“You’re with the Disce delegation?” he smiles.
He’s wearing nothing but a nice maroon shirt and black pants, the ensemble complimented by the red swirls skimming under his pale arms. He has long brown hair that falls just above his shoulders and the hint of a beard coming in to a deep stubble along his face. His smile is spirited and happy, greeting us with open friendliness.
“We are,” Alanna replies coolly, tucking her hair behind her ear, “what do you have?”
“Well,” the man gives us a look of small apology, “we’ve attempted to recreate your toddy, though I don’t know if it’ll live up to your standards. We have a brown ale that is my favorite, as well as whiskey, which I believe you have in some of your Courts.”
“Three toddies filled halfway and two full whiskeys” I quickly order for us.
The man glances away from Alanna and gives me another spirited grin, grabbing a few glasses before moving to the barrels behind him.
Alanna turns to me with questioning look.
“Just go with it,” I laugh.
We watch as the man places the five glasses on top of the stone counter, three filed with the amber liquid and two with the deep gold. I take a half-filled toddy and hand it to Alanna, then grab another and offer it to him with a grin. He looks back at me in surprise but accepts nonetheless, the smile on his face hinting that he’s a drinker too.
I take the third glass and raise it to the two of them in cheers.
“We’ll down the toddy. If it’s shit, oh well, we don’t have to think twice about it. But if it's good, we’ll order another and attempt to drink it in typical fashion.”
“Sounds like a great plan to me,” the man beams.
Alanna rolls her eyes at the two of us but clanks her glass against ours, nonetheless. The toddy’s not bad, but it’s not as good as the drink served in Gaumond.
I thank the man and reach for the whiskeys, about to pass one to Alanna, but my offer is stopped half-way when a sudden and sharp push in my chest makes me gasp.
What in the Ancients?
The feeling is new, something that doesn’t belong to me. It’s pressing at my chest and heart like a tight strain, creating an uncomfortable tension in my lungs that’s a bit painful. I quickly drop the whiskey back on the counter and turn away from Alanna, the sudden intensity now pushing so rough that it's making it hard for me to breathe.
Fuck.
What’s wrong with me?
Was there something in my drink?
Or is this Keane’s location summoning?
My question is answered by a new feeling of curiosity coursing through my chest. It accompanies the uncomfortable tension in my lungs like a burning question.
Itisthe Prince’s summoning, and he’s currently wondering where I am.
“I can feel you,” I cough out quietly.
I have no idea if Keane can hear me, but it’s worth a try. I rub my hand over my heart and chest and take a deep breath, definitely not liking the feel of his magic when he’s curious about my location.
“We’ve started drinking without you,” I flick my eyes to the barrels at my side.
His summoning squeezes my lungs once more before it morphs into his familiar chuckle against my bones. I sigh happily at the vibrations and try to rub out the intensity still lingering in my chest, feeling him release me just as quickly as he came.
Ancients.
I do my best to compose myself before turning back around to Alanna in nonchalance. The blonde Discerni is watching me with narrowed eyes again, the cool grey of her gaze piercing mine and trying to piece together what just happened.
“The toddy got caught in my throat,” I smile in apology.
I reach out for the whiskey I dropped on the counter and try to divert her attention.
