“The Graveyard?” she asked, personally offended. “That’s where we’re going?Ugh. Why do I get the feeling this is the kind of place only sad lonely men patron.”
My eyes tracked her line of sight.
The bar was made of black stone, standing out like the decrepit haunted house on the block. It seemed almost gimmicky, like an over-the-top discount version of a Halloween funhouse, complete with a cheesy tombstone-shaped sign dangling over the doorway.
THE GRAVEYARD
“Come Bury a Bone”
I blinked.
“How . . .charming.” I involuntarily cringed.
There was an inebriated, withered-faced man leaning against the wall that may have been holding up his life. Mouth agape, he gawked at Aine, slowly readjusting his crotch with one hand.
Aine dramatically dry-heaved.
“Wowwww.” Aine’s sarcasm was as dark as the building. “Is this a brothel? Did they really mean to say, ‘Cum buryyourbone?’”
I found the situation appalling, yet hysterical. It was hard to hold back the nervous laughing fit that was swelling behind my ribs.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer, but I asked anyway, “Breena, seriously though . . . is it? A brothel?”
Breena giggled and linked her arm through mine. She opened her mouth to answer but a voice cut her off.
“Pffft. A brothel? Nahhhh.” A drunk disheveled man popped up behind us, slurring. “Technically, they call itselective companionship.” He stumbled away, flailing a hand. “Enjoy, lasses!”
“K, bye.” My wave was a dying fish’s last flap, more to shoo the man away than bid him farewell.
Aine’s head dramatically whipped towards Breena, horrified.
“My gods! That’sworse! This is all so much worse than I expected!”
“Oh, stop!” Breena rolled her eyes. “It’ll be fun! Look, we’ll go somewhere else if it sucks after two drinks.”
“Whatdidyou expect, Aine?” My eyes shuddered as I witnessed the crotch-tugger wink in her direction.
Aine frowned. “At the bare minimum, I expected dignity. And yet, here we are.”
“So . . .” I nodded my head toward winky-man. “Is the potion making you feel anything when you look at him?” I held the laugh in as hard as I could, but it came out a snort.
Breena howled, dark hair tousling as she keeled over.
“I hate ya. I hate all of ya.” Aine let out a slow suffering breath. “If I don’t drink something in the next sixty seconds, I’m going to commit murder.”
The city was bustling with lively evening chatter and had the prickle of magic stirring in the air. A club just down the street already had a huge line of people out the door. Every time the bass in the music dropped, it rattled the cobblestone beneath my feet.
Tight. God, the dress was so goddamn tight. Breena’s choice, of course. The black lace pixie dress was dishonorably short. The second these gold heels betrayed me, I’d be exposed. My legs and hips were not built for this.
Aine eyed me. “Do you have to readjust your dress every three seconds?”
“Easy for you to say, you didn’t have Breena personally dress you for a brothel!” I glared at Breena. “If my boobs fall out, I’ll find a spirit to haunt you.”
She laughed, pulling me toward the door. “Your tits look phenomenal! Now let’s go get a drink. The sooner you two get drunk, the sooner the complaining stops.”
Aine huffed. “Breena buys first round.”
When the thick wooden door opened, static shot through me like the charge of a storm mixed with the creepy-crawling feeling of walking through cobwebs. I smacked the back of my neck and checked my arms. I loathed spiders.
