"Fuck him up!" A high-pitched man shouted.
That I could do. Reaching down, I grabbed a heavy mug and searched for the man who'd punched me. I found his ruddy face in the chaos and lobbed the cup.
It struck his head and bounced off. He whirled in my direction with rage burning in his eyes.
Pushing past the sea of bodies, he charged me.
A flash of black slipped past me as the cloaked rogue swung at him with a broken table leg. It connected with the drunk's shins, sending him sprawling to the ground.
My savior spun the piece of wood. "Damn, you're good."
I'd never fought a man before. Never trained in a practical setting.
But those cheers had made the chaos consuming the tavern seem normal.
Intoxicating.
Turning toward the rogue, I considered whether he was my ally or not. He hadn't struck me, but he'd used me as a shield and dragged me into this mess.
So I elected to punch him, too.
I aimed my fist straight for his smug face. He jerked back in surprise and threw his arm between us, blocking my strike. The skin of my hands brushed his wrist, and . . .
Everything changed.
Water drenched my boots, and I looked down to see rippling waves flowing beneath us. The shouting, cracking wood, and flying goblets—all had fallen silent.
In every direction, an endless sea expanded under a horizon of violet light. Frigid chills rose from the spray, mingling with humidity from the churning storm in the heavens.
Lightning and thunder clashed above, and a warm gale blew my hair endlessly. Everyone was gone.
Except the rogue. Startled, he fell backward, and I tumbled with him.
We landed in the water, tangled. His hood flew off, revealing steel-colored curls and brilliant, emerald eyes.
Breathing heavily, I froze. My eyes traced from the firmament to his face. "What did you do?" I demanded.
"What didIdo?" He repeated. "You're the one who attacked me."
"You started it."
He gaped at me in disbelief, and I stared back. A new sensation churned in my stomach, but I couldn't place it. Comfort, unease, exhilaration, and anxiety rolling together.
This endless shallow sea should not have existed at all, let alone in the middle of a tavern brawl.
The rogue tore his hand away, and the strange scenery abruptly faded. We were back in the tavern, tangled on the wine-stained wooden floorboards.
The sound of fighting and yelling roared to life, stinging my ears like a slap.
A hand wrapped around my cloak and yanked me up, spilling my hair loose from my cowl. Panicked, I glanced behind me to see a guard in chainmail and a dark blue tabard.
Another guard grabbed the rogue and twisted his arm behind his back.
"Knock it off, all of you!" A third soldier waved his sword around, breaking up the fight. "Who’s responsible for this?"
Several pairs of eyes turned toward me.
The man holding me choked out a laugh. "A woman? I'd bet this one's our troublemaker." He nodded at the rogue.
