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He grinned back. “Very well,Isla.” He began leading them through the masses. “Can you communicate through your mating bond from this distance?”
Isla raised a brow, carefully dodging bodies. “Uh, this far away, it’s more tugs and feelings, but if Kai felt anything strong enough, I’d know.”
Jax considered. “And it’s the same for you?”
Isla nodded slowly.
“Well, tug at the bastard and tell him he’s an asshole for missing a good time.” She laughed, fully intent on doing so, when Jax continued, “What’s your drink of choice?”
Isla shrugged. “Anything but whiskey, honestly. I’m not picky.”
The four of them headed to the closest bar, a shack styled with the vibrancy of someplace tropical, all of its drinks served with what appeared to be miniature palm fronds.
Isla squeezed herself onto one of the mahogany stools that had just been freed while Jax shifted to get the bartender’s attention to order drinks. Her eyes greedily gulped down all that lay around her, partly as a warrior’s assessment. People surrounding her ate and drank, flirted, and played cards or dice. The smoke flitting by her nose from a man’s pipe smelled sweet, addictive even, enough so that she’d elected not to inhale too deeply.
As Isla noticed couples walking hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm—some engaged evenmoreclosely—she decided to reach inside herself, find a thread, and give it a small, loving tug. She twisted her head to observe the moon, the Goddess watching above. Hopefully, he and the pup were okay.
When Isla turned to rest her back against the bar, she found Ameera had gone off, a few yards away, catching a server and likely placing an order of food. Amalie had vanished entirely. Isla didn’t blame her.
“Excuse me?”
Isla’s gaze shifted as a petite woman with cropped ebony hair sidled up beside her. Her heart jumped into her throat. Did she know who she was?
Isla gave her a once-over: she was just around Davina’s size, so Isla had several inches on the woman and extensive levels of training. Though, looks were deceiving. The blade she kept hidden under her jacket bit at her side—just in case. It would be unwise to deem she wasn’t a threat.
Isla gave the woman a polite smile. No one else seemed to pay them any mind. Jax and Ameera hadn’t noticed either. “Yes?”
From a stack in her hands that she’d kept tucked so close Isla nearly missed them, she handed Isla a flyer. “If you don’t have plans for later in the night, I think you might enjoy the show.”
Isla peered down, examining its bold-colored surface, an epic splash of red hues. She held it back to view the clearer image of a man’s face partially shielded by his tipping hat. Printed in white over its surface had been a calling card.Silver the Magnificent.
Isla furrowed her brows. “A magic show?”
Funny. Magic was entertainment as long as it wasn’t real.
“I’d say so. There’s definitely magic in Silver’s words. The show is inspiring. I think you’ll leave with a fresh perspective.”
Isla’s eyes dragged over the woman’s appearance again, not noting any strange jewelry or odd posturing like she was clumsily hiding a weapon. Her gaze dropped back to the paper. “Uh, thank you. I’ll see if we have time to…” When she looked back up, she was gone.
“Who was that?”
Isla whipped around to Jax, who carried two palm-frond-decorated drinks in his hands. The scent of coconut wafter up to her, though she wasn’t too sure how they’d settle in this nervous pit forming in her stomach.
Isla flashed him the front of the flyer. “Some woman just gave me this for the magic show tonight.”
“Magic show?” Jax tilted his head and leaned over. Isla watched the slight widening of his eyes, though it vanished quickly. “Oh, that?” He left her glass on the bar behind her. When she turned to reach for it, she felt the paper being smoothly eased from her grip, realizing it too late. “You don’t need that.”
Isla’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Why not?"
Fear flashed over Jax’s face as if he’d just remembered what she was despite the casualness. He’d torn it away from a queen. “The show’s not that great, trust me. There are much more entertaining things to do, and we’ll probably be gone anyway.”
“It’s only in a couple of hours, though.”
“We have the breakfast early in the morning.” He crumbled the pamphlet in his hands before gesturing out to the crowd. “Come on. There’s much more of the island to see.”
For now, Isla decided she’d give in because, of course, she’d formulated a plan. “Let’s wait for Ameera,” she said gentler, sweeter, allowing Jax to let his guard down. While he moved back a few steps to throw the pamphlet away, Isla shrugged off her jacket and hung it beneath the bar.
She could’ve sworn she heard Kai’s voice in her head, his laugh tiptoeing down her spine.You can never let anything go, can you?
