Sonah snapped her gaze back over to the other table and her eyes widened when she spotted the man in question. “Oh…. aye. That’s… that’s a man. A gorgeous man.”
Terena chanced a look at Daris Antonius and caught him staring at her. She turned away quickly, but Sonah was merciless. “Oh, I think he likes you, too,” she said, her smirk turning wicked as she shifted closer to Terena. She flicked another glance at the commander before turning back to Terena. “Do you think he has sex dreams about you, too?”
Terena shrieked and lunged for Sonah as the girl flung her head back and guffawed, the two women embracing and cackling like idiots.
Gabriol came back with a tray filled with more of the miniature glasses. After he’d plunked down enough for their table, he took the few steps over to Jason’s table and dropped the tray with the rest in front of him. “Yiamas!”
Terena watched out of the corner of her eye as Jason smirked, but she shifted to look at Daris, seated across from Jason. She cursed under her breath to catch him watching her still.
“All right, one more, then more dancing,” Sonah screeched at them and they agreed with much laughter. They lifted their glasses and screamed out the toast, earning them laughter from Jason’s table.
They stood almost at the same time, Sonah slower as she tried to control her coughing again. Terena pushed out her chair and rose, ready to follow the others, when a wave of dizziness rocked her andshe pitched back. Rydon shot forward to grab her, but Jason, sitting just as close, had a hand tight around her elbow. She thanked him breathlessly, then laughed as her friends began wending their way through the crowd toward the back and the music.
Terena shot a quick glance at Jason’s table as she followed and saw they, too, had all finished their Ambrosia.
All except Daris.
Terena didn’t know if it was the drinking making her bold, or that she felt alive for the first time in a long time, but she stopped in front of the commander and arched an eyebrow as she looked down at him.
He watched her, a wary look on his face.
A slow grin spread across Terena’s face. “Not taking any drinks from us?”
She saw a corner of his full lips rise in a small smile as he regarded her. “I don’t drink.”
Her heart thudded, her body languid as she looked at him and the way his mouth moved. She thought again of how beautiful this man was.
Dangerously so.
But she was carefree right then. Instead of doing the smart thing and walking away, Terena’s smile turned wicked and, without taking her eyes off him, she lifted the glass of Ambrosia to her lips and tossed her head back. The drink once more burned a path down her insides, and she closed her eyes for a second before looking back at him.
She turned the glass over and set it softly down on the table near his hand and whispered, “Yiamas,” as she walked away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
It was close to dawn before they finally set out for the inn. The streets were quiet, only a few others about at that time of day: the ones starting their day and others—like Terena and her friends—just finishing.
They were a few streets away from the inn when Terena turned her head to laugh at something Croak had said and almost fell over. The others laughed at her, thinking her clumsiness a result of her drinking. When Terena fell against a cart and slumped over, Rydon lunged for her, grabbing her around the waist to steady her.
“Easy,” he said as he held her. “We’ve all been there.”
“No,” Terena whispered, her head pounding. She looked around and saw the street, but differently. It was much darker out in this new perspective, and the streets were alive with crowds looking for merriment. Terena opened her mouth, clutching at Rydon’s hand, her eyes darting around to take in this new reality, when her gaze settled on a small, one story building ahead of them on the left.
She was having a vision. The vertigo was so strong she held on to Rydon as the vision superimposed over the street where they were stopped. Terena narrowed her eyes at that building and took a few steps forward.
“Whoa, easy, Ren,” Rydon said, but she took another few steps, her eyes fixed on the building where people only she could see stood outside.
“We need to go there,” she said, her voice strong despite still feeling dizzy.
“What, another tavern?” Croak said over a belch. “I mean, I’m good for one last round if you are, Ren.”
“I’m so tired,” Sonah whined. “Let’s save it for tomorrow.”
“I don’t think it’s open, regardless,” Gabriol said, his eyes on the building Terena had indicated. He turned back to her, his arms akimbo. “Do you know it?”
Terena stared at it another moment before glancing at Gabriol. “Aye. I’ve seen it before.”
“Another vision?” Rydon asked, his gaze narrowed as he watched her carefully.
