farting.”
“That always made me giggle.”
“You’re hopeless,” Joline said. She started fixing some drinks at the bar. “Now, wipe those tears away and drink th—”
“What is i t?” Mercy said.
“ Uh …” Joline stared at the entrance of the Magi Roost. “Nothin but a-a …”
Mercy followed her gaze to the figures at the front door. Her tears and sobbing stopped.
“I’ll get him a table!”
“No, I’ll …” Joline said, reaching out.
Mercy avoided her grasp and headed over to the two people in the doorway.
One was a man, adorned in a fine looking traveler’s tunic. His face was impossibly handsome, every feature perfectly formed from his chin to his teeth to the golden blond hair on his head. When his eyes met hers, he nodded at her, and she was at a loss for breath. The man was striking, mysterious, and incredible all at the same time.
He must be a Royal, maybe a member of Kam’s family .
“Shall I find you a table, Sir ?” Joline heard Mercy say.
“Something by the bar, little thing,” a stocky woman said. She was taller than most women, garbed in outdoor leathers. Had a brassy voice. She was rugged too. A knife strapped to her wide hips and a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. “And, do you have any pickles? My friend here really likes pickles.”
“Uh … well, yes, we have some pickles. Does is like them raw or fried?” Mercy said . She hadn’t taken her eyes off the man.
The man, surveying the room, didn’ t say a word, but the mention of the word pickles brought the slightest smile to his lips.
The outdoorswoman stuck her hand in Mercy’s face and snapped her fingers. “Honey, I didn’t ask what kind you had. I just asked if you had them.” She looked around at the curious faces. “Now where is our table? We need a seat; my feet are aching.”
“Certainly,” Mercy said, looking at Joline.
Joline nodded at two stools at the end of the bar where Mikkel and Billip used to sit. Joline usually didn’t let people sit there unless it was very crowded.
As the two were about to take a seat, an exhausted group of travelers pushed their way inside.
The stocky woman stormed at them and yelled at the close st one. “March your arses out of here! Wait until we come out.”
“But we ’re hungry, Darlene,” one man said. He was old. Eyes pleading. “We have some money.”
Darlene grabbed the man by his jerkin and pulled him down face to face with her . “I don’t care where you eat, as long as it isn’t here. Scorch wants to dine alone, and I’ve already warned you to keep your distance. And you know what can happen if you don’t.”
The small group of people shook their heads , averting her gaze.
“Idiots, do I have to remind you ?” Darlene held out her fist and flicked open her fingers. “Poof! Just like the underlings.”
They started backing through the door, their eyes filled with horror.
“Eat somewhere else, and I’ll let you know when he needs you.”
Darlene walked towards Joline, spun on her heel and whistled. “Nice place you have here. Mmmm-Hmm. So what do you have that’s special to drink? I tell you what, Miss. I’m so thirsty, I think I could drink a goblet of goat pee.”
Taken aback, Joline said, “We don’t have any of that her e, but you and your companion might like this.” Without thinking, she reached up and grabbed a half-moon bottle of Muckle Sap from the shelf and poured a sample into a tumbler.
What am I doing?
She glanced at the end of the bar, toward the jaw-droppingly handsome man called Scorch. He seemed to be watching everyone in the room at the same time.
They might not even have any m eans .
She p ushed the tumbler to Darlene. “Try this, a, Darlene, is it?”
“You are pretty quick, uh—”
“Joline.”
“Yes, Joline. You know , I had a cousin named Coline, but she stopped talking to me when we were children.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“I kicked her in the crotch for being ornery. She said
“That always made me giggle.”
“You’re hopeless,” Joline said. She started fixing some drinks at the bar. “Now, wipe those tears away and drink th—”
“What is i t?” Mercy said.
“ Uh …” Joline stared at the entrance of the Magi Roost. “Nothin but a-a …”
Mercy followed her gaze to the figures at the front door. Her tears and sobbing stopped.
“I’ll get him a table!”
“No, I’ll …” Joline said, reaching out.
Mercy avoided her grasp and headed over to the two people in the doorway.
One was a man, adorned in a fine looking traveler’s tunic. His face was impossibly handsome, every feature perfectly formed from his chin to his teeth to the golden blond hair on his head. When his eyes met hers, he nodded at her, and she was at a loss for breath. The man was striking, mysterious, and incredible all at the same time.
He must be a Royal, maybe a member of Kam’s family .
“Shall I find you a table, Sir ?” Joline heard Mercy say.
“Something by the bar, little thing,” a stocky woman said. She was taller than most women, garbed in outdoor leathers. Had a brassy voice. She was rugged too. A knife strapped to her wide hips and a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. “And, do you have any pickles? My friend here really likes pickles.”
“Uh … well, yes, we have some pickles. Does is like them raw or fried?” Mercy said . She hadn’t taken her eyes off the man.
The man, surveying the room, didn’ t say a word, but the mention of the word pickles brought the slightest smile to his lips.
The outdoorswoman stuck her hand in Mercy’s face and snapped her fingers. “Honey, I didn’t ask what kind you had. I just asked if you had them.” She looked around at the curious faces. “Now where is our table? We need a seat; my feet are aching.”
“Certainly,” Mercy said, looking at Joline.
Joline nodded at two stools at the end of the bar where Mikkel and Billip used to sit. Joline usually didn’t let people sit there unless it was very crowded.
As the two were about to take a seat, an exhausted group of travelers pushed their way inside.
The stocky woman stormed at them and yelled at the close st one. “March your arses out of here! Wait until we come out.”
“But we ’re hungry, Darlene,” one man said. He was old. Eyes pleading. “We have some money.”
Darlene grabbed the man by his jerkin and pulled him down face to face with her . “I don’t care where you eat, as long as it isn’t here. Scorch wants to dine alone, and I’ve already warned you to keep your distance. And you know what can happen if you don’t.”
The small group of people shook their heads , averting her gaze.
“Idiots, do I have to remind you ?” Darlene held out her fist and flicked open her fingers. “Poof! Just like the underlings.”
They started backing through the door, their eyes filled with horror.
“Eat somewhere else, and I’ll let you know when he needs you.”
Darlene walked towards Joline, spun on her heel and whistled. “Nice place you have here. Mmmm-Hmm. So what do you have that’s special to drink? I tell you what, Miss. I’m so thirsty, I think I could drink a goblet of goat pee.”
Taken aback, Joline said, “We don’t have any of that her e, but you and your companion might like this.” Without thinking, she reached up and grabbed a half-moon bottle of Muckle Sap from the shelf and poured a sample into a tumbler.
What am I doing?
She glanced at the end of the bar, toward the jaw-droppingly handsome man called Scorch. He seemed to be watching everyone in the room at the same time.
They might not even have any m eans .
She p ushed the tumbler to Darlene. “Try this, a, Darlene, is it?”
“You are pretty quick, uh—”
“Joline.”
“Yes, Joline. You know , I had a cousin named Coline, but she stopped talking to me when we were children.”
“Oh, why is that?”
“I kicked her in the crotch for being ornery. She said
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