According to Selina, everything between her and her boyfriend had been fine. Then one day, he just lost it. Natalie's thoughts raced. So maybe the cursebug hits men and women in different ways. Maybe it makes women trust the innkeeper but turns men into obsessed freaks. Still, that kind of influence had to start somewhere. A trigger, maybe. Something small, like a meeting. She leaned back with a faint smirk. "Forget it. I don't let my boyfriend hang out with other women." Her tone cut like glass. "What if he falls for you too, innkeeper? That'd be pretty awkward." The innkeeper's grin stiffened. Guilt flashed across her face, and Natalie saw it right away. Before she could say anything, Guinevere shot to her feet, eyes blazing. "Enough! Did you come here just to humiliate us?" Natalie blinked, confused. Humiliate? Then she saw Selina's red, watery eyes and understood what Guinevere was talking about. They thought she was mocking Selina's cheating boyfriend. "I'm sorry," Natalie said at once. "That's not what I meant." Selina looked up, stunned. She hadn't expected someone like Natalie to apologize. After a pause, she waved a hand quickly. "It's fine. Really." Guinevere grumbled, crossing her arms. "You're way too nice, Selina." Selina shook her head a little, telling her to drop it.The innkeeper's husband, clearly fed up with the tension, got up to clear the table. He didn't bother asking if anyone wanted more food. After stacking the plates and disappearing into the kitchen, he came back out and looked at Natalie. "Snow's getting bad out there," he said. "Guess you're staying another night?" Natalie glanced at the window. The wind screamed outside, snow twisting in thick waves that hid the world. "Yeah," she said. She reached into her coat and pulled out three cigarettes. "Two more days." The man's eyes gleamed. Cigarettes were treasure now, worth more than gold. That small handful could buy a week's worth of food. He grinned wide, but greed burned in his eyes. "Two days? That's not much for what you're offering … " Natalie met his gaze, her voice ice-cold. "That's the deal. We don't need meals." He frowned, still trying to push it. "Even without food, that's still a bit—" The crack of her hand hitting the table cut him off. The cigarettes bounced once before settling. Then Natalie reached into her coat and drew her pistol. "I said, that's the deal. You get it now?" The room went dead quiet. The gun caught the dim light, black and cold. It didn't need to fire to make its point. They knew it was the real deal. The ladies were scared into silence. The guy was terrified out of his mind. The gun was pointing right at him. The man froze, both hands up."Got it! I got it!" He stumbled to his feet, nodding fast enough to hurt his neck. He pushed the cigarettes back to Natalie. "Forget the payment! Stay as long as you want!" He thought she'd be delighted. Natalie didn't look satisfied. Her brows tightened. "What do you think I am? I'm paying to stay, not robbing you." She tilted her head. "Now do you get it?" Sweat trickled down his temple despite the freezing air. "Y-yeah … yeah, I get it." Inside, he cursed her every which way. Sure, you're not robbing me. You're just pointing a gun for fun. Natalie gave a small snort and holstered the gun. Then she stood up and walked upstairs, her steps steady and slow. No one moved for a long while. When her boots stopped echoing, the three women finally breathed again. Guinevere pressed her trembling hands to her chest. Moments ago, she'd nearly jumped at Natalie. She even scolded Natalie. Now her stomach turned. She'd almost gotten herself killed. She took back her earlier remark. She swallowed hard. Fine. Maybe she's not crazy. She's bold. Terrifying. She has a gun. She doesn't need to say sorry. She ignored my insults. And she did apologize. She's such a gentle lady! Across the table, the innkeeper's eyes glimmered with something strange. Fear, yes—but also excitement. Craving. It vanished when her husband gripped her hand under the table, dragging her back down to earth. He forced out a nervous laugh. "Don't be scared, ladies. She's reasonable enough … once you get past the gun." Upstairs, Natalie opened the door and stepped inside. Lucky ran over right away, tail wagging. Cassian looked up from his book, his voice calm. "You're back." The lamplight brushed against his jaw, sharp and clean, his posture relaxed but ready to move at any second.