Sophia gave her a strange look, eyebrow raised, but quickly moved on. “Two ales?”
“Two ales,” I confirmed.
With one more smirk in Rummy’s direction, she busied herself cleaning off glasses and filling our mugs to the brim.
My mouth watered at the sight.
“You know, in the two years this place has been in operation, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you here drinking ale,” Rummy snarked. “You do enjoy life sometimes, don’t you, Commander?”
The words of that last sentence were barbed, the question an insult.
Per damn usual.
I took a sip of the cold liquid and licked the foam from my upper lip. “My enjoyment typically comes from providing for my kingdom. Not that you could understand that kind of devotion. Not when your expertise lies in drinking yourself half to death and hopping into bed with the first guy who looks at you. This place—” I waved an arm, gesturing to the clearing, to the dancing patrons, to the raucous groups. “—is much more suited for you.”
Her smile dropped. “You know damn well that isn’t true.”
“Isn’t it?” Yeah, I was pushing her, but I couldn’t help it. Rummy was easily angered, and that made riling her up all the more fun. She spent her time antagonizing me, finding any pinch point she could. She deserved a taste of it herself. “You come here, what, every night? Every other night? Sneakingaround and getting drunk after the sun sets. Then wander in, looking like you’re wearing last night’s clothing—” I frowned at the hole in the knee of her pants. “—and whisper to Huntyr about how we shouldn’t help our neighboring kingdoms. Sounds noble.”
Her muscles went rigid. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“No?” I cocked a brow. “I’ve been watching you for two years, Rummy. I know a lot more than you think.”
She clenched her jaw so tightly, I worried she’d crack a tooth. “You and I arenotfriends.”
I shrugged, bringing my ale to my lips. “You wound me deeply, I really thought our relationship was heading to the next level.”
She stabbed a finger at me, almost knocking her mug over in the process. Face red, she puffed up, ready to lay into me. But before she could, Huntyr and Wolf appeared, my brother with his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
He threw his other arm over Rummy’s and pulled her in close. “Well, this looks friendly.”
Chapter 3
Rummy
“You don’t understand.”
Goddess above, I needed something stronger than ale.
Anger simmered in my veins as the asshole on the stool beside me smirked. “He’s too damn proud to think of anyone else’s interests. He wants to travel to the eastern kingdoms for himself, not for us. He’s looking for someone to save in order to bolster his own ego, per fucking usual.”
With a huff, Huntyr glanced over her shoulder to where Jessiah and Wolf spoke in hushed whispers across the bar. For brothers, they really looked nothing alike. Aside from their height and the large, sculpted shoulders, the two couldn’t possibly differ more. Wolf had massive golden wings, a gift from the goddess herself, while Jessiah’s sparkled so white and clean, they practically glowed.
“He’s a good man,” she said, her shoulders sinking. “I don’t know why you two hate each other so much now. You used to get along!”
My chest pinched. “That was before.”
“Before what?”
A shaking breath escaped me. “Before he started looking at me like I wasless-than.”
She opened her mouth, surely ready to argue, but I held my hand, cutting her off.
“Don’t act like you don’t see it, Hunt. He pities me because I’m a lowly fae living in a kingdom of vampyres and fae who wield magic. I’m nothing to him. Nobody.”
The argument simmered in her eyes, but she said nothing.
“It’s not that I hate him.” I heaved in a breath, giving myself a moment to calm my rising temper. Of the four of us, I supposed I did have the hardest time controlling my emotions. But they didn’t see the world the way I did. I only acted this way because I cared so damn much.
