Chapter 40: Narrow escape

"What happened?" Nigel queried when he observed the inn owner approaching them with a guilt-filled face. He was embarrassed, and his expression was apologetic. "Please forgive us for the delay. One of our cooks fell sick, and I had to grant him sick leave. Our other cook is working on your order. Please wait for some time." The man bowed as an apology, and Nigel frowned not believing a word he said. Albeit not clear, he had heard them argue over an issue he had no idea about.

"Are you sure, Sir? There seemed to be a fight happening a few moments ago." Nigel's question rendered the inn owner flustered, and he panicked.

"No, no, ind Sir. Everything is normal. We were just worried for our cook." The man tried to appear as calm as possible. 'I cannot drive away the customers. It is fortunate enough they have visited my inn today. I need to be careful." With that thought in mind, he even smiled sweetly at them.

Nigel wanted to question him further. But Lily held his hand and stopped him before he could open his mouth. "We are fine, kind Sir. We will wait." The inn owner's smile widened, and he bowed at her in gratitude before he returned to his place, at the entrance.

Nigel raised his eyebrows, questioning his mother silently. However, Lily just shook her head, ordering him to drop the topic. Martell observed the older woman with narrowed eyes, wondering what she was up to. 'Why do I not have the power to read minds?' He blasphemed his creator in his mind, sending daggers at the woman who had no idea about his presence.

Lily made small talk with the girls while Nigel just stared at the girl in front of him. Although the man's intense gaze was making Samantha jittery, there was something else that was bothering her. 'Why do I feel someone is observing us?' She wondered and ran her eyes around the inn, not sparing any nook and corner of the inn. However, she could find no one and the restlessness did not leave her.

With a frown, Samantha lifted her head, her action stunning herself. 'What are you doing, Samantha?' She reprimanded herself. 'You must have gone insane, and your mind must be hallucinating.' Taking a deep breath, she cleared her thoughts and focused on Itri, who had not stopped prattling.

Martell wiped the sweat off his forehead, patting himself for his quick thinking. "That was quite close." He mumbled and gripped his hands, his anxiety still hugging him tight like a blanket. He had seen the way Samantha had looked around her with a frown, and being an experienced man, he knew right away what was running in her mind. Before the girl could notice him, he had vanished from his spot, taking his food with him.

"This girl is puissant, and she is not even attempting to hide her powers. Girl, you have no idea what you are and how formidable you are." He sighed, his eyes not leaving Samantha. "Milord, only you can save her. Even I am unable to decipher to what extent she is powerful and how far she can go."

Martell did not create any more problems for the group, and they had their lunch peacefully. Though the food was not as delicious as they had expected it to be, they had no choice but to eat it. They were famished by the time the cook prepared their order, and the four people ate to their fill, not caring about how mediocre it tasted.

Martell waited for them, his eyes not once leaving the girl. When they finished eating, he straightened his legs and moved away from his position. "I hope the Lord has received my message." He mumbled to himself and started to follow the group just like before. Unlike the previous time, where the group had stopped by all the shops that had caught their fancy, this time they kept walking, and Martell realized where they were heading towards, seeing the direction they were walking in.

He shook his head lightly and kept following them. "Looks like the woman will not be resting until she finds out what she wants." He chuckled lightly, pitying the older woman for her inanity. "Dear Lady, you have no idea in whose trap you are falling. Do you think it is easy to find out whatever you want? With King Alastair taking careful precautions, it is impossible to do anything against his wishes."

The man had laid a trap so brilliant that even Martell was appalled to think about it. He recalled the day when he had received orders from his Lord to keep an eye on Samantha. Alastair had even commanded him to take note of the people who might approach the library to find out more about the girl. At first, Martell had been perplexed to receive his orders. However, now he realized why the Lord had told him to do so.

'The Lord must have anticipated this day.' Martell smiled, crediting Alastair's ingenious mind. The young king was as good as his father, and Martell was glad he was following the right man.

The group took the road that led them towards the library. Unlike Itri who wanted to run away from the place, Lily became nervous the moment the gigantic building came into their sight. The library was bigger and more magnificent than the one in Soren, and Lily was glad she had made a trip to the capital.

'I hope I will find my answers here.' She wished desperately and took a glance at Samantha, who seemed excited for an entirely different reason. Not wasting another moment, the group of four entered the library. Having no other choice, Martell too trailed behind them, making sure to go invisible this time.

'I need to be careful.' He sighed in exhaustion. The task was more tiring than he had thought it to be. The moment he stepped inside the library, he stopped suddenly, his legs rooting to the place. A familiar air hit him, and Martell's eyes widened, searching for the man he was all too familiar with. The aura and power radiating in the library were too strong, and Martell was now sure that his message had reached the young king.

Martell now had no work to do. The king was here, Alastair was here, and he would take care of everything.