Salem chuckled. “Yes, you did.”
Then Sawyer turned to Ciaran. “You knew the forest folk were out there, and you didn’t tell me?”
Ciaran looked immediately guilty. “Uh, no. I knew Cern’s family lived in the mountains?—”
“You sprouted some crap about mineshafts.”
“That’s not untrue,” Ciaran said. “Technically. And at that time, you didn’t even know about us. And we have a treaty. I couldn’t tell you outright anyway.”
Aurin chuckled at them. He loved that Sawyer called Ciaran out and kept him on his toes.
“There are forest sprites and fauns in the mountains,” Fray mumbled, still trying to process everything they’d just learned.
“Yes,” Salem replied. “Tobin, you have a telepathic talent, yes?”
“Yes,” Tobin said. “You... you knew? You were unconscious in the trench....”
“You saw into my head once before. I remember that. But I also saw what you and Fray were doing before Lusca arrived. When you were practicing,” Salem explained. “I wasn’t exactly certain, but I could guess.”
“I guess you saw a lot of stuff,” Fray said, making a face. “A lot of sex stuff.” Then he shrugged. “And I apologise for nothing. You are welcome for all of it.”
Tobin snorted, but then he stood. “I’m guessing you want to show me something,” he said, walking up.
“It might help,” Salem said. “Then you can show the others, if they wish to see.”
Tobin put his hand on Salem’s arm, and they were quiet for a moment. Tobin blinked a few times, his mouth falling open. Then he snorted and looked at Aurin. “Wow. How drunk were you?”
Aurin gasped and gave Salem a small shove. “What did you show him?”
“You dancing by the fire,” Salem said, taking his hand off Tobin’s arm.
“With a forest sprite,” Tobin murmured. He shook his head, then went back to Fray and immediately held his hand.
Fray did a double-take and shot Aurin and Salem a wild look. “Holy shit. Is that... is that Cern... on a throne? He... has fucking hooves for feet!”
“I forgot about that,” Aurin said.
“Oh, I gotta see this,” Sawyer said, dragging his chair over to Tobin. “Me next.”
Then Tobin showed Sawyer, whose wide-eyed expression would have been funny if he didn’t look mildly terrified. Ciaran went next, then Hendrix.
“Great moves, Aurin,” Hendrix said.
“Yes, it’s my absolutely shitfaced routine,” Aurin said. “And also a PSA that if you’re ever offered honey mead from the forest folk, reconsider your third cup.”
Salem laughed. “You were so beautiful,” he said, almost wistfully. “Dancing by the firelight.”
Aurin smiled up at him, lost for a moment in his eyes... until someone cleared their throat.
Fray, of course. “Hey, so my list of questions,” he began. He was smiling and his eyes were bright, so Aurin knew this was going to be funny, inappropriate, or both.
“Yes?” Aurin said.
Fray grinned but he shook his head. “No, no. A serious question first.”
“Okay...”
“So before Lusca happened, we saw the shadow thing in the water. Tobes and I hid from it, but then we all joined in the search for it,” he said. “Aurin, you helped us look for it.”
