Before I could formulate a response, the tavern door swung open.
“Brie!” I exclaimed in delighted surprise as my Elvish friend appeared in the doorway. Her long golden hair was tamed into a thick braid not unlike my own, and she was dressed in her hunting leathers, the supple material hugging her slight curves, her bow slung over one shoulder. Her intense blue eyes focused unwaveringly on me. “How good to see you. I was wondering if you would evencome…”
I trailed off as I noticed the way her lips were pressed together, the delicate lines of her beautiful face hardened in anger as she stalked over to our table.
I was in trouble. And these days, that could mean only one thing.
“I need Rada’s help,” Briseis spat in Brim and Adesh’s direction, her gaze never leaving mine.
I barely had time to say, “Give me a few days to think about it. But if there is another attack, come to me immediately,” before she seized my arm and dragged me outside into the quiet alley behind the temple. The afternoon sun cast long shadows on the cobblestones, the walls so close I could have touched them with my arms stretched out. A fresh breeze had picked up from the river, tangling a few golden strands that had escaped Briseis’s braid.
“Tell me it is not what I think it is.”
At her hissed words, I avoided my friend’s eyes, spewing fire at me while I mentally went through all the secrets I was harboring. Was it too much to hope she wasn’t furious with me for sheltering the Destroyer at my home?
“I fear you will have to be more specific.”
My answer made her growl. “I really hope you lucked out and somehow found yourself with a handsome stranger on your farm, because you cannot be so incredibly foolish—” She glanced around, lowered her voice, and switched to Elvish. “So incredibly foolish to let the one man back into your life who broke your heart more times than I can count. Who nearly destroyed you. Who is responsible for the deaths of thousands.”
Of course. Briseis was Elvish nobility. She had lived in Lyrheim before the war; she had seen Noctis’s face in the last days of peace before the Tree fell. She had surely guessed who was residing at my farm upon hearing the latest gossip from Dolores.
“He was wounded and alone,” I said, rubbing my temple, knowing my explanation was far from convincing. “And he had nowhere else to go.”
“Lyr.” Briseis closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if she had partly hoped I would dispel her suspicion. Her surprise did not last long, though, as her anger quickly returned. “And when were you planning to tell me that?” She shook her head in lingering disbelief. “How is he even alive? I thought Aramaz threw him into the Abyss.”
I stared at her. And in that moment, for some inexplicable reason, it all came crashing down around me. Noctis was alive. I had thought him dead for ten fucking years. Had mourned him. Had shattered into a million pieces so ragged that I sometimes thought they could never be put together again.
Like I was shattering right now. One hand pressed against my mouth to stifle the first sob, and I burst into tears.
Whether Briseis was hunting in the deep forests of Milford Ridge or twirling over a dancefloor while she was still a princess of the royal house of Lyrasen, she embodied her people’s grace. Even now, as she dragged me across the bustling market square to a makeshift tent, ignoring my half-hearted protests, her movements were elegant. My tear-blurred eyes could only make out boxes overflowing with vegetables and fruits before she shoved me onto a small wooden stool.
“Oh, what happened to the lassie? Is there something amiss with our Rada?” Dolores’s high-pitched voice sounded behind me. Not wanting her to see my tear-stained face, I kept my gaze fixed on the ground.
“We need a glass of your cherry liquor.” Briseis’s tone was calmbut resolute as she turned to the Brownie. “Or better yet, make it two.”
Try as I might, I couldn’t stop the cursed flood of tears trickling down onto my hands, even though I had stifled any further sobs. Blessedlyr, what was wrong with me? There had been times when I hadn’t cried for centuries. Now, I couldn’t suppress my emotions for a mere day. Being Human for so long seemed to have some unexpected side effects.
At least we had some privacy here in the back of the Underforges’ stall, where they kept the goods they weren’t selling yet. A swath of fabric divided the space from the front. When a glass was pressed into my hand, I didn’t hesitate, lifting it to my lips and downing the liquor in one big swallow.
By the Abyss! I gagged and coughed at the vicious burn as the strong alcohol slid down my throat. At least my eyes were watering for a different reason now. Briseis maintained her composure, though her striking features briefly contorted into a grimace as she swallowed her drink.
I extended my hand toward Dolores. The Brownie raised an eyebrow but refilled my glass without a word. The second time around, the cherry liquor tasted a lot better. And the world took on a pleasant, hazy hue.
“That’s enough,” Briseis warned, stopping Dolores from another refill. “You’re not getting drunk to avoid answering questions.”
“Man trouble?” Dolores asked sympathetically, taking the glass from me and replacing it with a generous slice of honey cake.
I thanked her profusely, already chewing. Truly, Tanez should be praised every day for creating the Brownies.
“Has your friend done something to upset you?” Ulyss poked his head in from the front, clearly having caught Dolores’s question, hisbushy brows drawn together in a frown. “Do I need to give the boy a stern talking to?”
As much as the thought of seeing the old Dwarf chastise the former Lord of Darkness amused me, I knew I had to calm the waters to avoid another round of rumors. “No,” I said, forcing my lips into a wobbly smile. “It is nothing he has done. It is simply that he—”
“Exists?” Briseis leaned against a stack of cabbage-filled boxes, her eyes pensive. “You honestly want to tell me he is behaving?”
Before I could answer, Dolores interjected. “Oh, so you know Bele? What a good-looking young man Rada’s friend is.”
Briseis barked out a laugh. “Well, yes, he is a handsome bastard. I will give him that.” At least she did not seem furious at me any longer.
