Chapter Twenty Three
The tavern was bustling with life as Bran led us through the door, a stark contrast to the streets outside.
Everywhere I looked there were people mingling, enjoying drinks and heaping plates of food, laughter echoing off the walls of the space.
The sound of sweet, lively music floated throughout the smoky room from a group stationed on a little wooden platform.
It seemed like a haven for the locals, a little pocket of happiness in the otherwise desolate town.
"How did you find this place?" Rena asked curiously as she glanced around, pushing back the cerulean fabric that shaded her and letting it fall around her neck.
Bran shrugged, lightly tapping his nose. “Following delicious smells has never failed me before."
Laughing, I searched for our other two companions as we made our way through the crowd of bodies.
I caught the wary looks that followed, the tables that hushed as we passed by.
It was clear Port of Arisha had grown accustomed to the solitude of less trade, and I couldn't blame them for being suspicious of newcomers.
"A little unfriendly, aren't they?" Rena murmured, hooking an arm through mine as we continued towards the back of the tavern.
"Can you blame them?" My voice too was quiet, kept from prying ears. “Their economy and livelihood was ravaged by travelers carrying illness."
"Over here!"
Turning at the familiar voice, I sought out those golden eyes the call belonged to. Kairen and Roan were seated at a table in the back corner, a man I did not recognize sitting with them.
And holy Goddess.
He was tall and deliciously handsome.
"Who is that?" Rena practically purred, our eyes widening as we took him in.
His chestnut hair, clearly longer than the average man, was pulled back into a tight bun at the crown of his head, messy strands falling into his face.
His skin was suntanned and freckled from what appeared to be long hours spent in the desert heat, and his eyes were darker than the night sky, twinkling with clear amusement as we approached.
This was a man that knew he was attractive.
"Aren't you into women?" Bran shot back, a grin lifting the corners of his lips as he nudged her. "Leave this one to me."
“That doesn't mean I can't appreciate a beautiful creature when I see one."
He stood as we reached the table, his eyes lingering upon Bran before Kairen pulled his attention away. "This is Gianni, he’ll be our guide through the desert. Gianni, this is Rena, Syra, and Bran, who you met for a few moments earlier."
I watched as he pressed a kiss to Rena’s knuckles, my cheeks flushing when he took my hand to do the same, his long lashes fluttering as he looked up at me through hooded eyes. His lips still brushed my skin as he spoke. "As beautiful as a desert oasis.”
I startled when Roan gripped the back of his collar, yanking Gianni away as he fought a flirtatious grin.
"That's enough flattery," he warned, his silver and green eyes flashing with something menacing. “You're here because you're being paid for a job, not to flirt your way into our companion’s beds."
Gianni laughed, a charming sound that transformed the rugged beauty he exuded into something playful and softer. I noted the way his eyes flitted to Bran at Roan's comment before they settled on me. It was clear he was amused by Roan, the way his attention towards me aggravated the Captain.
“How much flirtation do you think it would take to be granted the favor of entering one of your beds?"
My lips curved into a coy, mischievous smile as I played along. “Depends which of us you've set your eyes upon."
"Nine Hells," Roan muttered beneath his breath as he sat back into his chair and my smile grew wider.
Was the Kinslayer jealous?
Kairen glanced between us all with wary amusement before he gestured towards the counter. "Why don't I go and order for us before we discuss the finer details of the journey?"
With full bellies and a few tankards of firemead, a brew that had more of a spiced taste than its sweeter counterpart in the north, our group was free to enjoy the night.
The conversations had gone fine, despite Roan's fierce glares when Gianni made flirtatious remarks.
A fact that had me giggling to myself halfway through my third tankard, the alcohol flushing my cheeks and making my mind grow fuzzy.
Had he not realized Gianni's true focus?
He may have made remarks towards Rena and I, but his eyes always seemed to drift back to Bran.
The playfulness that he directed towards us eased from his eyes whenever they settled on him, almost softening upon my cousin.
"If you'll excuse me, I see a beautiful woman over there," Rena exclaimed, tipping back her tankard and downing the rest of her firemead before she sauntered off with a flirtatious smile.
Kairen had disappeared somewhere, somehow the only slightly sober one among the group, with a murmured claim that he had a meeting to attend.
I had never truly seen Roan a few tankards deep before as I watched him beneath lowered lashes. Red painted the pale skin of his cheeks, his gaze hazy as he took in the crowd. Even drunk he appeared to be on guard, his eyes roaming over the tavern, keeping watch.
Or perhaps he was searching for a companion?
The thought had my eyes narrowing, lips pursing before I knocked back another gulp of the firemead and stood. Roan's gaze fixed to me then, his brows bunching.
"Where are you going?"
I gave him a little smile, mischievous and wicked. "To dance, or are you going to chain me to my chair, Captain?"
Before he could respond, Gianni was standing, a grin lit his handsome face as he held out a hand. "May I have this dance, my desert o—"
He was cut off by Roan, a careless one-handed shove sending the man back into his seat with a stunned look upon his face.
I blinked once. Twice. A third time at the scarred hand held out to me before I looked up into those familiar eyes, my heart stuttering.
"Let's dance then, little menace.”
And suddenly my hand was in his, eyes trailing back to Bran and Gianni whose heads were close, lips moving as they watched Roan and I enter the crowd, sly smiles gracing their faces.
I turned back as Roan tugged me further into the crowd of dancing locals, hiding my view of Gianni and Bran.
My body softened as his hands found my waist, my fingers instinctively interlocking behind his neck, our bodies easily finding the rhythm of the music that drifted over us.
Head swaying slightly, my hair fell loose from where it had been tucked into the fabric of the hood resting around my neck.
Firemead burned through my veins as I raised a brow at the man before me, studying him.
He held my gaze, his expression entirely unreadable.
It was frustrating how easy and yet difficult he was to understand.
Just when I thought I had him figured out, he shifted and a new clue to the enigma before me was revealed, stumping me once more.
"That wasn't very kind of you." My words were slurred and quiet, the dim tavern light casting shadows over the harsh cut of his jaw as he leaned in closer to hear me over the din of the music and crowd. My fingers itched to brush over the stubble that shadowed his chin and if I had been one tankard deeper, perhaps I would have. Instead I kept my hands safely locked behind his neck, heart racing as I added, “In fact, you haven’t been kind all night.”
He leaned back, the ghost of a smirk crossing his lips as he shrugged, his muscles rippling beneath my arms with the motion. "I've never claimed to be a kind man, so I haven't the faintest clue why you would hold me to such a standard."
Biting the inside of my cheek, I stood on tiptoes, lips brushing his ear, a smile gracing my face at the shiver that rolled over his body with the slight touch.
"You can pretend all you'd like, Delmar," my voice was soft as his hands tightened the slightest bit upon my waist, “but l've seen the heart you hide behind those icy glares and menacing scowls. "
"A heart wicked and black as the depths of the ocean?
" He murmured back, causing my head to tilt back with a laugh.
The smile that fell over his face had me flushing as he spun me slowly in time with the music before tugging me back to his all consuming embrace.
I smoothed my hands across his shoulders as I shook my head slowly, eyes dancing everywhere except back to his gaze.
"Self deprecation isn't healthy, Captain," I chastised, focusing on that little scar beneath his eye. This time I couldn’t stop myself, the firemead making my resolve stronger than my hesitance, as my thumb brushed lightly over it. Tracing it in the dim light, I whispered, “How did you get this?”
"So quick to change the subject, little menace," he rumbled, as he spun me once more and pulled me in close, my back now resting against his chest. I sighed lightly, head leaning back as we swayed. “If you don't see my heart as wicked and black, then how do you see it?"
Now who's changing the subject, the thought was fleeting. Yet I allowed it, humming lightly to the music as I carefully formulated an answer. He didn't rush me, his fingers running lightly up and down my hips and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe the firemead had released his inhibitions too.
"I've always thought of you as a summer rain," I finally said, lips pursing as I tried to collect my thoughts through the haze of drink.
“Warm and revitalizing. I think your heart is the same.
Perhaps the rain isn't for everyone. Some may think it bothersome or cold, something to avoid or shield themselves from.
" I turned then, my grey eyes lifting to meet his.
“Yet for those who wish to bask in its beauty, it pours for them. "
He searched my face intensely. “Summer rain, huh?"
I flushed, turning back around, once again pressing my back to his chest to hide a wince. A nervous laugh escaped as the confidence the firemead had given me vanished. “Perhaps I drank too much, what do I actually know?"
His hand brushed back my hair, fingers trailing down my neck, sending shivers skittering up my spine as he leaned close. "I like the analogy, Syra. No need to be embarrassed.”
I hummed lightly once more, still swaying in time to the music, relishing in this little moment of time we had found ourselves in.
He was different here.
A different man than he appeared to be in Amori City. Happier, calmer. An ease clung to him that I hadn't seen until we stepped aboard that boat and sailed away. I found myself drawn to it, like a moth to a flame intent on self destruction. Curious and seeking something I couldn't quite place.
The song ended and I felt him back away, his hands falling from my sides and my heart longed for the warmth once more. For his touch.
I spun and he gave a little smile, nothing wicked about this one. Just a simple, beautiful smile.
Rolling my lips, fingers twitching, I took a step forward. "Do you want to keep dancing?"
There was no ballroom of aristocrats to have me second guessing this time, nothing to stop me from asking. No prying eyes seeking a weakness. Yet my attention caught on his free hand, the way it clenched and unclenched, the indecision in his eyes.
Clearing his throat he shook his head, a hesitancy warring within him that had my heart shriveling. The wall I had momentarily dropped rebuilding and reinforcing at the rejection I knew was waiting in that hesitation.
"We have to get up early." He was apologetic, but I knew he wasn't being entirely truthful. There was something else stopping him, something he didn't wish to share. “We should probably head back to the Inn and get some rest."
There was a nervous tension to the set of his shoulders, an unbridled anxiety that had him avoiding my gaze. Had I been too forward? Too keen? My arms moved to wrap around my waist, a shield from the hurt that threatened to claw through my gut.
His gaze finally met mine as I gave a small shake of my head, a soft smile crossing my lips as I gestured back in the direction of the table. “You go ahead, Captain. I'll stay a bit longer with the others, maybe there will be some myths spoken later in the night that will help with the quest."
He hesitated a moment, but I gave a forced laugh, one that didn't sound quite right in the awkwardness that hung between us now, and waved him away. "Go, we'll be fine for a few hours on our own,” my throat strained. “Get some rest."
His tongue darted across his lips, resolve flashing in that multicolored gaze before he bid me goodnight and turned towards the door. I stood for a moment, staring at the door he had exited, the locals around me continuing their dancing.
An unease slithered through me as I made my way to grab another tankard.
Have you grown too attached, little shadow?
They writhed through my mind, their hissing became a pounding behind my eyes. I took a drink.
That a rejection from the Kinslayer of all mortals would be enough to send you into such a sad state.
Remember who and what you are.
I threw back the rest of the tankard, my spine straightening with a new determination as I returned to the dancing crowd, letting it envelop me and soothe the lingering ache in my chest.