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“Very philosophical. Mind if I use that?”
“Not at all.” Aisling chuckled too.
“I suppose I could use my magic for something productive,” Brook added.
“You could. But you’re young. It’ll come to you.”
“I’m older than you!”
“Are you? I’m forty-two.”
Brook frowned. Then admitted, “Forty-one.”
Aisling leaned over and bumped Brook’s arm with her bare shoulder.
Brook glanced down. “Your freckles are very charming, you know.” She passed the bottle back.
Aisling flushed bright pink. “Well, so are your…” Her gaze trailed from Brook’s lips down her body, her legs stretched out before her, and then to her boots. “Legs.”
They both laughed at that. “You don’t do this often, do you?” Brook guessed.
“Clearly.” Aisling snorted and swigged from the bottle again. “But you… do?”
“I do, I confess. A wastrel has to keep herself amused.”
Aisling’s laugh was lighter that time, almost a giggle. “On your travels?”
“And trips to the market.” She lowered her voice and leaned in. “Though I might’ve chosen the wrong paramour last summer. He’s still after me.”
“I’m sure!” Thankfully, Aisling took this in the spirit it was intended. Bright, understanding, beautiful, and with an adventurous sense of humor? She was too good to be true.
“You could help me hide from him as well as my duty to my family,” Brook pointed out.
Aisling grinned. “My pleasure.”
They drank half the bottle, chatting about the places Brook had seen and Aisling wanted to see. Darkness crept into the campground, and glow-globes and fires lit it up in a patchwork. And then Aisling sighed and said, “Will the dance be over yet?”
“Very nearly. Enough that it’d be a lost cause for me,” Brook said, though she wanted to go on sitting here all night. Finish the bottle. Ask for a kiss.
“I’m glad I could be of help to such a distinguished lady.” Aisling bumped Brook’s arm with her shoulder again. “Thank you for the wine. And the talk. I never expected an Emberleigh would understand how my family makes me feel.”
“I assure you I do. And thank you, too.” Brook licked her lips. Then stood and held out a hand.
Aisling took it, standing on the blanket. For a moment, their gazes lingered on lips. And then they both said, “Can I—?”
“Go ahead!” Aisling laughed.
Brook ducked without another word and caught her mouth in a kiss. Light at first, lips just barely parted, breathing summerapple wine between them. And then Aisling opened up, and Brook leaned down further to get a better angle, sliding her tongue between Aisling’s lips.
Aisling gave a delicious little gasp, her hand settling on Brook’s hip, fingers digging in. Her tail whipped behind her excitedly.
Now was the time when Brook would usually make her move. Come back to mine, specifically, though it wouldn’t be the first time she’d had a little fun in the campground either. But when Aisling closed off the kiss and looked up at her, her hazel eyes full of starlight and surprise, Brook knew it was the right thing to say, “See you tomorrow?”
Aisling nodded, tail swishing her skirts. “I’m sorry. I’d like to—but I have to be up.”
Brook squeezed her hand, then kissed it before letting it go. “I’ll be here.”
When Aisling disappeared back into her wagon, Brook wrapped her magical cloak of light around herself. She slipped through the quiet market, suppressing an urge to hum to, and then into The Webbed Foot’s back entrance.
