“Some of us have more sophisticated palates, Nereus,” Ephraim huffed, his wings shaking in annoyance.
I laughed, putting the lemon wedge in the citrus juicer and squeezing tightly. “I don’t mind, really! Keeps things interesting.”
“See?” Ephraim said, his chest puffing out. “I’m more interesting than you.”
Nereus rolled his eyes. “And we all know what ‘interesting’ means…”
“Keep it in your pants, alphas,” Selene growled as she entered, bringing in clean glasses. “And give Briar a break. She’s here to make drinks, not coddle your fragile egos, for Vorrak’s sake.”
“Well, since she didn’t make my drink, she can work her charms on my ego instead,” Nereus winked. “Ain’t that right, sugar?”
I gave Ephraim his whiskey sour and then headed towards the merfolk, leaning in front of him with a playful smirk. “I don’t think there are enough charms in all of Lundaria that can help your ego,sugar.”
The other patrons laughed and Nereus chuckled shyly, taking another swig. “Worth a shot.”
“You doin’ alright?” Selene asked me quietly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
The alpha werewolf, my “older sister,” wasn’t the most outwardly cuddly person to the guys, but with me, she was different. Werewolves could be dangerous, but once they considered you “pack,” they were the most protective Magiks around.
“Great, thanks. Haven’t spilled anything yet, so I’ll count that as a win.”
She offered me a warm smile and then whispered in my ear. “Morgana wants to talk to you. Why don’t you take your break?”
I dried my hands on the towel hanging from my apron. “Okay, I’ll be back in fifteen!”
Sprinting through the back and out the swinging, screen door, I took the dark path to her house behind the bar—a two-story farmhouse with peeling paint, a sagging front porch, and creaking wooden floors.
The grass outside was as tall as my knees, long overdue for a good mowing and weeding. I’d told Selene that once it got warmer, I’d help her grow a little garden. Witches were natural green thumbs, after all, and I thought she might like having fresh herbs for some of her fancier cocktails. Not that many of the customers ordered them, but still.
Ember meowed loudly as I entered, hoping to trick me into giving him a second dinner. But Selene had not only already fed him, she’d immediately taken to him, and had spent the few hours I’d been here slipping him extra helpings and treats whenever she thought I wasn’t looking. And Ember had never looked happier.
I had a burner phone in my room upstairs, and I texted Morgana to let her know I was ready to take her call.
About twenty seconds later, the phone rang.
“Morgana?”
“Hey Briar, how are you? Those old alphas treating you okay?”
“Sage” wasn’t a safe name for me anymore, even in privacy.
“Yeah, they tip very well,” I laughed. Not even in runics, either. Ephraim, a mechanic, had offered to change the oil in my car tomorrow, while Marcus, a long-haul night trucker, had said he’d get me a box of my favorite candy bars after his next trip.
And then there was Arroth, the demon carpenter and self-professed oenophile, who had told me he’d bring me a bottle from his private collection when I’d mentioned that I didn’t know the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet.
“You will soon,” he’d said with a small smile.
I probably wouldn’t, but I could pretend.
I’d gotten good at that.
“Glad to hear it. So your ex pulled out the big guns, but nothing we weren’t expecting.”
I sucked in a deep breath. He’d already hired a bounty hunter, then. It was his only option to bring me back to Noctis after all, so it wasn’t a surprise. But it did start to crack the facade of freedom I’d built for myself. A reminder that I couldn’t get too comfortable.
“Are you safe?” I asked.
She chuckled, Vesper cawing his own amusement in the background. “Oh, I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Let’s just say I’ve got someone mulling over his life choices in my basement.” Then Morgana cleared her throat. “I did want to let you know about your parents, though.”
