“She’s not grinding yet,” Bones drawled. “I’ll let you know when she is. And I already ordered us drinks.”
I’d tensed a little, but not from that.
Should I have gotten you one?I asked him.A drink?
No.His hand tightened on my arse, pulling me closer.That’s what the goblins are for. Relax, Shadow. They’re just taking the piss. I warned you they’d do that, you being fresh meat.He gave me a bare glance.And tell me if I cross any lines.
I relaxed slightly in his arms.You do the same.
I practically felt him roll his eyes.
Pulling my gaze off Elysia Warrington and her mage, I glanced around at where we sat, taking stock of the entire area around the fire. Most of the chairs were full, like Voltaire had said, and I was surprised again by how many faces I didn’t know.
I glanced surreptitiously down the rows of magicked armchairs and couches.
There were even more tables and couches lined up behind us, which meant we were likely their primary view. I glimpsed more of those creatures walking around, goblins, presumably, from what Bones had said. They were squat and long-limbed, with squashed faces, green and blue skin, and large, bulbous eyes.
I was still staring at one as it handed drinks to two witches on a nearby couch, when the one Bones had motioned over returned, holding a tray with our drinks.
Bones handed me one of the tall, thin glasses filled with frothy pink liquid.
His glass contained what looked like a dark, dense, hard alcohol.
He saw me observing it and lifted another eyebrow.
“Want to try it, love?” he asked. “It’s a family blend.”
I took the glass from him, raised it to my lips cautiously, and took a medium-sized swallow. I promptly choked on it, pretty much the instant it hit my throat, and all the mages around me burst out in laughter, along with a few of the witches.
I handed the glass back to Bones, still coughing a little.
Voltaire’s voice was magnanimous, if deeply condescending.
“He loves burning the throats of his new witches,” the mammoth-sized mage said, winking at me, but with a friendly smile. “Bones is immune. He was raised on the stuff. His father owns the distillery on the coast of Scotland.”
I glanced at Bones and he smirked, holding up his glass with three fingers in a brief toast before he downed the entire contents in a series of swallows. He let out a sharp exhale at the end, but otherwise didn’t change expression as he lowered his empty glass to the armrest. I saw him motion with it subtly to one of the goblins. The blue-skinned creature bowed, took theempty glass, then immediately scurried off, presumably to fetch him another.
Leaning against his chest, I took a sip of the pink, frothy drink he’d given me first. It reminded me of champagne, at least what I remembered of champagne the one time I’d had it in Overworld. It was sweeter though, and the bubbles filled my nose.
“So is this one going to put on a show for us, like the one you had forLá Bealtaine?”the older, dark-haired mage asked, sitting on a chair across from us when a different couple vacated it. Elysia Warrington squeezed in next to him, but continued to scowl at me and Bones.
“No,” Bones said, scoffing. “And you wish.”
“Why not?” Pants asked. He sat in the chair next to the older mage, where a witch, presumably his date, squeezed over to accommodate him. “You like the friendly ones, don’t you?”
“More like, they like him,” a different, auburn-haired mage grunted. “They like his bank account and title, anyway.”
“I bet this one could be friendly, we get a few more drinks in her.” Scar leered.
“Maybe Bones is sweet on her?” Norrick joked.
I saw his eyes on Bones’s free hand, however, which still rested on the chair’s arm.
Something in that stare made me tense.
Should I be doing more?I asked Bones. I aimed a smile at Norrick, then lifted the glass of pink drink to my lips.I should be doing more, shouldn’t I?
Bones lifted his hand from the chair and rested it on my knee. After a faint pause, he slid it higher on my leg. His fingers stroked the inside of my thigh, and I jumped for real.
