Kentaro slept with his head on her chest, snoring slightly, with his arms thrown possessively over her. Aera stared at the ceiling, her mind running, her thoughts swirling. So many thoughts were screaming at her at once that it was hard to listen to them, to pick one out and understand it. 
But there was one that screamed the loudest. 

Taris would kill her husband. 

The thought made her sick. Her brain tried to pick at it. If it was why he was here. If it was what brought him to the city. If her one comment, on the day of the tournament, had caused him to consider it. Was it her fault, then? Or had he decided to woo her thinking she would help him? What sick game was he playing? 
He had stepped in after her altercation with Kasca, and now he was dead. The Physician had put a target on her back, and he was dead. Was he protecting her? Unlikely, he had admitted to being hired to kill her. 

Kentaro inhaled and stretched, bringing her from her thoughts. She had to talk to him. She wrapped her arms around her husband and rolled him over, moving out from under him. Her head still running, she dressed and went to her room and through the false wall. Lost in her thoughts, she found herself standing before the inn, the rain dripping off her hood.[i]Keep your head[/i].

But once she saw him, the shadow elf with the black skin, she remembered their passionate embrace, her ivory skin against his ebony skin, his breathe in her ear, and her eyes flashed dangerously. Her arm shot up, her fist aimed for Taris' face. With his quick reflexes, he was able to react and she only made contact with his mouth. Her force made him stumble backward. “How could you?” She hissed, her balled fists at her sides.
Taris held his hand to his face, blood from his lip covering his fingers.
“You knew you were going to kill him! You [i]knew[/i]!” She stepped forward and swung at him again. Taris raised his arm and blocked her, so she swung again, hitting his shoulder. “And you bedded me anyway!”
Taris moved away. “Aera, wait...”
“No!” She shrieked, her teeth bared in anger. Her slippered foot met his shin and he winced. “What am I? Some sick game? A trophy?” With each question she swung at him while Taris made to defend himself. “Do you get off knowing you're sleeping with your target's wife?”
She reached up and grabbed his head and threw him sideways. As small as she was, she had strength. Taris stumbled to the side before straightening and squaring against her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Aera cried.