Page 27 of Badmouths & Bards

Taldesa was smart… and that was hot.

Gods, we’re suckers.

It was weird how badly Ameriden wanted Taldesa to like them. A woman who could fight with not just her hands, but her mouth? Who was smart and attractive? Who paraded around their room with wrap shorts that barely covered her thighs with confidence? But worse of all—a woman who had no idea she was wanted this badly?

Kill me now.

“But until we know for sure, do not under any circumstances put this ring on,” Taldesa continued, dropping it onto the table. “For all we know, you’ll put that on and burst into flames.”

“You think it was sent with malicious intent?” Casimine questioned, fingers tightening ever so slightly on Ameriden’s bicep.

“Well, we won’t really know until we get it looked at,” Taldesa sighed, folding her arms across her chest. “But it’s better to be cautious than reckless—fuck, now I’m starting to sound like Cercel.”

“Oh, yes, that beautiful man that escorted you here,” Casimine recalled. “You spend a lot of time with him?”

Ameriden wasn’t going to complain if Casimine was already thinking of a backup plan, but he was questioning how they would even get the monk into their room without Taldesa’s notice. Unless Casi was…

“If mediation counts, sure,” she scoffed, yellow eyes rolling at the idea.

“Are you close?” Ameriden asked, leaning his head against Casimine’s shoulder for emphasis.

“What? Ew, no,” Taldesa’s nose wrinkled—fuck, that was cute. “Cercel’s a nerd, he’s got his head so far up the High Conservator’s ass, I’m surprised she hasn’t thrown him up yet.”

Ameriden laughed at the visual, dark eyes observing the small twitch at the corner of her plush mouth.

“You don’t like him at all?” Casimine asked.

The real question his lover was asking was whether Taldesa found the drakonis man attractive or not. Depending on her answer, they could gleam whether she was already attached to someone and at minimum learn if she was even interested in masculine lovers. Ameriden thought everyone was good-looking, but he always assumed it was because he had been born under the Water Mother’s moon. Fluidity came with an open mind, an adventurous mind.

“As much as anyone can like a goody two-shoes,” Taldesa shrugged. “I don’t hate the guy, he’s just annoying. Kinda like you two.”

Okay, but that wasn’t a no, Ameriden thought.

“You find us annoying?” Casimine mock gasped. “However were we to know?”

“Literally the only reason why I haven’t beaten the two of you to a bloody pulp is because I was assigned to keep you safe. I swear, the minute the contract is over, I will deck both of you,” she sniped. “Repeatedly.”

“Aw, hear that Casi? We’re worth repeating,” Ameriden smirked.

Watching Taldesa lose her composure was quickly becoming one of Ameriden’s favorite activities. He could tell Casimine found it charming as well by the way his gray eyes danced, head inclined toward his. Taldesa’s eyes had closed, a knot forming in the middle of her forehead as she gritted her teeth in disbelief. Her fingers were pressing against the side of her temple.

“Do you two ever get tired of the sound of your own voices?”

“Never,” they both hummed.

“Mother fuck—”

A knock on the door followed by the loud bellow of Seira saved them for whatever rant Taldesa was about to go on. Or perhaps, Seira had saved their bodyguard as she practically bolted to the door and swung it open.

“Whoa, that was fast,” Seira walked inside, arms full of breakfast baskets and her signature work satchel strapped to her hip. “Good morning, y’all.”

“Morning, Seira,” Ameriden and Casimine sang together.

Taldesa glared at them, but Ameriden felt as pleased as a house cat.

“I brought breakfast, obviously,” Seira said as she walked toward the dining room. “I thought today we could go over some of the notes I took from town interviews. Not gonna lie, a lot of this sounds like hogwash, but I figured the faster we cut through the bullshit, the faster we can get you boys writing a new song and—why are there a bunch of roses on the table?”

“Somebody left them outside their front door,” Taldesa explained as she walked back to the table. “I didn’t find a trace of anyone in the hall when I found them. They’re not poisonous or enchanted as far as I can tell, but I’m more concerned with this.”