“We have ale?” Eira raised her eyebrows. Levit hadn’t seemed keen to let Noelle have wine for the road. She would’ve assumed this would be an event free of libations for the champions.
“As Lumeria said, you will have all you need.” He chuckled.
“I’m not sure if ale can be classified as a ‘need.’”
“Speak for yourself.” Noelle dropped her flagon onto the bar and threw her arm over Eira’s shoulders. “Were you going to ignore us the entire time?”
Eira laughed, patting her friend’s back and shoving the thick slice of bread and jam in her mouth. Which made it difficult to speak and required a gulp of her own ale before she could get out words. “I was absolutely famished and all I could focus on was the prospect of food; I didn’t even see you were here, sorry.”
“It’s not just me.” Noelle took up her flagon and turned them back toward one of the tables. Alyss was wedged amidst the morphi team. Olivin and his two teammates were on the opposite side of the table. Eira bit back a groan at his presence and instead forced a smile as Noelle ushered them over.
“Now that Eira is here, we can properly celebrate.” Noelle raised her flagon.
“What about Cullen?” Alyss asked. She looked to Eira. “He went to see if you were—”
“Blargh—” Noelle made a noise halfway between a burp and a groan. “Cullen. We don’t need him to celebrate.” She thrust her flagon forward with such insistence that the morphi, and then the elfin, followed. “To Solaris, the winners of the tournament!”
“Winners of thegame.” Alyss laughed. Judging from Noelle’s slight sway, this was not their first pint of ale. “We haven’t won the tournament.”
“Yet,” Eira added optimistically.
“‘Yet’?” One of Meru’s competitors raised her glass. She had pale skin and curly, red hair. “Is everyone from Solaris so cocky?”
“It’s not cockiness when you’re that good.” Noelle beamed from ear to ear and squeezed herself between Alyss and Ducot without asking.
“So I take it we won?” Eira pulled up a chair and seated herself at the head of the table. The benches on either side were too cramped.
“I thought I’d mentioned that.” Olivin had the gall to look surprised. “I’mso sorryI didn’t.” He was fighting back a smile as if this was the most amusing game he’d played in weeks.
Eira forced a wider smile and reached over to pat his knee. Olivin seemed genuinely surprised and caught off guard by the unexpected contact. “It’s all right. I know how worried you were for your teammate. That was all you could focus on. Because you are so noble.”
Olivin grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. It was Eira’s turn to be startled. She was pleased when it didn’t reach her face, however. They were definitely playing a game.
“That’s so good of you, Eira. Thank you for understanding my position.”
“Of course I would. I would be beside myself with worry if something happened to one of my teammates.” Eira squeezed his hand tighter.
He did the same. Their knuckles were white and hands shaking. “You’re truly a formidable player, and a good woman.”
“Do you two want to get a room?” Ducot asked dryly.
“No rooms necessary. Everyone can see my gratitude for our Solaris competitor’s compassion,” Olivin said with a dramatic flair.
Ducot made a gagging noise.
Eira pulled away with a laugh and a roll of her eyes. She’d played up the joke and, to her surprise, Olivin had matched her at every turn, including the levity at the end. He didn’t wear a smile of someone who had been victorious in disarming her. Or a smile of a man smug in his ability to pull on the heartstrings of a woman. But a conspiratorial smile. As if they had created some kind of joke intended just for them.
She emphasized her expression, allowing him to think what he wanted. The more comfortable he felt around her, the better.She was going to be the one disarming, for once. She released his fingers.
“I’m afraid I don’t know everyone’s names,” Eira said, shifting the topic. “I know Ducot and Graff, Olivin…”
“I’m Menna,” the elfin woman who had spoken earlier said. Her expression wasn’t overly warm, but it wasn’t cold, either.
“I’m Sorrah,” a morphi woman with a triangle of dots between where eyebrows would normally be said.
“And I’m Luccarius.” The other morphi competitor raised his flagon. “But everyone just calls me Luca for short.”
“I’m Evanel,” the other elfin said.
