“I already did.”
“No way.” Riley remembered something. “Oh, is that why he threw you into the lake before he left last year?”
A pause. “Maybe.”
Riley grinned. “You’re such a doofus.”
“I try.”
She studied his glass. “What the hell is a Bubbly Trojan, anyway?”
The server ambled to their table with two of the hurricane glasses filled with the bubbly yellow drink, decorated with mini paper umbrellas and fruit. Riley didn’t recognize the woman serving her, surprised to see a human in the bar. Not that she came to the marketplace all that often, but she’d never seen a human serving in the Ribald Unicorn.
The woman had a pixie-like face, one that stood out because she was inordinately pretty and wore no glamour or spell that Riley would sense. She had an average height and build and wore jeans and aUnicorns Ruletee-shirt.
The woman smiled, her sparkling brown eyes lit with laughter. “Talon actually came up with the name. It’s a lot of fruit juice, a lot of pineapple, actually, with some carbonation and a touch of whatever the Hag in the back puts together in powder form. They won’t tell me since I’m only human, but it’s supposedly a hangover and no sleep cure-all. Gives you energy but not the illegal high. I brought you one to try if you want.”
Max took his and downed half of it in one sip.
Riley shrugged. “Sure, I’m game.” She sipped and found it delicious. “Thanks. Say, have you seen Talon around?”
“He just came in the back and stopped to talk to Janna. I’ll tell him you’re asking for him.”
“Thanks.”
The server nodded, met Riley’s gaze for a moment, then turned and left.
“Okay, that’s unexpected.” Max frowned. “I can’t smell anything.” He lifted his head and sniffed. “Shit. Nothing.”
Riley had a bad feeling, but Talon arrived before she could do anything. “Max, be ready.”
He gave a soft snarl. “I’m going to fuck him up so hard.”
Talon sat across from them in the booth. Not wise for a shapeshifter looking at two angry lycans. “Okay, before you two pounce and pull me apart, I’m not stupid. Would I be here facing you if I’d screwed you over?”
“Yes,” she and Max answered at the same time.
Talon grinned, but Riley thought he looked a little stressed. “I know I didn’t tell you Antonia had given me the artifact, but I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Riley growled.
“I’m not,” he said, serious for once. “Lycans were conniving with sorcerers, and you don’t need to be psychic to know that’s going to blow up in someone’s face. Then some Wildridge dire shows up to make a deal with me because she knew I had a connection to Max. It didn’t smell on the up and up, if you know what I mean.”
“I wouldn’t know right now.” Max sniffed again. “What was in that drink?”
Talon smiled, his pupils dilating, the irises turning eagle-yellow. “Well now. That’s for me to know.” He leaned closer. “He’s coming. Riley, drink the rest of yours before he gets here. Hurry.”
“I’m not touching that shit.”
“Do it, or your cousin dies before I get him the antidote.”
She froze, debating her chances of killing Talon before he could move or letting this play out.
“You fucker.” Max snarled. He didn’t look poisoned, but then, she couldn’t tell. Her own senses felt a little fuzzy. No doubt thanks to that Bubbly Trojan.
“Don’t even think about jumping me, Riley. I don’t have much time, and I’m not here to die.” Talon glanced over his shoulder, spotted the human server, and nodded.
She nodded back and disappeared somewhere in the bar.
