The men around him whoop and slap his back, pushing him around in a celebratory gesture as he nods to me from afar, his hazel eyes sparkling.
The tavern is busy when Golem and I walk in. I smile at Marybeth in greeting and meet her at the end of the pub counter, shaking my head at the many people inside that are already starting their day’s drinking.
“Alexis” she smiles, black hair flowing behind her as she reaches towards a barrel, “ale or toddy, love?”
“You remember my name,” I grin in appreciation, “ale, please.”
“It’s not every day two Knowledge humans walk into my pub and down their toddy straight,” she fills the mug and turns to drop it on thecounter, “or out-smoke even my most seasoned patrons into the end of the night.”
“It was a good night,” I beam, remembering my time with Cal at the table.
And Keane.
Ancients.Can’t forget him.
I give her a few cinerin and turn behind me, pointing at Golem who’s standing near an empty table against a far wall. “That’s my friend, Golem.”
Marybeth takes notice of his face and robes with wide eyes, offering a deep bow of respect from behind the counter. Golem does the same in return before moving back into the shadows.
“You keep an interesting set of friends, Alexis,” she says thoughtfully, “the King’s Golem, a Prince, a ruggedly handsome mountain of a man, and my little sister.”
While I don’t know if I would consider Prince Keane a friend, I stand confused about her comment regarding a sister.
“Your sister?”
“Alanna,” her eyes meet mine in small amusement.
“I had no idea,” I shake my head, though not surprised by the revelation at all. I did notice the similarities between them on that first night.
Marybeth smiles as I take a drink of ale and cleans a few mugs with the towel at her hip.
“You two are so different from eachother,” I think aloud.
That prompts an airy laugh from the Discerni.
“Oh yes, that we are.”
I thank her for the ale and make my way to the table with Golem, once again pulling out my book and cracking it’s spine. I read all the way through a second ale and only stop when I notice the slight change in sunlight outside, the door to the pub opening and bringing in the setting sun with it.
The warm light is quickly blocked when a blonde man walks in and takes in the room around him. He glances over me and moves to sit at the counter in a familiar way I can’t place, his hand flagging down Marybeth as the woman takes his drink.
“The sun is setting, Golem. Are you ready to head back?
I turn in my seat and see his eyes fixated on the stranger that just walked in.
“Golem?” I frown.
The magical creature nods just as I stand and leave a few cinerin on the table. We both make our way to the door as I wave goodbye to Marybeth, then head down the alleyway to the stables under her townhouse.
It hits me, then, when I hoist myself into Millie’s saddle, that the man’s seated posture seemed so familiar because it reminded me of the blonde at the café in the Palisades… the same man I thought I saw following me outside the window from the clothing boutique.
CHAPTER VI
DAUNTING CONVERSATIONS
“Gail,” I exhale breathlessly, looking at myself in the mirror, “I will have to steal you away to the Court of Knowledge.”
The young human girl grins and puts away her sewing kit. “I should like to travel someday, Lady Alexis.”
