Page 31 of Badmouths & Bards

Tala froze and Ameriden did the same.

“Um…did your…weapons just speak?”

Asinine question aside, Tala broke the hold Ameriden had on her. She snatched the opal from her sash, pulling it free from its fastening and bringing it to her mouth.

Her thumb barely brushed the glyph before she exclaimed, “Avie?! Avie, what’s going on?! What the fuck do you mean you’re in GloomsDale?! What do you mean there was an ‘incident’ at the stronghold?! Avi—”

A flash of light and the spell was over too soon.

“Fuck.” Tala swore. “Fuck.”

Chapter 14

Casimine

“Do you think this person is her lover?”

Casimine considered the question. There was a lot of unknowns when it came to their bodyguard. The revelation that she had an enchanted gem that could send messages was part of that. Despite Taldesa’s surly disposition, Casimine had spent a lot of his free time studying her. None of their more subtle acts of seduction had worked, which Casimine would have dismissed as a lack of social skills.

However, she got too frazzled whenever he was close to her. Despite her rough exterior, she wasn’t that oblivious. If Taldesa did have a lover, it would explain why she ignored their more obvious flirtations.

“I can’t say,” Casimine murmured, running his fingers through Ameriden’s hair. “But I think whatever her relationship with this person is, it’s probably her dearest one.”

Taldesa had left long before Casimine woke up. Ameriden had been there to greet him, but it was obvious that something was bothering him. While Casimine was better at avoiding his problems, Ameriden wasn’t like that. He was open in a way that Casimine had always envied. Casimine might have been the poet, but Ameriden’s ability to speak truths far outweighed his.

Ameriden’s head rested in his lap, fingers curled with Casimine’s against his chest. He looked troubled—not that he could blame him.

“What are you thinking?” Casimine asked after a beat of silence.

“I… I’m not sure.”

“It’s all right if you feel disappointed.”

“Is it?”

“Of course,” Casimine replied, catching his eye.

Another frown, another emotion that didn’t suit Ameriden’s face. Unlike him, Casimine was patient when he wasn’t drowning in fear driven ambition. For Ameriden, he would wait for as long as he could.

Until the world ends.

“What do you think about her?” Ameriden asked. “I mean, outside of being sexy.”

“I think she’s someone who has something to prove,” Casimine replied, honestly. “She’s angry—but I couldn’t say why without spending more time with her. I think she’s a lot kinder than she likes to believe, and I enjoy her humor.”

“I think I like her…”

Casimine hummed in agreement.

“Casi,” Amer gripped his hand, clutching it to his heart.

“What is it?”

“I—think I really like her.”

“Like the others?”

“No.”