Brennan hurried around the bar, and Sorcha lifted the coffer out from the shelf and pressed it into my arms, then piled both of our jangling aprons carefully on top. Thoroughly usurped, I edged out past Brennan while he held the plank for me with his eyes firmly fixed on my cousin.
“Thanks.”
“Yep. Thanks. Erm, welcome,” he mumbled, barely sparingme a glance.
I fought the amusement twisting at my lips, and made for the inner door, clutching tight to the coffer as though it might keep me upright while I beat a path through the throng. I was barely gone five minutes, but somehow the tavern was heaving even more violently by the time I got back. I narrowly avoided several elbows to the face, ducked under flailing arms and squeezed past dancing bodies – until one of the bodies stepped deliberately in my path just as I reached the edge of the bar.
“Blessed Yule, Rosie.”
I was annoyed at myself — at my Flame — for the warm little swoop that rose through me at that familiar, lilting drawl. And again at the dark, bristled smirk that greeted me when I looked up. Logically I knew it was an extension of myself, but sometimes it felt as though my magicwantedus caught out, the way it seemed to whimper and press at my chest in his presence, straining against my hold.
The Captain’s green eyes were brighter than ever, alight with mead and amusement. He seemed awfully pleased with himself, and of course I knew why. I gestured at the wonderful, lucrative chaos around us.
“I hear this is your doing.”
He frowned and tilted his head like he hadn’t heard, but the side of his lip quirked as he stepped closer, leaned in. My heart and Flame beat as one, soaring through me like a blazing arrow. I forced myself to rise on my toes and speak into his ear, lungs seizing when his hand curved under my elbow to steady me.
“I said, I take it you did all this?”
He leaned back just far enough that I could see him wink. “Told you I’d get you your business.”
“So you did.”
He inclined his head in such a poor imitation of humbleness that a little laugh tumbled from me before I could stop myself. I clapped a hand over my mouth as though I could call it back, but the Captain’s eyes had already rounded in surprise — then a slow grin stretched at his lips.
“Wellthatwas a rush. Is this all I had to do to get an honest to gods smile? Any other requests?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Yes. Go enjoy your evening and let me get back to work.”
He didn’t release my arm, grin not even flickering.
“I am enjoying my evening. Now.”
My Flame outrighthowled. I had to close my eyes for just a moment.
“Captain —”
“Come on, Rosie, it’s Yule. Can I have five minutes? Just to talk.”
“About what?
His grin did falter a little then - not entirely fading, just a slight dimming of that unchecked, cocky joy. He leaned in once more, fingers gently flexing around my elbow in a way that had my Flamerushing,in a desperate bid to shoot down my arm toward his touch. His voice in my ear was low, every word smooth and lyrical even in his hesitance.
“Maybe not something we can discuss right here.”
My stomach tightened to the point of pain, panic gripping at my insides. I reeled my magic in forcefully, chest immediately growing cold as that one insistent thought echoed in my head.
He knows.
It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t. I’d done nothing wrong, done nothing butexist. I had a whole year still to register my power with the Crown. But if he did know – No. No, he didn’t. If he knew, and it mattered in the way I feared it would, I’d have had a summons by now. Tax evasion, or possession of stolen property, something difficult to disprove and easy to fabricate. Still, my hold on my magic had leashed my lungs too, and I could not draw a full breath.
I wrenched my arm from his grasp, stumbled back with the force of my own panic.
“I can’t,” I croaked, throat tight. I nodded past him at the bar, playing at concern for the demanding crowd just so I’d have a reason to avert my eyes. “I have to – Sorcha needs me.”
When he didn’t answer, I risked a glance and found him entirely unreadable. His eyes dimmed to a murky green, mouth setting in a flat line. He just nodded then, and reached behind his back for the plank, lifting it smoothly.
