Chapter 42
Elariya
“The Drink We Never Had”
The heavy wooden door creaked open with a low groan, and warm tavern air spilled out into the night.
Wolfe stepped in first. I followed him, drawn into the spice and smoky haze.
Shadows stretched long beneath the flickering light of enchanted flames, each bracket shaped like wolves and stars.
The tavern wasn't crowded, but it hummed with quiet life. Low murmurs floated from the other end of the room, and laughter rose and fell like a tide.
This place was nothing like the reverent hush of the lantern pools at the festival. Here, the world felt heavier. It was the kind of place where secrets stuck to the stone walls and uncertainty wrapped around you like a promise you weren't sure you could trust.
Wolfe placed a hand at the small of my back, steady and warm, and guided me toward the far corner.
We moved past several tired-looking Fae sitting around wooden tables. The scent of their ale wafted through the air. People glanced our way as we walked by. Some recognized Wolfe. Others were either so drunk or exhausted I was certain they wouldn't even know their own names.
Regardless, the strength in Wolfe's presence commanded respect, and I watched them give it.
We stopped at a booth tucked away from everyone. A single orb of golden flame hovered above the table, casting the area in a soft, molten glow.
Wolfe motioned for me to sit. When I did, he sat across from me, and for a moment, it felt like we were alone in here.
Wolfe watched me with cool appraisal, then leaned back against the wall. Beyond the window beside us, the Phantom Moon still burned high in the sky.
“Given what happened last night, I think I should do the ordering.” He smirked, raising his brows.
“You're not going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Not in this lifetime, Ziyka.”
I rolled my eyes at him, then glanced around at the bottles of liquor on nearby tables—nothing I recognized. “I don't know what drinks are good, anyway. Nothing looks similar to what we have in the mortal realm. Not even the ale.”
“No, you'd have a hard time finding anything familiar here. But I have a few ideas about what you might like.”
“Do you?” I cocked my head.
“Yes.”
“What do you think I like?” I was genuinely curious to hear his assumptions.
“You like sweet things. Anything fruity or spicy.”
“Most people like fruity or spicy things. That's hardly specific to me.”
His brows climbed higher, and something like approval flickered across his face at the challenge in my tone.
“You like strawberries. Not freshly picked. You like them the day after because you think the sweetness is just right. You also like sweet cinnamon bark, ground almost fine so you can taste the richer flavor. Anything smaller than that is lost on you.”
My breath caught in my throat, and something warm and startling unfurled in my belly. He'd been paying attention to me. Close attention to my quirks and tiny preferences I didn't even realize I had. It felt like being seen in a way that made me want to hide and lean closer all at once.
Heat flooded my cheeks as I stared at him. How many small, intimate details had he catalogued without me realizing? How had he noticed things others I'd known all my life had barely paid attention to?
The thought thrilled me. Like some part of me had been waiting my entire life to be known like this.
“Impressed?” He grinned, resting his arms on the table.
“Very. How in the hells did you... know all that about me?”
“You're mine. I'm supposed to know everything about you.” He said that as simply as if the answer were obvious.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed, my Lady.”
“So, what are you ordering?” I bit back a smile, liking this version of us way too much.
Wolfe lifted two fingers to summon the server, his gaze never leaving mine until she approached. “My Lady will have an Emberkiss Draught, and I'll have the Duskmire wine.”
“Of course, my Lord. I shan't be a moment.” She dipped her head and sauntered away.
“What's in the Emberkiss Draught?” I asked. It sounded interesting.
A sly smirk tugged at Wolfe's lips. “It's made of fire fruit, which tastes like strawberries. Those are soaked in spiced glimmerwine with a sliver of shadowroot for warmth, cinnamon petal oil, and a drop of phoenix bloom syrup. It sounds like a lot, but trust me, you'll like it.”
I arched a brow. “Sounds like a drink meant to get a girl in trouble.”
“Only the kind she wants.” His voice dipped low and edged with something that hooked straight behind my ribs.
My body warmed rapidly, as if he'd just lit a match under my skin. I offered an easy smile, though I feared I was about to be set on fire.
The server returned, saving me from myself. She set my drink down first, then Wolfe's in the space before him. Both drinks were in wide-mouthed beige ceramic mugs with flowers engraved on the handle.
“Do you need anything else?” the server asked.
“Bring us a jug of pumpkin ale in half an hour.”
“Of course, my Lord.” The server backed away graciously, leaving us to enjoy our drinks, which smelled amazing.
“I love pumpkin ale.” I beamed, resting on my elbows.
“This one is made with gingerbread spices and Northern Seas rum.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“It is, but strong, so we'll share it. I need you sober.”
“Believe me, I don't plan to be drunk around you again.”
Wolfe chuckled lightly and lifted his chin toward my mug. “Go on, taste the Emberkiss Draught and tell me what you think.”
I picked up the mug and inhaled the scent. A rich fruity aroma made my mouth water even though I hadn't even tasted it.
I lifted the mug to my lips, Wolfe watching me as I took a sip. The drink barely touched my tongue before its delicious sweetness had me under its spell.
“Mmm,” I hummed, taking a bigger sip before letting my eyes drift closed as I savored the sweetness sliding down my throat. “This is divine.”
“Told you.”
“This drink is everything.” It was like getting a dose of everything I loved in one warming cup of delight. “What does your Duskmire wine taste like?”
“Here, have a sip.” One corner of his mouth slid into a wicked grin.
He held out his mug for me to take a drink. I did and gagged at the thick tarish taste that clung to the back of my throat like gone-bad licorice.
“Eww, yuck, yuck, yuck.” Quickly, I washed the taste away with my drink while Wolfe laughed, deep and wholehearted. I'd never heard him laugh like that before. It sounded nice.
“I guess I don't have to worry about you wanting to share.”
“Absolutely not. What kind of wine is that?” The name had made it sound enchanting, and it even smelled good. I was expecting a taste just as delightful as mine.
“The wine is made from dragon berries. They're said to taste like dragon's blood.”
“Is that what dragon's blood tastes like?” I hit him with a quizzical stare.
“It's very close.”
I gasped. “You've had dragon's blood?”
“It's part of the bonding ritual.”
I settled against my chair and stared at him, wanting to know more. “You said you and your dragon share the same powers. Is that how?”
“It's one way.” He nodded toward my mug again. “Drink up. You'll like it better fresh.”
I drank some more, and he did, too, but we didn't take our eyes off each other. I took the moment of silence to think. This was the drink we never had when I first saw him at the tavern in Stormfell.
“Did you get to see the library at Hyxian?” he asked, placing his mug down.
The mention of the library brought an instant smile to my face.
“I did. It had so many books about different healing techniques.
It really blew my mind. And the librarian is from the Ravenwood Realm.
On my next visit, she's going to tell me all about the native herbs and incantations signature to the Ravenwood.
She thinks I'll be able to learn it all within six months or so and maybe even speak one of the languages fluently.”
He watched me with growing amusement. “Be careful, mage. You're starting to sound like you like it here.”
My stomach tightened. My emotions had betrayed me again.
I'd only spent one day outside Vyrenth Hollow, and I'd fallen so hard for the realm it was impossible to contain myself.
I couldn't even lie to him. He could see this place had woven itself around my heart, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“I'm fascinated by being here and I'm...” My voice trailed off as I thought of what more to say.
“Closer to your heart's desire.”
“Something like that.”
“Looks like my father's book was right after all. Magic. You desire magic. And your heart's telling you you'll find what you seek in the Ravenwood Realm.”
Again, I couldn't argue. “The Ravenwood Realm is the only connection I've ever had with magic.” I pressed my lips together and thought of the notebooks. “Why didn't you tell me the notebook was from there?”
“It was the wrong time. But it felt right that you should have it. I thought you'd appreciate it given time.”
“I do. And now I have one more book to journal in.” I glanced at the book Kaem had given me in my little satchel. The beaded edge was peeking out amongst the other trinkets. “Fourteen days until my next reset.”
“I know.” The glint in his eyes dimmed like clouds on a stormy day. The same storm clouded my hopes.
“My notes are always so thorough, but the records feel like different versions of me. Like I'm someone else every month. The memories are recorded, but feelings aren't there, and I struggle to imagine what I must have felt as I lived through each reset.”
“That's because you go through different experiences that shape your mind in different ways. But...” He went still, his eyes searching mine.
“But what?”
“The heart remembers everything.”
My breath caught at this possibility. “How?”