The man tilted his head, his lips pursed. He said nothing more as he squeezed her forearm once before dropping it.
The man strode past her and Terena looked over her shoulder to see him file out with the other Liodari, both of whom were looking at her before they disappeared into the crowd.
Terena’s shoulders drooped as she made her way toward the gate. Rydon stood there with his arms folded over his chest.
Her face burned. She knew what he was going to say before he said it and it galled her she’d lost in such an idiotic way.
Never turn your back,Lorence had told them repeatedly. More than once, he’d caught her butt with the flat of his sword when she’d failed to learn the lesson.
“Let’s go drink,” Croak said, throwing his arm over Terena’s shoulders.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The city offered so many diversions, it wasn’t hard to find one suited to their mood. The first tavern they stopped at was good for drinking, but the people were reserved and definitely gave them all side eyes or outright scowls whenever they became too loud.
They wandered down a few streets afterward, still giggly and buzzed, their spirits high.
Terena grinned as she meandered behind the others, laughing when Croak did a cartwheel. She recalled another time when his antics had gotten them kicked out of a tavern in Metilai, and Terena sobered a bit. Thoughts of Lerek crashed down on her cheerful mood. Sonah grabbed her arm and twirled. Terena smiled at her, glad she was feeling comfortable enough to let loose.
“I want to dance!” Sonah shouted as she did another twirl in front of their group.
“Oh!” Croak called out, his hand flying to his ear. “I hear music!”
And then belched.
They all let out a chorus of disgusted outrage and pleas for him to stop. Croak ignored them, grabbed Sonah around the waist and spun her around and round before crashing into a group of bystanders walking in the opposite direction.
“Another round?” Gabriol asked. “There’s a tavern right there,” he added, pointing to their left.
Rydon and Terena followed, Sonah and Croak skipping along behind them.
A group of soldiers from the City Watch—hopefully, off-duty—held court near the front doors, greeting every newcomer with a boisterous cry and salute with their drinks.
Gabriol flinched, his hand shooting to the hilt of his sword. His lips cracked a grin when the men began serenading Sonah and Terena.
Every citizen on this side of the city seemed to pack the tavern. Terena lost Rydon and Gabriol in the thickness of the undulating crowd, catching up with them a minute later. Looking at everyone to see if they were looking at her, Terena relaxed her shoulders. No one cared or knew who she was.
Gabriol motioned to her when she caught his eye, a tankard of ale held up over his head. Someone jostled him and his hand sloshed ale on the person in front of Terena. The man’s only response was to scream, “Again!” as he tipped his head back.
Gabriol grinned and poured ale into the man’s mouth and the crowd around them cheered.
By the time Terena got close enough to grab the tankard from Gabriol, the bartender turned it into a game, pouring ale into the mouths of those closest to the bar.
“Hey, hey!” Croak yelled at the bartender, cupping his hand around his mouth as he leaned in. “Where can we find some music around here? My lady’s desperate to dance!”
Terena turned her gaze to Sonah. Instead of cowering low with a deep flush staining her cheeks, as was her typical reaction to anything obnoxious Croak did, she was grinning and hopping up and down. Terena smiled to see the grip she had on Croak’s arm.
“Music, aye!” The man called back with an enthusiastic nod. “Give me a minute. I have just the boys we need.”
The bartender went to the far end of the bar and leaned down to another man, whispering something in his ear. The man nodded and ducked under the counter, disappearing somewhere in the crowd.
“A toast!” Rydon yelled, his voice booming over the crowd. They all crowded close with glasses raised. “Gabriol—never doubted you, brother. You,” he winked at Terena, “of course we knew you were a badass from the beginning. But to almost best a Liodari with only daggers? Fuckinggoddess!”
Terena flinched at the word, but the others all cheered so she joined in, holding her tankard up and slapping it against the others.
“How did you move like that? You were a blur!” Gabriol yelled over the noise after taking a swig of his drink.
Terena shrugged and took another drink. “Wasn’t fast enough.”
