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nd.”
“Why?”
Okay, Davido was seriously drunk.
The troll turned toward the part of the treehouse that overlooked the stream. The entire rec room was open to the air, and each wall was built up only half way which offered a proper view of the surroundings. A few more stools lined the ravine side.
“And what is that delightful sound, like chimes tinkling? Am I hearing the laughter of women? I’m enraptured.” He set his drink down and slid off the chair. He took three steps, almost toppled over, then weaved his way to the half-wall.
Leaning against the edge, he peered down into the pool below. He whistled, then called out over his shoulder. “Why haven’t you invited me here … ” he belched, “before. This is a visual feast. Sunny-side-up eggs all floating in the water. I’m enchanted.”
Malik set his drink down. The image that now moved through his mind of women baring their breasts, plus the fact that he was half in the bag, prompted him to join Davido.
Taking up a stool next to the troll, Malik released a heavy sigh. The sight of so much skin, however, took him straight back to being with Willow. He even felt guilty as he stared down at the bathers.
Davido whistled again and whispered, “Look at the hooters on that one. She’d have to have her lady garments special made. Float for me, sweetheart. Yeah, that’s it. On your back. Oh, yeah.”
A feminine voice called up to him, “Davido the Wise, is that you? Why, you haven’t been to my bar in a goat’s age? How are you, my fine troll?”
Davido leaned over the railing now, his inhibitions completely wiped out by the Macallan. He opened his mouth to speak, but a woman’s voice coming from behind him and strident in tone, disrupted the moment.
“Just as I thought! My visions never lie. And here you are, flirting with another woman.”
Davido whirled around, then fell right on his ass next to Malik’s stool. “My love,” he slurred.
“You’re drunk?”
Malik quickly left his stool and crossed to Vojalie, although he swayed a couple of times in making the effort. With long dark brown hair and large, expressive brown eyes, Vojalie was absolutely one of the most beautiful fae women in the Nine Realms. She carried her toddler, an adorable troll child, Bernice, on her hip.
“Hello, Vojalie.” Malik struggled to put his words in order. “It’s so nice to see you. Sorry, the inebriation is my fault. He was pretty upset when he arrived.”
Vojalie huffed a sigh. “He should have been, because I told him this would happen.”
Malik stared at Davido now struggling to his feet. “That he’d get drunk in my rec room and flirt with naked women?” Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn’t helping Davido’s cause.
“They’re naked?”
Malik felt a warmth climb his cheeks. “Uh, it’s something I sanctioned. Uh … ” No possible justification came into his head, so he shut the hell up.
“Hi,” Bernice said, her head burrowed against her mother’s neck. Her hair was a beautiful pile of soft, black curls.
Malik smiled and held out his arms to the child. The troll toddler smiled back then went to him. For reasons Malik had never understood, children tended to like and trust him and right now, he went with it. “I’ll take her flying, if that’s okay.” Kids loved to fly.
“One moment.” Vojalie planted a hand firmly on top of his head. Sudden healing waves flowed through his brain, completely reversing the effects of the alcohol. “I have a great deal of respect for you, Malik, but you’re not flying my child anywhere when you can’t even walk a straight line.”
“You did the right thing.” Glancing at Davido, he added, “I’ll take her to the aviary to see the birds.”
“That might be best.”
He switched to levitation, moved over to the right side of the platform, then launched to fly along the path that led to the bird sanctuary.
Bernice giggled her approval, clearly enjoying levitated flight. Once inside the aviary, the birds fluttered and hopped nearby, hoping for some extra seed. Dozens of Ashleaf night-birds lived within the sanctuary, each a different species and in every color of the rainbow, some with pronounced plumage, others with short bright crowns.
He’d made one complete circuit when Vojalie and Davido joined him. Davido had sobered up as well.
Vojalie explained, “All is settled between us, Malik, and I do apologize since I believe the fault may have been mine. Davido wouldn’t have gotten drunk if I hadn’t gotten angry and put that bird-spell on him. I was part of the problem and I admit it.”
Davido, holding his wife’s hand, looked up at her, “And I apologize again for leering at that troll, my love. Unconscionable.”
