Riley accepted the glass, her fingertips brushing mine. “Sounds delicious. I’m in.”
I settled beside her on the sofa close enough to feel her presence but far enough away to respect her boundaries. She took a tentative sip, her eyes widening as the liquid hit the back of her throat.
“Wow.” She coughed once. “That’s…intense.”
“Too much?”
“No.” She took another sip, more prepared this time. “It’s good. Like tequila, as you said, but with hints of… Is that cinnamon?”
“Spices that grow only in the crystal caverns.” I sipped my own drink, the familiar burn coating my tongue. “My mother infuses the raw spirit with them for three full cycles of the underground calendar.”
“Tell me more about where you grew up.” Riley tucked her legs beneath her, turning to face me.
The genuine interest in her voice loosened something in my chest. I shared stories of my childhood in a way I hadn’t with any other human. I told her about the vast caverns illuminated by bioluminescent crystals, about swimming in underground lakeswhere blind fish nibbled at our toes, about the elaborate family compounds in our region, the buildings carved into the rock walls.
“Seventeen siblings must’ve been wild,” she said, her second drink half-gone, her eyes soft in the lamplight.
“It was amazing.” I smiled at the memory.
“And how did your OCD fit into all that?”
“My systems helped me navigate it, actually. I kept the family calendar and organized supplies. My siblings teased me sometimes, but they relied on me too.”
“They still do. They trust your judgment completely.”
“And I trust theirs.” I swirled the remaining liquid in my glass. “What about you? What was your childhood like? Before…”
Riley was quiet for a moment, staring into her glass.
“We lived in an apartment in Chicago. My dad was an accountant. I guess that’s where I got my head for numbers. Mom taught third grade.” Her voice took on a wistful quality. “We didn’t have much money, but they made everything special. Dad would create elaborate treasure hunts in the park for my birthday. Mom sewed my Halloween costumes by hand.”
“They sound wonderful,” I said.
“They were.” She met my eyes. “They taught me the importance of doing what’s right, even when it’s hard. Dad always said, ‘The easy path and the right path rarely look the same.’“
“Wise words.”
“Yeah.” She drained the last of her drink. “SometimesI wonder what they’d think of me now. On the run, hiding who I am.”
“They’d be proud. You stood up against corruption that most people would’ve ignored. You risked everything for justice.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do.” I set my glass down on the coffee table. “What you did was brave, Riley. Don’t ever think otherwise.”
She placed her empty glass beside mine and leaned toward me.
“Thank you,” she whispered, rising onto her knees and cupping my shoulders. “I appreciate hearing that.”
She pressed her lips to mine. The kiss tasted of orcish spirits and something uniquely Riley, sweet and intoxicating. I slid a hand around her waist, drawing her closer as she melted against me.
When she pulled back, her eyes had darkened, the pupils expanded. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
“Only all night?” I brushed my thumb across her lower lip. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.”
Her laugh came out soft, breathless. “That long?”
“Longer, maybe. I was waiting for you before I even knew you existed.”
