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‘Have you told —’
‘Talemir, Anya? Yes,’ Kipp replied. ‘We got in last night and made our report. Speaking of which… Talemir fucking Starling, Thea? You fought with him? You destroyed the Scarlet Tower with him?’
‘Something like that…’ Thea said with a smile, watching the awe spread on both her friends’ faces.
‘I can’t believe he’s here,’ Cal breathed. ‘That we met him. One of the great legends of Thezmarr right in our midst…’
‘I think someone has a crush,’ Kipp said sweetly.
‘Oh, fuck off, you were just as starstruck.’
‘I was nothing but professional.’
Cal snorted. ‘Horseshit. You were on about how many trophies and banners feature his name back at the fortress. You were gushing about all the reasons he was called the Prince of Hearts.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Thea couldn’t help but laugh, savouring their company, their banter. For a brief pocket of time, it was as though there wasn’t a war on their doorstep. They could have been anywhere in the midrealms, joking around.
‘Have we got to the main course story yet?’ Thea prompted, almost pitying Cal as the tips of his ears went bright red.
Kipp’s face lit up. ‘Well, it happened shortly after you left for the Rite,’ he began eagerly.
Cal groaned. ‘Please, Kipp… Can’t I just have this one thing?’
Kipp made a show of looking appalled. ‘You want to keep secrets from our best friend? A Warsword of the midrealms, a princess of Delmira?’
Cal buried his face in his hands.
That was all the permission Kipp needed. He turned to Thea, beaming. ‘Naturally, we were all concerned about your safety and wellbeing,’ he assured her. ‘And in times of need —’
‘You got roaring drunk?’ she guessed, unable to keep the smile from her voice.
‘Me?’ Kipp blinked. ‘Never. But you know Callahan the Flaming Arrow can’t handle his liquor on the best of days. And my dear Thea… This was not the best of days. Not for Cal, anyway.’
‘Furies save me,’ Cal muttered, his face matching his ears now.
Thea was already shaking her head, imagining all sorts of trouble the pair could have found themselves in. ‘What happened?’
‘We were at the Singing Hare, and someone mentioned that a few doors down was a man who was something of an artist… A tattoo artist.’
Thea’s gaze shot to Cal, but her friend refused to look at her.
‘Someone,’ Kipp said pointedly, ‘got it in their head that they’d very much like a tattoo… Something like the Warswords have, wasn’t that what you said?’
‘Fuck off, Kipp.’
Thea laughed. ‘I didn’t know Torj had tattoos…’
Kipp nodded sagely. ‘Oh yes, very impressive, very masculine pieces… Cal described them in titillating detail to the artist.’
‘Well, come on,’ Thea urged. ‘Show me what you got.’
‘No,’ Cal ground out.
‘Where did you get it?’ Thea pressed.
‘An excellent question,’ Kipp declared. ‘As is: what did he get?’
