Scorpius pivots left through a tall swinging door, and I follow him and Skull out into a sprawling tavern. I exit into a throughway that leads out to clusters of tables and chairs. To my left is an immaculately stocked bar with bottles of spirits stacked to the lofty ceiling on rustic metal shelves. Butted up against that is a wall of spouted barrels that are heaped sideways, ready and waiting to be drained. A dark oak counter stretches in front of it all, only leaving room for the passageway we’re all standing in, which I assume is how servers get food and drinks to patrons from the back.
Arched stone ceilings curve above us with chandeliers hanging from the towering heights, looking like giant spoked wheels made of more dark oak and slate gray metal with globes of fairy light hanging down in a scattered array. The floor is the same light teak-colored stone as the ceiling, and there are colossal, rich oak pillars and walls holding the entire structure up.
A man fitting of the vastness of the tavern is sitting at the bar with a ledger opened in front of him and a pen that looks like a tiny twig gripped in his massive hand. He rises as we spill into the tavern, and rises before rising some more. I thought the Scorpions were tall and built, but this male has to have giant blood somewhere in his lines. His thigh is the size of a tree trunk, and his shoulders look as though they could easily carry the weight of the world on them.
“Scorpius,” he greets warmly, his voice as deep as the sound the realms make when they quake.
He pushes away from the bar and strides over to grip forearms in delighted greeting.
“Summix,” Scorpius returns, pulling the behemoth into a hug that keeps one of their arms trapped between them while the other hand pats heavily against the other’s back.
I study Summix as he releases Scorpius and pulls Skull into a half hug. His eyes are vivid pewter and his complexion a deep sorrel. Alabaster patches leach the hue from his skin in several places, most notably around the outer edge of one eye, a streak across his jaw to his ear lobe, and a mixture of pale speckles down both of his arms. Bones steps around me as Summix loosens his strong grip on Skull, and I step back, not wanting to intrude on the reunion. Fairy light shines in the curls of Summix’s crow-black hair. It’s styled into a dense mohawk, the sides shorn close and revealing more light patches on one side of his head.
“Did you close down for us?” Bones asks as he claims a hug. “Usually there’s a straggler or two in here to threaten when we arrive.”
Summix gives a derisive snort as Bones chuckles. “King Ergen raised taxes a few days ago. It’ll be quiet until folks adjust,” he grumbles.
I look to Scorpius to see if this news about his father is surprising, but his skeletal face gives nothing away. We’re in the Dawn Court, I deduce based off of what Skull told me before about where each of them are from and who their sires are. Scorpius was born in and rescued from this realm, but it’s clear nothing about that is currently fazing him. He looks as confident and comfortable as ever.
“Your visit is well timed in that regard,” Summix declares. “I’ve only got one room occupied for the night and nothing more coming in. You’ll be freer in your comings and goings, and once the whispers start, I’ll probably get an influx of fae who are willing to part with some aurems to try to catch a glimpse of the renowned and terrifying Scorpions,” he states with a chortle as though he finds the well-earned designations amusing. “Your room is rea—” Summix’s pewter gaze lands on me, and he stops mid-word, his black eyebrows shooting up with surprise.
Bones chuckles and steps to the side, exposing me further to Summix’s stunned stare.
“And what do we have here?” he asks, bewildered interest tinting his tone as he looks from me to the others in search of an answer.
“Summix, meet Telson. Telson, Summix,” Scorpius introduces, nodding his chin from the half giant to me and back again. “Telson is one of us,” he offers somewhat vaguely, and I wonder if that’s by design either for Summix or for me.
“I can see that,” Summix stammers, his gaze bouncing around the group with astonishment. “Mated?” he asks, his eyes growing even wider as he takes all of us in.
“Working on it,” Skull answers, and I suddenly choke on nothing.
I slap my chest as I try to calm the cough sputtering out of me and narrow my eyes at Skull. I’ve never framed the Scorpions or the place they’ve been vying for in my life with the title ofmate. Our situation has always felt more complex than that simple title makes room for. I don’t know much about mates, but I do know that it’s a moniker that carries a binding weight to it, a weight it seems Skull and the others have already decided they want fettered to what’s dawning between us.
I don’t know who Summix is, but he must be a close friend for them to be making such addled declarations.
“Shhh, don’t tell Telson though,” Bones whispers loudly as he conspiratorially leans toward Summix. “She’s still pretending that she’s considering heroptions.” Bones gives me a cheeky wink.
These fucking Scorpions.
Summix’s mouth splits into a wide grin, and he chuckles softly. “It’s an honor to meet you, Telson.”
I’m taken aback by the genuine regard and sincerity that’s brimming in his gaze. I nod once, not sure what else to say. I’m curious about him, curious about his relationship to Scorpius and the others, but I’m not allowed to ask questions right now.
“I’ll adjust the pallets in your quarters,” he states, and I open my mouth to argue that I actually prefer to sleep on the ground, but a look from Skull reminds me that I agreed to keep my mouth shut. “That reminds me, this arrived for you not too long ago.”
Summix strides back over to the bar and plucks a folded missive that was tucked in the pages of his ledger. He hands it to Scorpius and then looks back at the rest of us. “I’ve kept a pot of scouse and some loaves of bread warm for you if you’re hungry. I’ve also got your tankards ready if you’d rather drown in some cider or ale instead. I’ve been tinkering with that mead recipe, Bones, and I think you’ll like the results. I putcetroot in it, andby the starsdid that enhance the sweeter flavors while also cutting back on the bitter bite that last batch had.”
“You’re too good to us, Sum, I’d kill for a—”
“It’ll have to wait,” Scorpius interrupts Bones. “There’s been an issue with the informant,” he announces, holding up the opened parchment. “The quad is requesting we meet with them right away.”
ChapterForty-One
“Who is the quad?” I inquire as we step out of a block of shadows that takes up almost an entire alley.
Skull steps away from me now that we’re at the desired destination, and I take a moment to register the unique things about the shadow we’re standing in so I can add it to my ever-growing network of shadow walking options. No one immediately answers, either because they’re scanning our surroundings or enforcing thekeep your thoughts to yourselfdecree.
I roll my eyes. I understand the need to mind my manners when the Scorpions are interacting with other fae or realm contacts, but there’s no one here except us, and I can’t hold in the curiosity anymore. I’m not the greatest at following orders on my best day, which is something the Scorpionsshouldknow given what happened when we met at the ludere. Really, they should be proud as fuck that I’ve managed to stay quiet for this long. I’d call it progress.
