The man stood up, straightened his attire and brushed off the footprint Corey left on his shirt. “You girls are lucky I’m busy, or else—”
“No, buddy! You’re lucky I’m in a good mood and willing to listen to my friend here. Now run off before you make me change my mind.” Corey glared at him, her utter calm more fearful than if she were to scream at him. “You. Have. Seconds.”
The man huffed but took her advice and walked off.
Marion turned to Luna and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her shoulder ached a little, and she wondered if the universe was determined to cover her in bruises from head to toe. Between falling out of the tree when she escaped the palace, and now this, she might not be able to move tomorrow. “I’m more disappointed that he ate my macaron than anything.”
“Luckily, we can fix that for you, sweet cheeks,” Corey said, her voice back to its original honey tone. She grabbed another chocolate macaron and passed it to Luna, along with a lavender blackberry for Marion. Shethen flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Honestly. The men in this city have the worst manners I have seen yet.”
“Worse than back home?” Marion asked.
Corey shrugged. “It’s a coin toss.”
Curious, Luna asked, “Where’s back home?”
“Originally, I am from Felsway, but with all the chaos going on with the Darkened One, I had to leave. Nowadays, I float from town to town selling these,” Corey said, gesturing to the macarons.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Luna said. Though she hadn’t heard of Felsway before, she was happy Corey got out of the village in time. No one survived an attack from the Darkened One. A fact that made Luna all the more thankful that Grythorn was under Nina’s protection.
“I’m not,” Corey said with another shrug. “No child should be forced to grow up in Felsway. I’m glad it got burnt off the map, saving future generations from the misfortune. It’s how I came to know Marion. She found me afterwards and helped me make a new life.”
“That nightmare is almost behind us. That’s what matters,” Marion added as she swallowed her macaron in a single bite.
“Agreed,” Corey stated, turning to Luna. “But to answer your question, sweet cheeks, when I’m not travelling, I stay at a village just over the mountains.”
Luna tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t think there were any villages past the mountains, except for Kalt Ravine.”
“Oh, there most certainly are,” Corey replied, smiling at Marion in a way that looked like they were sharing a secret. “Many others actually.”
“I didn’t know,” Luna said. She only knew what her tutor Demetrio had taught her about geography, and apparently, he had left some things out.
The chocolate macaron was slowly melting in her hand, so Luna quickly took a bite. Her taste buds exploded, as if she had died and gone to heaven. She savoured the dessert on her tongue until it dissolved into nothing and then gulped down the remaining portion. Corey watched Luna with an amused smile lighting up her face, clearly enjoying how much her customer liked her baked goods.
Luna explained through a mouthful, “This is honestly the best thing I have ever tasted.” Quite the compliment, since Luna was used to either her mom’s or the palace’s cooking.
“Told you. Corey is the best baker I’ve ever—” Marion stopped speaking and cocked her head to the side, looking down at Luna’s chest. “What’s that?”
Luna followed her gaze. Her necklace was no longer tucked underneath the servant’s clothes; it must have shifted after the collision with the man, or maybe after falling off the wall.
“A family heirloom. Something to remind me that just because we aren’t blood, doesn’t mean we aren’t family.” Sheepishly, she tucked it back underneath her shirt.
“Hownice,” Corey said, but her tone made it seem like she didn’t think it was nice at all. Was she jealous?
Luna’s brows furrowed. “You’ve got a problem with that?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Marion interjected with a glare at Corey, who only shrugged. Marion turned back to Luna. “It’s unique, that’s all. It’s unusual to see something like that being worn.” She paused then added, “I believe I promised you a dance lesson. The tavern is just around the corner. You still up for it?”
“Of course, I am.” Ultimately, it didn’t matter what Corey’s opinion was; she loved it, and that was all that mattered. Luna looked at Corey, choosing to be cordial. “Thank you for the treat. It was very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it, sweet cheeks,” Corey said, giving them both a little wave. “Have fun at the tavern.”
Chapter 7
Tavern
They travelled a maze to get to the tavern, weaving between stalls and tents, up one alley, then down, through a tent and another, before finally arriving at an old, unlabeled brick building.
