The Unwilling Aviator (Book 4) by Heidi Willard Read Free Book Online Page A

waist high. Beside the desk was a winding flight of wooden stairs fashioned in late-century termite. The teenagers bumped up against Ned's rear while Canto swaggered up behind them.
    Hugh hurried around the other side of the desk and pushed an open book toward Ned. "If you would sign here then I can show you to your rooms," he told Ned.
    Ned took a quill offered by Hugh and flourished his signature across both pages. The old castor pushed the book back to Hugh, who admired the signature and raised a brow. "Quite a unique way of writing your name," Hugh commented.
    "Yes, I call it my Signature Ned," Ned replied.
    Pat rolled her eyes. "Phaeton give me patience," Fred heard her mutter.
    "Well, Mr. Ned-" Hugh began.
    "Just Ned, if you please," Ned corrected him.
    "Ned," Hugh rephrased. "How many friends do you have here?"
    "There are seven of us," he replied.
    "And how many rooms will you be needing?"
    "What are the rates for your fine establishment?" Ned wondered.
    "Ten gold pieces per room, per day," Hugh told him.
    Pat's mouth dropped open, and even Percy was aghast. "That's robbery!" she exclaimed.
    "That's supply and demand. If you aren't willing to meet my demands then I'm not going to supply any rooms to ya," Hugh replied. "The tournament means there's not many rooms left in the city, so prices have gone up for the ones that are left."
    Ned pulled out a drawstring bag from his cloak and reached inside. He pulled out a handful of coins, and Fred recognized them as pay-dirt. "We will take five rooms."
    Hugh took one of the coins and pulled an eyeglass from his apron pocket. He peered at the coin through the glass, sneered, and tossed it onto the desk. "Keep your pay-dirt, and don't try handing me more of that stuff. My eye glass will see right through your funny money. It was made by those elves who fixed up the Swearing Stone."
    Ned smiled and bowed his head. "I see I can't fool a wise man." He reached into his purse and dropped thirty coins onto the desk. "We will take three rooms."
    Hugh put his eye glass into his eye and leaned down to inspect the pile. He straightened and nodded. "Everything looks in order. I'll show you the way to yer rooms." He walked around the desk and to the stairs.
    Ned and the others followed, but Percy paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned to see Sins standing close to the tables. The assassin's eyes were on Ti. She worked the tables and served drinks to the rough crowd, but the ever-watchful eye of her brother kept the men from risking a more physical appreciation of her serving. "Are you coming?" Percy asked the assassin.
    Ti glanced over her shoulder and frowned at her older brother. "I'll be fine," she assured him. Sins' eyes narrowed, but he turned away and strode past Percy. Percy looked to Ti, smiled and shrugged, and followed the assassin up the stairs.
    The upper floor was filled with small rooms separated by narrow, dark hallways. Pat cringed when she noticed small shadows skitter across the floor and into large holes at the bottom of the walls. Hugh led them to the rear of the building to the very end of a long hall and stopped in front of a window that looked out on the back alley. He turned around so the window was to his back gestured to two doors on his left, and one on his right. There was a final door to the man's immediate right and against the exterior wall, but Hugh didn't indicate that as a prospective room.
    "These are yours. Some of the best in the house," he told them.
    Ned opened the door to the one nearest the exterior rear wall and everyone got a peak inside. The room was a ten-by-ten foot box with a single window on the left wall. A narrow, short bed was stuck against the far right wall with a small nightstand beside it. Opposite the door was a table with a washstand and a mirror on the wall above it. Something small and with many legs scrambled under the tattered and holed bed sheet that hung from the bed.
    The corners of Ned's mouth twitched. "What an