AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Yep!" Tulip says, bouncing on her toes. "I've got a similar pack."
"Good, because I'm spending this all."
I chuckle. "I would expect nothing less."
It's our final night in Feria, and word still has not gotten around about the dead fae man except to the city leader, Xande. He approached us, told us we were good, and then left. It was very unceremonious, and I don't think the fae was very well liked.
We pile up at the bar again, where Quade grinsat us. "My favorite customers," he says with a grin. "You know you only had two nights in the room, right?"
"Come on, Quade," Morrow says, snatching up the zzar that was automatically poured for him. "You can give us another night in them."
"Yeah, I can. It's not like I have people busting doors down to get them." He tosses his rag on the counter behind him and reclines against it. "Just one more night, then?" he asks, eyeing Tulip.
She smiles as she leans across the bar and pats his head. "Gonna miss us, Quade?"
"Miss your trades, yeah," he says dismissively, but it's obvious in his eyes that he will. "But I get it. You got a world to save."
After a few glasses of zzar, Huck comes out of the kitchen. I can smell the burning wood, the smoke of fire used to cook the food. "Hungry?" he asks, looking at us. "I got hand pies tonight." Everyone answers in the affirmative, and moments later, Huck has wooden plates in front of each of us with pies on each of them.
"These are excellent," Zeph says through a mouthful as he stands up. "But I need to run an errand. I'll see you all in the morning." He's out the door before any of us can ask where he's running off to.
"Where is he going?" I ask Mace, turning my body more on my stool to face him. "Did he tell you?"
Mace shakes his head. "We still haven't really talked through everything. We've kept our distance." There's a hint of pain in his voice, but I know Ican't rush them when it comes to patching things up.
"He didn't say anything to me," Plume says before I can ask. "But I can imagine this situation has not been easy for him. I suspect he feels very ashamed. We witnessed all of his darkest moments."
Morrow looks at Tulip, who sits on my left. "Has he apologized?" he asks her.
"No, but I also haven't been alone with him." She wrinkles her nose, taking another bite of the hand pie and speaking through a full mouth. "Not that I know if I want to be alone with him. Or that I want him to apologize. He really fucking scared me, and he roughed me up a bit too." Morrow stiffens beside her, his fist gripping his glass so tightly his knuckles whiten. "Worse part is, I was convincing Viola to choose him over Mace."
Mace sputters. "You what?" he asks indigently.
Tulip laughs loudly. "I mean, can you blame me? You know who you are. And besides," she drags her eyes up and down his body. "You're too skinny."
Morrow chokes on the sip he'd taken of his zzar. His body is very similar to Zeph's, only slightly bulkier in the arms and a little rounder in the belly. "Good to know my body attracts you, wife," he says with a purr.
Quade freezes in place as he walks to the kitchen to return our plates. He turns slowly, eyes on Tulip. "You're married?"
Tulip waves her hand, rolling her eyes. "In his mind." All of us pretend not to hear the breathless quality of her voice. "It's a running joke."One glance at Morrow tells me exactly how much of a joke this is to him.
Which is not at all.
Nodding tightly, Quade disappears, and conversation stalls. Everyone but Tulip seems to realize just how deeply Morrow feels for her. I'm not sure if it is denial or aloofness, but someone is going to have to have a conversation with that woman shortly to open her eyes.
I'm just going to pretend that someone is not me.
"Are you going to come back?" Quade asks towards the end of the night.
Mace shrugs, wrapping his pinky with mine where it sits on the bar. "We don't know what's going to happen. I certainly hope this isn't the last we'll see of you, Quade."
The big man grins, clapping Mace over the shoulder. "Me too. Quite enjoyed having you all here."
"You want to come with us?" I ask, only half joking.
"Nah, you're on a death mission on that island," he says, chuckling. "Besides, someone needs to be here to remind people to believe in you."
His words circle the worn and comfortable room before sinking into my skin. I shiver, the implication and impact of the words causing my body to freeze momentarily. "You'd do that?" I can't help how quiet my voice is. "You'd help me?"
