Chapter 12
I was fuming as I rushed down the stairs toward the bar area of the tavern. My magic was stirring under my skin in response to the heightened emotions. Tingling at the tips of my fingers, itching to get out. I took a deep breath to calm myself and scanned the room. It was particularly packed tonight, but I spotted Kaz at the same time he spotted me, and he waved me over with a huge grin.
“Nairu!” He rose from his seat and wrapped me in a hug so tight I could’ve burst. My sputtering coughs prompted him to release me. “I’ve not seen much of you these past days. Come share a drink with me, my girl.”
“I would love to.” I smiled. Something about Kaz made it impossible to maintain a bad mood.
“Alandris and Zorinna should be down at any moment. Figured we would have a celebratory drink before our big day tomorrow. I was just about to check if you and Kallistra would join us.”
My face fell, and despite my attempts to hide it, Kaz tilted his head in question. “I don’t think she will be up for it tonight.”
He thankfully didn’t question it further. “No matter. Let’s have a great night!”
Kaz pushed his tankard of ale forward to press to mine, and upon realizing I didn’t yet have one of my own, made a face of abject horror. He turned to the barkeep in an instant and shouted in an impressively loud voice, “An ale for the girl!”
The dark amber liquid was horribly bitter and stronger than anything I was used to. I recoiled as it hit my tongue, giving my best effort to stop the grimace from rising to my face. I didn’t want to offend Kaz for his selection, nor the barkeep who still lingered nearby. Another gulp. Nope. Still awful. That time I couldn’t help myself—I stuck out my tongue as a guttural noise left my throat.
A hand landed on my shoulder. “Kaz, what are you doing to the poor girl? That ale is no better than sewer water,” Alandris said, taking a seat at my side and smiling from ear to ear despite the earlier awkwardness between us.
Kaz pointed a figure at him. “It’s not about the taste. It’s about the journey.”
Alandris winced and gave me a look of pity. “I’ll order meads for the three of us,” he said, looking between Zorinna, who had sat down beside Kaz, and me. “For such a small town, the one here is not bad. Fairly sweet. ”
“Sweet sounds much better.” I pushed my mostly full tankard toward Kaz. “I hope you won’t mind finishing this off for me?”
Kaz’s only response was to slam the tankard down on the table before tilting it back and drinking it down to the dregs in a matter of seconds.
The meads arrived shortly after Alandris snagged the barkeep. As promised, the flavor was significantly sweeter than the ale, and I found myself gulping down several mouthfuls in an attempt to rid myself of the earlier taste I’d forced myself to endure. It was fruity and rich, with a pleasant undertone of honey. If Kallistra saw me drinking like this, she’d have an absolute fit. The thought had me taking another long, rebellious gulp.
“How about a simple card game?” Alandris asked, pulling a deck of cards from his coat.
Kaz nodded his head vigorously. “How did you know I love to gamble?”
“Hmm… lucky guess.”
I waved my hands in front of me. “I’ll sit out. Kallistra will have my head if I waste our coin.” As much as I was thoroughly enjoying going against all of her teachings, I knew my limits.
“Nonsense,” Alandris said, throwing an extra coin on the table. “I’ll buy you in. If you lose all of my copper to Kaz, I’ll just take it out on you in our lessons.”
“She should be worried about losing to me,” Zorinna returned smugly. “I am known to be quite ruthless at court. Half the lords will no longer play a single game with me. ”
“Fine,” I conceded. “If I manage to win a round, you’ll keep the coin. That’s my compromise.”
“Fair enough.”
The game was simple enough to catch on to. We were each dealt a hand of seven cards, while one card was placed in the center faced down. The person to the left of the dealer, which rotated every turn, was to flip the card in the center, at which point the race began. There was no order in which players laid down their cards, but you could only play a card one above or one below the card on the top of the pile in the center. The winner of the round was the first player to empty their hand.
It was a chaotic jumble of arms and hands slamming down on the table and into each other’s. The first round, I hadn’t managed to successfully play a single card. The top card kept changing faster than I could even process the cards in my hand. I had to mumble a pitiful apology to Alandris, though he won the round, and thus both of his coppers, back of his own accord.
By the third or fourth round, I was growing more confident. Or more tipsy. Or both. I had successfully dwindled my hand down to a final card before Zorinna bested me. She was just a half second quicker in slamming her last card down—both of ours meeting the criteria to win. I gave the top of her hand a good slap, which horrified me. Thankfully, it only made her, and everyone else at the table, laugh.
I was feeling positively giddy by the time a stranger strolled over to our table. He appeared to be a human male around our ages, with cropped blond hair and a deep scar running diagonally across his left cheek.
“Would you be opposed to my friend and me joining in?” He pointed to another male just a table away, with red hair tied in a knot behind his head. “We’re mercenaries. Just got back from a brutal mark and could use the merriment.”
Kaz exchanged a momentary glance with Alandris, unspoken words passing between the two of them. “Sure, fellow mercs are always welcome to join us.”
The blond one took his spot at my other side, introducing himself as Silas. His friend sat beside Kaz. His name was Evander. They were plenty friendly, and quick to learn the rules of the game. In fact, Silas had won his first round after only his second game. Kaz had mumbled something about regretting allowing them to join in, and they’d both burst into laughter. The mood was pleasant enough that I’d almost entirely forgotten about the earlier argument with Kallistra.
After an hour or so of play, we took a break at Kaz’s request. He’d lost over twenty copper, which I suspected was the reason behind his sudden desire to pause the game. We indulged in conversation instead, taking the time to enjoy our drinks properly.
Silas turned his attention to me as the others chattered away. “Are you from around here? You have such unique features.”
I shook my head, taking a sip of my mead. It was an odd comment, and I found myself studying his face to discern if I needed to worry. “No. I’m traveling with my… friend.”
“Ah, I see.” His eyes lingered on mine. “Would it be rude to ask if you’re a Faeling? I’ve never seen eyes so red on a human.”
I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. Such a question always posed a risk. Some people despised the Faelings, but some were more disgusted to learn that I was one of them—human—just different. “I’m not a Faeling.”
His reaction was a mystery to me. The more I tried to focus, the more his face blurred into a mess of colors. The room was beginning to spin, with only my hands rested on the table, keeping me from spinning right along with it. The alcohol had hit me at the worst of times. One moment, I was sharp as a tack, and the next, I was swaying, unable to process the world around me. Lights were too bright. Words were too slow.
“Are you a mercenary as well? A Mage?” Silas continued to probe me with questions.
“No, I—”
“Why don’t we call it a night?” Alandris interrupted, placing a hand on the small of my back.
Silas flicked his eyes to the male, his tone turning darker. “Of course, Mage. If you’re tired, I won’t keep you.” He looked back at me, then. “But perhaps the lady would care to stay for another round?”
All conversations at the table aside from ours ceased, with all eyes focusing on the three of us. Even in my current state, afflicted by a few too many meads, I could feel the shift in the air. It was unmistakable .
Alandris’ hold on me tightened, his arm hooking around the side of my waist. “That’s not happening.”
“I don’t believe I asked you,” Silas bit back. He reached a hand out to grab for me, only to whip it away just as fast.
I couldn’t process what had just happened with how quickly it had occurred, but the scent was unmistakable. Fire.
“Fucker! What sort of spell did you cast on me?” Silas blew on his fingers, the skin instantly turning red. He rose to his feet, a hand reaching back to the sword at his belt.
Alandris didn’t move, but Kaz was on his feet in an instant, his hand firmly on his blade. “Watch yourself. I don’t take kindly to threats toward my friends.”
The barmaid’s shout echoed from the bar, so loudly most of the patrons hushed their voices. “KAZ, IF YOU CRIPPLE ANOTHER MAN IN MY BAR, I SWEAR TO THE MOTHER I WILL BEAT YOU WITHIN AN INCH OF YOUR LIFE!”
Evander moved to his friend’s side, grabbing the man by the arm. “We were just leaving.”
There was a long silence, during which Kaz remained standing, waiting until the two men had exited the tavern and the door had closed behind them, before he relaxed. Alandris was the same—his gaze following the men, and one hand still curved around me, until he deemed it safe and released me.
Zorinna, who had been quietly watching during the entire exchange, only shook her head, clicking her tongue ever so slowly. “Ugh, men. Leave it to them to spoil a good night.”
“Nairu, can you stand?” Alandris leaned in to ask.
My legs were like jelly, but I made an attempt, nonetheless. I thought I’d done a decent job, but given the fact that Alandris’ arm was at my back, bracing my weight a half second later, I supposed I did not.
Kaz burst into laughter. “Gods, the girl is a complete lightweight. Shall I throw you over my shoulder and take you to your room?”
That sounded abysmal for two reasons. For one, the thought of being jerked around so much was making my stomach whirl. And the other, significantly more important reason, was that Kallistra would catch me… indisposed. As much fun as I was having pushing her buttons without her knowing, I didn’t intend to expose what I’d done while I could hardly stand or defend myself.
“No! No, can’t go to Kallistra,” I managed.
At that moment, two heads turned to Zorinna.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Zorinna whined. “Why me? Why?”
“Zorinna,” I slurred her name, a beaming smile on my face.
She grimaced at me before looking between Alandris and Kaz. “Please don’t do this to me.”
Kaz patted her shoulder. “We thank you. Your sacrifice will not go unnoticed.”
“I hate you. Both of you.”
The following events were a blur that I was only half cognizant of. Alandris had assisted me up the stairs, or perhaps it was Kaz… although, it may have been both males. They’d hoisted me into the bed of a particularly grumpy Elven beauty. After the males left, said beauty spent a good amount of time cursing and attempting to wrangle me out of my leathers and into a nightgown that felt far more luxurious than anything I’d ever had draped over my body. Then, the room went dark, or perhaps I’d closed my eyes, but either way, I’d quickly drifted to sleep.