Chapter 27 She Devil

“This is going to be so boring now.” Isaac grumbled under his breath.

Lenna gave him a sidelong glance. “Why?” She wearily took the bait.

“Maybe I should leave you somewhere for a month or so? I’d finally get a proper dramatic reunion.” Isaac continued thinking aloud.

“I’ll kill you.” Lenna replied evenly. Isaac wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.

“When I left here I had this whole dramatic reunion planned out.” Isaac pressed on. “I’d walk in with my hood up and then wait until I got to the bar to throw it off and say some cheesy line.” He sighed dramatically and shook his head. “It’s one of those things I wanted to experience at least once.” Lenna’s cold gaze bore into him as he continued. “But alas I will have to miss this golden opportunity for a proper storybook moment.”

“Yes.” Lenna agreed. “You will miss it. I hope you never get it.” She was not falling for his act nor accepting of his theatrics. The pair were almost to the inn and she waved towards it. “Just get this over with like a normal person.”

Isaac huffed. “Fine.” He pouted.

“You’re pouting.” Lenna pointed out.

Isaac didn’t verbally respond but he did fix his face. His casual smirk came back as he walked into the inn that he hadn’t seen in the better part of four months. There were two guardsmen there for dinner. They had most likely just gotten off their shift. Jennie was busying herself adding new ingredients to the large pot of stew she was making. Her lithe figure looked a little thinner than the last time Isaac had seen her. He thought he caught a gray hair in the firelight mixed into her long brown hair that she had up in a bun to keep it out of the way while she worked. She heard them enter but didn’t look back. “Be with ya in a minute.” She called over her shoulder without taking her eyes off of what she was doing.

“Take your time.” Isaac replied and casually strode towards the bar. He had his hood down and Lenna was walking behind him. She checked out the guards and noticed that they were getting ready to leave.

Jennie finished adding the garlic she was peeling and turned to see who had entered. She froze when she saw it was Isaac. Her breath caught. She didn’t even notice Lenna. “I-Isaac? Is it really you?” She questioned.

“Last I checked.” Isaac replied casually. “Been a while.” Lenna reached up and straightened her hand before chopping it down onto Isaac’s head. She made sure to do it lightly but her hand was still quite heavy considering all the steel her arm was wrapped in. “Ow!” Isaac said and leaned forwards slightly while rubbing the top of his head.

“Don’t flirt with other women.” Lenna told him evenly.

“I wasn’t.” Isaac defended himself.

“Her face says otherwise.” Lenna countered.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Isaac took in Jennie and noticed what Lenna meant. Her face had flushed slightly before turning to shock at what Lenna had done to Isaac. Some of the color still remained in her cheeks and there was a certain look in her eyes that was hard for Isaac to properly place. Something like relief and the joy of seeing someone she missed after a long time. “S’cuse me, who’s this?” Jennie asked Isaac now that she finally realized that Lenna existed.

Isaac looked back at Lenna and then noticed the other two patrons walking up to the bar with their dishes stacked. “Thanks Jen.” The one said.

“Yeah, thanks.” The other one agreed before they both noticed that the ongoing conversation was probably a little more personal than their current location inferred. “Uh, see ya.”

“You’re welcome boys.” Jennie replied and gave them both a nod. They hurried out whispering to each other. It wouldn’t be long before half of the Outpost knew that someone new was there. Gossip travels faster the less people there are in one place.

Once the guards were out the door Isaac turned back to Jennie. “I don’t know how to say this not bluntly.” Isaac told Jennie honestly with a sudden seriousness. “She’s my mate.”

Jennie froze. She just stared at Isaac for a long moment. He noticed her deflate a little and her emerald eyes seemed to dim. “I see.” She said quietly before brightening. She was an adult and could handle rejection even if she had felt like there was a real connection in the past. People changed, some faster than others, and she couldn’t expect Isaac to settle down with her in the middle of nowhere just because they had some chemistry. Her face brightened a bit and she smiled. It was faked so well that it was almost impossible to tell that it was forced. “Congratulations.” She said with a bit of less well hidden fake cheer. “I take it ya ain’t here just to see little old me then.” She inferred.

Isaac smiled apologetically. “No. Sorry.” He replied and she waved him off. “Aria asked me to come around and look into some things.”

“Will you be staying long?” She asked.

Isaac shrugged. “Maybe, probably not.” He looked around to make sure they were alone. “Just until we catch little miss sticky fingers.”

Jennie’s eyes widened a bit at that. “It must be more serious than I thought if she tracked ya down for it.” She commented. “I got a pair a single rooms. One is the one ya used last time.” She told Isaac.

“Just one is fine.” Isaac told her. “Lenna doesn’t like to sleep in unfamiliar places.”

Jennie eyed Lenna. “When you said ‘mate’ I figured she was an elf.” She offered her hand to Lenna. “Jennie Windwalker.” She introduced herself. Lenna eyed her hand for only a second before taking it. “Got a surname sweetheart?” She questioned.

“V’Nova.” Lenna purred.

Jennie’s eyes got wider and wider until it looked like they were going to roll out of their sockets. Her hand started to tremble and shake in Lenna’s. She swallowed hard. Her eyes narrowed and her jaw set as she took her hand back and wiped it on her apron. “Find some alley to rest in. I won’t have you in my inn.” She told Lenna coldly.

“Jennie?” Isaac asked. He hadn’t expected such a harsh reaction after seeing how Gregory reacted to her name.

“I woulda been fine with any other drow from any other place but not her.” She told Isaac with a building fire roaring to life in her chest. “I know they ain’t all bad. They’re people like us but I ain’t dealing with no V’Nova. Not now. Not ever.”

Lenna seemed to shrink back slightly. Isaac felt more than saw her withdraw. To him it felt like she was trying to hide in her armor. Usually he would have jumped right to Lenna’s defense but it was clear that it wasn’t just the normal level of bigotry and racism Lenna received in places. “Jennie.” Isaac said her name again. “What happened?” He asked. There was no heat in his voice like there normally was when people were rude to Lenna but in its place was concern.

Jennie finally tore her eyes away from Lenna and looked at Isaac with a tinge of anger hidden behind resolve and immobility. “A V’Nova took my husband from me. A V’Nova left my boys without a father. A V’Nova is the reason I have to run this inn alone in the middle a nowhere.” She ranted. “Where did ya even find one a her kind anyway?” Jennie pressed Isaac. “Weren’t ya trying to get outta underground?”

It was Isaac’s turn to shrink back slightly. Jennie went at them with an intensity that stripped any ability to argue. “Let’s just all sit down and I’ll tell you about everything that’s happened since I left.” Isaac told Jennie in an attempt to get her to calm down.

“Half the garrison'll be in here within the next hour.” She told Isaac calmly.

Isaac set a platinum coin on the bar between them. “Can we get something to eat too?” He asked gently like he was afraid of stepping on a lion’s tail.

She quickly swiped and pocketed the platinum coin. “Both of ya?” She questioned. It was clear that she didn’t want to give Lenna anything but she would because Isaac had paid, a lot.

Isaac nodded. “Yes.” He replied.

“Fine.” Jennie replied and then turned to get them bowls. “No food upstairs.” She told them. “If anyone finds out about yer little she devil that’s on you.”

“Her name’s Lenna.” Isaac corrected. His voice was a mix of understanding and firmness. Jennie handed them their bowls but didn’t reply to what Isaac had said. “But thank you.”