“Of course,” Fieran said. “Well, as Maura said, we’ll need to come back properly supplied.”
“How deep is the rip?” Ander frowned. “Waiting until morning seems foolhardy when we know how to stop another attack.”
“If Maura says we wait until morning, we wait,” Fieran cut him off.
I had never, in all my life, seen two men have a pissing contest supporting women’s opinions. It felt as surreal as watching dragons soar across the face of the moon.
Fieran added, “We can take turns keeping watch tonight. Teams of two.”
“I’ve got first watch,” Haron said, the first time I’d heard their voice.
They seemed eager not to be part of whatever was happening between these members of the two clans.
“I’ll join you,” Az said.
Well, that should make for a quiet start to the night. I barely knew what either of their voices sounded like.
Still, knowing that they would be standing guard here made me feel a thousand times better. I couldn’t imagine going to sleep tonight, knowing there was an open rip allowing monsters through.
I was glad the dragon shifters were here.
Even though, from the way they were eying each other, no one else felt that sentiment.
Eleven
An hour later, we had made it back down the mountain. It was late, and I should get home, and I was about to say just that when Fieran looked at me and said, “Have a drink with us before you go home. And some cake.”
I hesitated, but I needed to know if he knew my secret.
And I had some pretty powerful feelings about cake, too.
“You won’t be able to sleep anyway,” he added, and I was sure he meant because I knew he knew my secret, and then he added, “Adrenaline.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
In the lodging house, Louisa had already gone to bed, but there were cold meats and cheese, fresh bread and fruit, and a table spread with desserts. My mouth began to water.
Fieran prepared his food at the side table while Maura eyed me curiously, pouring spiced wine. “How much do mortals drink?”
“No one, mortal or Fae, drinks as much as you,” Dairen said, taking the bottle out of her hand.
She gave him a sharp smile back and raised another bottle to clink against the one he’d just taken. “Certain to be true tonight.”
Nixi rolled her eyes.
Fieran set a plate in front of me as he set his own down, taking his seat. I glanced up at him, perplexed.
Nixi clicked her tongue. “You’re going to confuse the mortal about the way the world works. Shifters serving? And a pr?—”
“Enough,” Ander cut Nixi off.
Fieran had raised his gaze to Nixi’s, full of warning, but since Ander had spoken, he just turned to me.
“Eat something,” Fieran said, pushing the plate toward me. “Especially if Maura is going to try to get you to drink with her.”
“I’ll be careful with the tender mortal,” Maura promised, which felt very much like a promise to do the opposite.
I picked up the sandwich Fieran had made, and suddenly I was starving. It had been a long night.
