36. Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Six
Astrid
“Excuse me!” I shout at the female fae shaking a drink before tossing it in the air to catch and pour it with a flourish. The fae woman wrinkles her nose at me before turning away.
“I know what you are.” Augustus straightens from where he was stooped under the bar. “You put a love spell on me. That’s the only reason I feel the way I do about you.”
I have no idea what he is talking about and honestly, I just want a drink. I didn’t visit the speakeasy in the Farm District very often, but with everything going on I need a stiff one.
“Dude, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t need anything from you except to order a couple drinks and some food. Then I’ll get out of your hair.” I keep my face neutral. He’s trying to push me to admit that I’m something I’m not. I’ll never understand people who are like this.
“Just admit it, you stole some unsuspecting fae’s magic and you’re using it against us.” Augustus shrugs.
“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m a fucking human. I have no magic.” It takes effort to keep from shouting this at him with all my chest. “I need two of those blue drinks,” I continue without letting him get a word in edgewise. “And two orders of chicken tenders.” Whatever those are. Chicken is safe, it’s something we ate at home regularly and I know Em will eat it. I swear she’s pickier than anyone else I know when it comes to food. Augustus nods, writing it all down on a notepad before ripping the page out and sticking it in the window behind him that leads to the kitchen.
“Whatever you say, Trouble. Know that I’ve got my eye on you, I’ll have someone bring your food to your table, are you going to need help carrying the drinks?” he asks.
“She won’t ever need your help,” Embla snaps as she steps up next to me.
“I thought you were going to stay at the table.” I look at her with a question in my eyes.
“I was until Roan.” Em throws a thumb over her shoulder toward the table. I turn to look, finding it empty.
“Roan? Like from the festival Roan?” I ask, confused. Shouldn’t he be in Erothea?
“I see you’ve met my brother,” Augustus pours the drinks while he talks. “Just like I was undercover in Demendia, so was he.”
“He doesn’t look anything like you.” I size up his barely-taller-than-me height, remembering the way Roan towered over Embla.
“He has a different mom,” Augustus says in explanation, quickly and deftly shaking our drinks before pouring them into tall glasses and handing them over. “Go sit, someone will bring your food over.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I snap before turning on my heel.
“You’re bickering with him like an old boyfriend,” Embla mutters under her breath.
“I don’t think he will ever be that person to me, he thinks I put a spell on him,” I scoff as we move through the crowd, back to our table.
“A spell? But you don’t have any magic.”
“I know! That’s what I said!” I throw my hands up as I fall into one of the chairs. I don’t know what his problem is, and that attitude is not going to be fun to deal with for the next week here.