Brogan’s eyes caught the Grey Guard insignia. His eyebrows rose. “The Lord Commander of the Grey Guard?”
“He’s… off duty at the moment. Just relaxing.”
“And you’re his—?” Davik read the way Aeldryc’s thigh pressed against mine, my hand on his knee.
“Partner.” I liked it when Aeldryc called me that. At this rate, I was going to embroider it on a pillow.
Food came: stew thick with root vegetables and meat so tender it dissolved; bread dark and nutty; ale bitter and smoky. I only took a few sips, not wanting to get drunk.
The talk flowed as easily as the smoky ale, and I settled into the warmth of the fire, feeling more relaxed than I had in days. I learned they’d been together eight years, ever since a fatefulmeeting at a market where Davik’s aggressive haggling had somehow made Brogan fall instantly in love.
“He drove the hardest bargain I’d ever seen,” Brogan said. “I had to marry him or go bankrupt.”
“You’d go bankrupt either way. Such a softie,” Davik said.
“Being kind gets you repeat customers!”
They bickered like a couple who’d turned arguing into a love language. Brogan was loud with big gestures and a friendly demeanor; Davik was dry and sharp, with a deadpan smile and a wicked sense of humor.
Aeldryc relaxed, his rigid bearing gradually softening as we talked to the couple. He leaned back and drank his ale. When Brogan joked about troll roads, Aeldryc’s dry comment about infrastructure spending made them howl.
After second round arrived, Aeldryc produced the sketch and asked them if they’d seen Sky.
It was a charcoal drawing by one of the palace artists, skillfully rendered from a rough sketch I’d made of Sky. The artist clearly had a better eye for faces than I did. It wasn’t perfect, but close enough: the sharp jaw, the messy hair, and that slightly-too-confident grin.
“Looking for this human,” Aeldryc said, sliding the sketch across. “His name is Sky, and he’s friends with my…er… with Pippin.”
I elbowed Aeldryc, wondering what he’d been about to call me.
They studied the sketch together; Brogan tilted it toward the firelight as Davik leaned in, their horns nearly touching.
“Haven’t seen him,” Brogan said. “But I suppose that’s not saying much.”
“Not like we pay attention,” Davik added.
Aeldryc took the sketch back, expression neutral. I saw the frustration beneath: jaw tight, fingers folding the paper with too much precision.
“If we see him, who do we contact?”
“The Grey Guard at Feravael. Any county garrison will relay it.”
Brogan nodded, then smiled at me, patting my hand. “Hope you find your friend.”
“Thank you. If you do happen to see him, could you let him know we’re looking? He might not realize I’m here, too.”
Dinner arrived, and the conversation lapsed into a debate about some troll book that I knew nothing about that was takingthe literary world by storm. I tuned them out, watching the other patrons, both troll and human, as they interacted. No one seemed at all bothered by the giant guys with horns wandering about. When I tuned back in, they were talking about a popular adventure romance story. Aeldryc admitted he hadn’t read it.
“You should,” Brogan said. “The love interests are both male, and there are some sexy scenes between them.”
I perked up. “Sexy how?”
“Now you’re listening?” Aeldryc asked. I stuck my tongue out at him.
“The couple explores sharing, and it’s devastatingly sexy,” Davik said. “Ever since we read it, Brogan and I have been experimenting with the same sort of fun.”
“Have you?” Now it was Aeldryc’s turn to perk up. “What sorts of fun?”
“We’ve found it’s best to fuck other couples,” Brogan said, leaning forward. The table creaked. “No jealousy, everyone goes home to his own partner, but we get to have a little fun along the way.” His brown eyes were warm, direct, unashamed. “If you’re interested.”
