“Alright.”
I hesitated for all of one cold heartbeat – then ducked past him without another word.
???
With our eager Kingsman following my cousin’s instructions all evening, Sorcha, Brennan and I finally managed to thin the crushing crowd at the bar to a manageable stream. Even so, the stream of orders continued to flow for hours, until eventually we really did run out of mead as well as ale. For a little while, the merriment was buoyed by wine and music alone. But one by one, travellers and Stormsbians alike stumbled off home until we were left with a handful of Kingsmen and regulars, all clustered around one table. It seemed Tanner had needled some of them into a game of cards, despite protests from Roy that ended in him bundling up and storming off home in a hissing huff — but not before quietly asking me to keep an eye on Tanner.
Which might have been a request of little consequence, if it weren’t for the fact that he was seated side by side with Captain Caelan.
“Why’s he staring at you?”
“He’s not.”
“Well he’s not staring…ahtmeee.”
Sorcha’s last few words were garbled through an eye watering yawn. I set down the glass I’d been polishing and fixed her with a firm look. She’d been tidying up around the tavern for the last hour, despite my insistence that she leave it for me and go get some rest.
“Bed.”
“Again, grown woman.”
“Again, nineteen year old family member entrusted to my care.”
“You’re avoiding my question.” She grinned, sly and sleepy. “Almost as hard as you’re avoiding the Captain.”
“Not avoiding anything.”
My neck ached with the compulsion to look; to see ifhewas looking. But my Flame was restless enough in my chest that I thought I knew the answer.
“Then tell me why he’s staring.”
“I don’tknow, Sorcha. He probably thinks I’m staring at him.”
“Oh fair enough, you are.”
“I amnot. I promised Roy I’d keep an eye on Tanner.”
I threw a pointed glance at their table, the muscles in my neck almost snapping with the release of tension – until a flash of green and a glimpse of a scarred smirk set my pulse fluttering. I averted my gaze, spinning sharply back to Sorcha. I snatched up another glass and got back to polishing.
“There,” I said, voice steady if strained. “He seems fine.”
“Mmhm. Great. Roz?”
“Yes?”
“Tanner left about fifteen minutes ago.”
My head snapped up.Fuck.She was right. No shaggy grey head in sight, just the Captain and Brennan prodding at a young Kingsman who’d passed out on top of a scattering of cards.
“I – know that. I meant the card game is–”
I had nothing, no further words. Sorcha grinned at me, and my fluttering mess of a heart sank, just a little.
With Fischer gone and her blossoming friendship with sweet, smitten Brennan, I knew my cousin had warmed to the Kingsmen somewhat. Those initial worries had been eased, and she wanted to readmynerves as something fun and frivolous. How could I begin to explain to her why the Captain had truly taken such an interest in me? I couldn’t. I could not do that to her, not when her wellbeing was in my hands.
Sorcha sidled closer, but before she could needle me any further, movement at the card table caught her eye and her grinmelted into something softer.
“Off to bed?”
