27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nik
“Thanks again for returning to duty today,” Grace said to Nik as they walked through the center of town. She hadn’t told him where they were going and he hadn’t asked. Wherever she wanted to go was fine by him. He was just happy to have something to take his mind off of things.
Each day was a foggy haze and Nik was convinced the only way to clear the air was by returning to his routine.
Those moments when he had nothing to keep him busy were the hardest to cope with.
His only concern was leaving Ali alone, but she had mentioned grabbing dinner with Eli.
It was a good sign that she was getting out of the house more often.
The sun was slowly sinking behind the peak of the tallest mountain, casting a warm glow over the shops lining the street.
Some of the merchants were bringing in their goods and locking up for the evening while others finished up their last transactions.
The only businesses to remain open this late on a weekday were the dining halls and taverns.
“Here we are,” Grace said, turning onto a stone patio that led to the quietest tavern on the street. In fact, it was so quiet, Nik wondered if they had already closed for the evening too.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” He looked around at some of the more lively establishments, figuring Grace must be meeting someone at one of those places. Not this building with dark windows and a closed door. He couldn’t even hear music on the other side.
But Grace pressed on, reaching for the handle and opening the door to a dark room. Nik rushed forward and pushed in front of her. Something about this didn’t feel right. “I’ll go first.”
Grace didn’t object but gestured toward the entrance. “After you.”
As he took a few steps forward and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he asked, “What are we doing here? Are you meeting someone?”
A council member? Friends? What if Eamon or one of his followers had set her up? There were a hundred reasons to be suspicious, and Nik’s senses were telling him to turn around and head straight back to the mountain.
Before Grace could answer, a dozen lanterns flickered on and a sea of bodies popped up from behind long wooden tables.
“Happy birthday!” they roared in unison.
Nik tensed, but once the initial shock wore off, he realized he was staring at Ali and their friends, who had somehow managed to throw him a surprise party.
He stared at Ali, and she beamed back at him.
She and Sam were the only ones who knew when his birthday was, but he’d assumed she’d forgotten with everything that was going on.
He should’ve known she’d never forget him.
He shook his head and crossed the room to hug her. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”
“Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, then his lips, pulling away much too quickly for his liking.
Before he could taste her lips again, Sam laid a heavy hand on his shoulder and drew his attention away.
“Happy birthday, man. Another year older and still none the wiser.”
“Ha-ha,” Nik replied. “Thank you for this.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
Strange how just a year ago, Nik wasn’t sure he had any friends at all.
Sam had always been the closest thing to it, but life after Rysburg had only brought them closer.
Behind Sam, Nik caught sight of Grace and Eli eyeing each other with a disgusting amount of lust. Across from them, Amaya and Heather were deep in conversation while Theo stared off in boredom.
These people had only known him for a handful of months, yet they had shown up for him. It was a feeling he wasn’t used to, and he didn’t know how to express his gratitude.
Despite his happiness, a small voice inside yelled at him to run. To protect himself because people he loved could become people he lost. His throat felt scratchy, and he rolled his head to the side, cracking his neck—a nervous tic.
Beside him, Sam seemed to sense it. “It’s about time you realized your worth, Nik. Gone are the days when you get to push people away. You’re stuck with us whether you like it or not.”
Unable to speak, Nik merely nodded. He’d been alone for so long, but he was certain this reality was better than the past. Having people to celebrate and support him—especially when he and Ali had just suffered such a tremendous loss—was priceless.
He sought Ali again and found her carrying a two layered cake with a mix of berries decorating the top and circling the bottom.
A single candle was lit on top of the cake, and it flickered restlessly when Ali placed the cake on the table.
She began to sing and everyone else jumped in, wishing Nik a happy birthday.
“Make a wish,” Ali said.
As he stared at his beautiful girlfriend and the friends who’d gathered to celebrate him, there wasn’t much he could think of to wish for. There was only one tiny thing missing in their lives, and wishing wouldn’t bring it back.
He thought for a few more seconds and then blew out the candle on top of the cake.
Everyone clapped and Sam popped in with a knife, cutting slices and placing them on small plates. He passed them out one by one and once the cake was all divvied up, they all took a seat at the table in the center of the tavern.
“Did you kick everyone else out?” Nik asked, looking around the empty tavern and registering that they were the only ones present. Not even a bartender behind the counter or a cook watching through the kitchen window.
“The owner is a family friend,” Grace said. “It wasn’t hard to convince him to let us rent out the place for the evening.”
Nik took a bite of cake. It was rich with chocolate and a layer of fruit jam in the center. “Mm, that’s delicious. Did you make this?”
Ali smiled. “I did, with some help. Do you like it? I wasn’t sure how the angelfruit would taste with chocolate, but it was the easiest fruit to find.”
Nik took another bite, this time ensuring he got a sufficient amount of fruit on his fork. “It’s fucking amazing. Thank you, Ali.”
After kissing her temple, he brushed her hair behind her ear. The cake was amazing, but the idea of her baking and socializing all day rather than staying home and drowning in sorrow was even more satisfying.
“So what did you wish for?” she asked before taking a bite. She’d always been a sucker for sweets and wasn’t afraid to let it show. The sensual sound that came from her mouth made Nik’s heart swell and something in his lower stomach flip, a sensation he hadn’t felt in weeks.
He cleared his throat. “If I tell you then it won’t come true.”
She eyed him with disapproval. Like she didn’t believe that in the slightest.
Once everyone had finished their cake, Theo and Heather cleared the dishes while Amaya and Grace retrieved glasses, wine, and a caramel-colored liquid in an unlabeled bottle.
“Who wants a birthday shot?” Grace asked with an obnoxious smile on her face.
“What is it?” Ali asked.
Grace shrugged. “House special.”
Translation—no one knows.
In the end, everyone agreed to take a shot of the mystery liquor, and Grace poured a finger into each glass before passing them out.
“To Nik!” they all shouted—even Eli—and Nik huffed a laugh before downing his drink. It burned his throat and chest on the way down, but the smoky flavor was overall enjoyable. Much better than that fruity shit Ali and Eli preferred.
Ali shuddered next to him after only drinking half of hers, so Nik took the glass and drank the rest.
“Thank you,” she mouthed.
“Another!” Theo exclaimed to a round of laughter.
While Theo poured another glass of liquor or wine for each member of their party, Ali scooted closer to Nik and wrapped an arm around his waist. He leaned into her, taking a moment to just stare into her eyes.
So bright and full of love and light. Could she see that love reflected in his? Did she knew how much he loved her?
She beamed at him, and he was certain that she did.
“I got you something,” she said.
Nik looked around at the room and back to Ali. “This was already more than enough, Ali.”
“You deserve all of this and more. But I think you’ll like what I got you.”
“Is that so?”
A sly grin stretched across her lips and Nik could practically see the naughty thoughts scrolling through her mind.
He couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
They’d never been able to keep their hands off each other, but Ali also had a habit of masking her pain with sex, and he didn’t want to enable her.
They’d have to take it slowly until he was certain she wasn’t using sex as a crutch.
“Can I get a hint?” he asked.
She leaned closer until her lips softly grazed the shell of his ear. “It’s black and lacy.”
He groaned and fought the desire to pull her out of the tavern and take her home immediately. Taking it slow would be easier said than done.
His throat bobbed with the effort to swallow and when Ali dragged a hand up his thigh, he gritted his teeth. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
“I have some idea.” Ali smirked and sat straight in her seat, taking joy in the suffering she inflicted. It made him love her even more.
“Clear the table,” Amaya said, waving at those who were still seated and the glasses in front of them. “It’s time for a game.”
While Amaya and Theo pushed everyone into a line, Grace explained the rules of the game. It seemed simple enough. They took turns bouncing a coin into a glass. If they missed, they had to drink. If the coin landed in the glass, they got to choose someone else to take a drink.
Nik missed his first two shots, but on his third turn, he sank the coin into the glass with a clank. He looked around as he weighed his options. So far, Eli and Theo had both given him a drink. Ali had threatened to, but she’d missed all her shots and he felt pretty safe from her words of warning.
“Eli,” he said, pointing his finger at his foe-turned-almost-friend.
Eli raised his glass and took a large swig of alcohol, swallowing with a wince.
As the game carried on, it became clear that everyone was hoping to get the birthday boy drunk. Half of the shots made resulted in another drink for Nik and he struggled to make his own shots after a few more rounds.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he slurred.
Next to him, Ali kept an arm around his waist, and he couldn’t tell if the room was swaying or if she was.
But she hadn’t drunk nearly as much as he had, so it seemed like maybe she was trying to keep him upright.
Except she was a good foot shorter than him and far less sturdy.
He stumbled a few steps, and they both collided with a bench.
“Oops,” he said, falling to his bottom and pulling Ali into his lap.
She grinned and pushed the hair back from his forehead. “It’s quite amusing seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Usually I am the one who’s had too much to drink. How can I give you your gift if you’re too inebriated to enjoy it?”
“I’m never too drunk to enjoy you.”
Ali’s cheeks reddened, and she pushed his shoulder. Her playful touch only increased his desire for her. He leaned over and bit her neck gently.
“Nik!”
“You can’t tell me you don’t like it. I know you do.”
Ali was the type who liked a little pain with her pleasure. Images of her bent over their bed with reddened handprints on her ass flashed across his mind. In fact, that would be the first thing he did when they got home.
Wait…slowly. They were taking things slowly.
“Hey, it’s your turn,” Theo yelled.
Standing affectionately close to him, Sam’s arm disappeared and Nik had the impression that Sam’s hand was tucked into Theo’s back pocket. Nik squinted to make sure he was seeing correctly.
Sam knocked his hip against Theo’s and said, “Leave them alone. It’s his birthday. They can do whatever they want.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Nik needs another turn. We might actually kill him,” Eli said, and Nik couldn’t help but notice his dry tone. In another life, Eli might’ve wanted him dead. Now Nik knew it was just his terrible sense of humor.
“I think we should head home,” Ali said, standing from her seat on Nik’s lap. He missed her presence immediately and tried to pull her back to him, but a knock on the door distracted him.
Before anyone could reach the door, it swung open and a man with a plump belly and a gray beard rushed inside. His wide eyes and haunted expression were enough to sober anyone, and Nik immediately felt a sense of clarity and heightened awareness.
This man was not bringing good news.
“Miss Grace, you are needed back at the mountain. The trees…the fires are everywhere…it’s…I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Was it alcohol, or was the man in shock to the point of incoherence?
Grace’s demeanor shifted from youthful friend to stoic governess in a matter of seconds. Eli put a hand against the small of her back while Heather began to collect glasses, cleaning the space with urgency.
“Go,” she said. “I’ll take care of all this.”
“Thank you,” Grace said. Then she and Eli headed out the door after the elderly man. Nik jumped to his feet and rushed after them. He heard Ali’s hurried steps behind him, followed by another clamor he assumed belonged to Sam and Theo.
“Wait,” he called after Grace. “I’m your guard.”
She glanced back at him. “Enjoy your night off, Nik. I can handle this one without you.”
Eli nodded from beside her, and Nik had to admit she was in better hands with Eli than him right now. Still, he couldn’t let them go on their own into unknown danger.
While Grace, Eli, Theo, and Sam sprinted toward the mountain, Ali stayed beside Nik and walked at a brisk pace with the elderly man.
“What happened?” Ali asked.
“I…I’m still not certain. All I know is there’s a fire blazing on top of the mountain.”
“A wildfire?” Nik guessed.
The man shook his head. “That’s not what people are saying. I wasn’t there when it happened, but others saw it.”
“Saw what?”
“An explosion. It was intentional.”