I turned to Brennan with the brightest smile I was capable of, felt it light my face with a glow that warmed the apples of my cheeks.
“And how are you today, lovely?”
I poured the first pint of ale and slid it across the bar, shining the warmth of my smile his way. Brennan shot a stricken look between me and his Captain.
“H-how amI?”
I breathed a light little laugh and passed him the next two pints. “It’s not a trick question.”
“Oh, I’m–” He glanced at the Captain again. “I’m well?”
“Glad to hear it. You seem tired.”
A tilt of my head as I poured another pint, gaze soft and wide on his to channel Sorcha’s doe-eyed sweetness. I pulled out a wooden tray and helped him arrange the glasses upon it.
Brennan hesitated. “A bit.”
I gave a knowing hum. “Busy day?”
The Captain laughed his rough, fluid laugh, and I tried to ignore the weak glow in my chest.
“Here we go,” he chuckled.
Poor Brennan was flushed with confusion, his boyish cheeks burning a rosy bronze as he blinked down at the pints on his tray, then hesitantly up, first at me and then his Captain.
“Point made, Rosie, let the lad be.”
Brennan offered me a slight, apologetic smile and quickly backed away with his tray, ale sloshing a little over the sides of the pint glasses in his haste. I waved him off with a flutter of my fingers, savouring the Captain’s expectant attention without returning it. It felt good; ignoring him, my Flame calm in my chest even if my skin burned under his gaze. Clearly it didn’t feel quite as good to him, and he finally gave in.
“So, Brennan gets the sunbeam smile and sweet manners?”
I cut him a sideways glare.Sunbeam smile, indeed. “Careful, Captain, or I’ll start to imagine you’re jealous.”
He ignored the jibe.
“Is it something I’ve done wrong?” He sounded genuinely curious. “Or something Brenann’s done right?”
“Brennan is polite.Brennanknows my name.”
“I know your name.”
“And yet you choose not to use it.”
He laughed, the sound rolling like water over river beaten rocks, smooth and light with a rough undercurrent. Easy, pleasant laughter, like it was all just banter. His eyes shone with that same ease, but the tightness in my chest returned, the restraint around my Flame trembling like an overworked muscle.
“Interestingly enough, I don’t think I’ve heard you saymyname once in the four days we’ve been here.”
“You know what,Caelan? You’ve made this very simple conversation so painful that I’ve lost all interest in your hunt. I’ll just assume you’ve failed – again – and resign myself to another night of losing business to your all-important mission.”
He reeled, smirk slipping for the first time, a flicker and then a fall. The Captain straightened up, one hand flat on the bar as he cast a deliberate look around, green eyes flashing cold as steel as they took in the tavern.
Roy sat in a corner casting wistful looks out the windowfor Tanner – for anyone – and alternately sighing into his tankard of warmed cider. The rest of the space was taken up by the Kingsmen. They were scattered over several rickety tables, some of them playing cards, others accepting pints from Brennan’s tray or pulling out bags of coin while they collected further drink orders from their fellows.
I knew his point before he made it, and scrambled to gather my retort on my tongue as he turned his eyes on me again. He tapped the counter pointedly, took a step back.
“Seems like weareyour business, Rosaleen.”
He pushed away from the counter and walked the length of the bar, heading for the door to the inn.
