"Last night?" Bláth echoed. "You make it sound like I'll never see you again."
" . . . figurative last night. Before I'm a married woman." Brighid turned to me. "Have you heard the story of how Bláth and I met?"
Bláth's shoulders hunched forward, and she choked on her whiskey.
"From Bláth's reaction." I shifted on the bed to face them. "It's a good one."
Setting her whiskey down, Bláth stood. "Picture this room as the shittiest brothel you can imagine. Cramped, stained sheets, rotting doors."
I grimaced at the thought, but I needn't imagine it.
Vaf had shown me memories of the real thing.
"I was on the bed, whoring." Bláth pointed to the sheets. "With some spindly young Fireborn man. A lord's son, judging from his expensive coat. And then." She spread her hands.
Brighid chuckled.
"The door bursts open, and in walks the most stunning woman I've ever seen. It took the lordling another two thrusts to realize we had company, which only made things worse."
I closed my eyes, imagining Brighid storming in on Bláth during a business call. It wasn't a hard thing to picture.
"The lady snatched up his clothes and set them on fire." Bláth snickered. "Gods, he was horrified—and he had to flee from the fiery goddess in nothing but his skin."
Brighid tapped her fingers on her glass. "He was my fiancé."
"Oh," I breathed, opening my eyes. "I take it he called the wedding off, after that?"
"Of course he did," Brighid scoffed. "The city knew in short order. My father snatched our family ring back."
"Mmhm," Bláth hummed. "I still remember what Brighid said to me the moment her fiancé fled out the door." She chuckled, closing her eyes. "'I didn't realize whores came in shades of gold."
"I hired her that night," Brighid concluded.
"And saved my life," Bláth said, dropping back onto the bed beside Brighid.
Fondness swam in her golden eyes, in her warm words and gazes.
I felt a strange tangle of emotions. Sorrow, for what they'd been through, certainly, but also joy that they'd found one another.
"You sound like you fell in love," I noted.
"A little bit." Bláth winked.
Brighid rolled her eyes. "Tomorrow, everything will change. From what I've heard through whispers, it will turn in my favor."
"Brighid." Bláth leaned forward. "Why do you sound like you're plotting something?"
"You always say that."
Frowning, Bláth shot me a look. I didn't know Brighid as well as she did—but I could sense Brighid wasn't being entirely honest.
Whatever she hid—I hoped it was only fear. I'd caused enough of a scandal.
"Hm." Bláth looked down. "It's my last chance to convince you to run away."
"I'm not going to run, Bláth." Brighid balanced the whiskey on her leg. "I imagine that fae lord will appear once I'm alone and offer to save me, one last time."
"Are you going to deny him?" I asked.
