CHAPTER ELEVEN
ASHLYN
When Jayln came back, Kylana returned with him. “Where’s Fyn off to?”
Jayln carefully placed a glass with a thick stem in front of me. The deep burgundy liquid sloshed very near the surface.
“He went to talk to the innkeeper.” A lively berry flavor crossed my lips, bubbling across my tongue as I took my first sip. The liquid burned more than I remembered wine burning. “How do you two know each other?”
Her cheeks reddened to match her hair. “He’s frequented this place ever since King Lioran opened the trade route with Estlen.”
I drank more until an unnatural warmth swelled from the wine.
The once sharp edges of the table blurred. “I see. He didn’t tell me about you.” Not that he needed to. Fyn didn’t owe me that.
I downed another gulp.
“That’s Fyn for you. You never really know what you’ll get. If you’ll excuse me…” She slipped away from the table.
I hadn’t meant to imply she was nothing to talk about. Clearly she was. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t know why I felt like I needed to.
“This has been most amusing and far more entertaining than I thought tonight would be.” Jayln laughed as his eyes narrowed on me.
When I looked down at my glass, there was only a slender pool at the bottom. I turned my hands in my lap. They felt strange.
I felt strange.
“I’ll give you advice because he’s my friend and you seem interesting,” Jayln said.
I didn’t want it. I drank the last bit when Fyn reentered the room.
“What are you doing, Jayln?” Fyn snapped.
“You left her here all by herself. I took it upon myself to get her a drink since your mind is clearly elsewhere.” Jayln got up from his chair. “It was lovely meeting you, Ash.”
“Don’t get her any more drinks,” Fyn hissed. “Ever.”
When Jayln stood, his eyes were nearly level with Fyn’s glare.
“What did you drink?” Fyn towered over me. “Please tell me you didn’t let him get you wine.”
“Of course I asked him to get me wine.” My words slurred.
“The stars hate me,” he grumbled.
“It was good, Fyn. Why did you not want me to have it when it’s so good?” I tried not to look at him.
“You know what won’t feel so good? Waking up in the morning after you’re clearly?—”
“It would kill you for me to have a good time, wouldn’tit?” I gripped the stem of the empty glass. “I would like more.” Anything to calm the heat that climbed through me when he stood too close to me.
“No.” He tugged the glass back from my hands, lowering into the seat beside me. “Look at me, Ashlyn.”
I studied the flecks of light in his jade eyes. “It’s unfair,” I said. “How absolutely magnificent fae eyes are. I have the dullest eyes.” My eyes. They could all see, if they looked into them, that I wasn’t one of them. “Everyone knows I’m human, don’t they?”
“Drunk, yet astute.”
Here I was thinking no one knew. “I’m not drunk.”
