(Nisha)
I stumbled back, Cameron caught me gently, tucking his arm around my waist.
“What other kids do you deal with then?” Cameron asked.
“All sorts,” the woman responded, sizing him up. “Look, I don’t want trouble; no one around here does, but Soleil and I have a contract that goes way back to before I even ran this inn.”
“How?” Cameron demanded, and I squeezed his forearm gently, trying to get him to calm down.
The woman narrowed her eyes. “She’s been around for a while now, boy.”
“Do you recognize me?” I asked.
She looked me over and gave a slight shrug. “Maybe it’s been a while.”
“Only a few years,” I said, but honestly, I had no idea how long it was. “We were traveling with a beautiful Indian woman and a dark blonde with hair that never settles,” I tried to hastily expl
