  Realizing he had seen her staring, her face
flushed, and she quickly looked away.
    Rezkin mentally kicked himself for forgetting to smile. He
did not necessarily want to catch her attention, but he did not want to seem
unfriendly or intimidating to people, either. He was, after all, trying to fit
in. The young warrior kept an eye on the woman as he continued to observe the
room for any threats. Finally, she gathered herself and headed in his
direction.
    “Excuse me,” she said in a soft but cheerful voice, “I don’t
mean to intrude, but there are no more tables available. Might I sit with you?”
    Dark brown eyes like molasses in the firelight looked at him
imploringly from beneath thick black lashes. She had a heart-shaped face and
pale skin with just a few freckles dusting her nose and upper cheeks. Wavy
brown hair hung past her shoulders over a pale green tunic. Rezkin was
surprised to see that the woman was wearing dark brown pants rather than the
ridiculous layers of fabric worn by the other women he had seen. She had a long
dagger tucked into her belt, but he could see no other weapons.
    Mentally kicking himself again he plastered on the same
courtly smile he had given the maid earlier and said, “Of course, you are
welcome to sit with me. I do not believe that I will need both seats for
myself.”
    The woman actually laughed, although he did not know why.
Her eyes roved over him for a moment, presumably to assess the threat. He
appreciated her observational skills and was relieved to find someone who could
at least follow some of the Rules in this strange society.
    “No, I don’t believe you would. You seem very fit.” Her eyes
widened and she laughed, “I mean, you seem to fit…um…in your seat, that is.”
Her face flushed again, and Rezkin remember his Etiquette Skills . He was
supposed to stand and assist her in seating herself. He could see why most
women needed assistance with even the most basic physical actions with all
those layers of fabric in which to get tangled, but this woman was not wearing
anything restrictive. Well, the masters had never said this particular rule of
etiquette was dependent on the attire, so he stood and pulled her chair out,
anyway.
    The woman smiled up at him and said, “Thank you, you’re such
a gentleman.”
    Well, he supposed that was true. He was attempting to
be gentle. He did not want to frighten anyone away, especially if the person
did not pose a threat to him.
    “You are welcome, my lady. My name is Rezkin,” he said as he
took her hand and laid a soft kiss across her fingers. The masters had taught
him that when in doubt, assume a higher station. Since this woman seemed to be
following more of the Rules than the other people he met, he decided she
deserved more respect, so he would treat her as a lady until he learned
otherwise.
    “Oh,” the young woman breathed, “I…um…I’m…” she blinked
several times as her face flushed again. Was she trying to think of a name?
Perhaps she did not want to give him her real name, and she was obviously
becoming flustered about it. It did not really matter to him, since they were
just sharing a table. He had only introduced himself because it was protocol.
Still, he