“There’s those observational skills again,” he replied dryly. Then he huffed a laugh when she lifted her hand and flipped him her middle finger. “Very unqueenly, Lia.”
She rolled her eyes. “I meant it is an unlikely pairing considering how different you two are.”
“Yep,” he said, climbing some wooden steps.
“So you just…see each other when you need your power refilled or want a fuck?” she asked, genuine curiosity in her tone.
“So crass,” he chided as they came to an unmarked door.
“Sometimes the facts are,” she replied, looking up at the nondescript building. “This is where your errand is?”
“Yes. When we go inside, I need you to not ask questions,” he said.
“Why?”
“That’s a question, Lia.”
“We’re not inside, Raz.”
“If I’m a dick, you’re a smartass,” he retorted.
“For stating a fact?”
He swiped a hand down his face. “Just no questions. And pull your hood up.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she did as he said, pulling the hood of the cloak up and hiding her features. “Anything else?” she drawled.
“Are you like this with Cethin too?” he asked, reaching for the door handle.
“Like what?”
“Annoyingly mouthy.”
“Fuck off, Raz,” she muttered, pushing past him and shoving the door open.
They stepped inside, the room becoming so dim it was hard to see anything when the door closed behind them. He shifted his eyes to see better, scanning the room of wooden tables.
“It’s a tavern,” Kailia murmured. “You brought me to a tavern for an errand? What is it? Finding someone else for your bed tonight?”
He looked down at her, not minding this side of her personality coming out when she wasn’t on her best behavior inside a castle. “What kind of taverns do you frequent that you think that’s what taverns are for?”
“It’s just an observation,” she replied, staying close but keeping enough distance between them that they didn’t touch.
“I think you’re confusing taverns with brothels.”
She scoffed. “I am not. Brothels are where people go openly looking for a partner. Taverns are where they go when they’re trying to hide the fact that that’s what they’re looking for.” She paused, then added, “Or where one goes to take advantage of the unsuspecting.”
“You have spent too much time in your smoke and ashes, Lia,” he muttered, making his way through the room while also making sure she remained at his side.
They reached a booth in the back, and he nodded to the group sitting there. Three males and a female, all of them from the ships that sailed along the continent transferring goods fromone side of the Olwen Mountains to the other. There were cards and coin on the table, the group of them in the middle of a hand.
“Greybane,” one of the males greeted. His pale blue eyes skipped to Kailia, taking her in. “You’ve never brought a companion with you. Who’s this?”
“That’s not your concern, MacMillan,” Razik replied, shifting to hide her a little more from view. “Did you get what I asked for?”
The male shook his head, laying his cards face down on the table. Pulling a sack from the space beside him, he passed it over.
Razik looked over the contents for a solid minute before nodding and pulling a small pouch of coin from a swirl of black flames, tossing it on the table. The male swiped it up, not bothering to count it. He knew he was good for it.
