“Anytime. After all, I owe you a bounty for not killing me.”
She snorted. “True. You’re worth a lot.”
“Glad someone thinks so. My brother doesn’t think I’m worth shit.”
She wrinkled her nose. “He must think you’re worth something to keep protecting you.”
“I think that’s more narcissism than anything.”
“How so?”
“I die, he grows old alone.”
Jayne paused at those words. “Yeah, I get it. Sucks to be hunted and have to hide who you really are.”
“You can’t imagine.”
“Bet I can.”
He quirked a brow at her. “Explain?”
“Ever heard of Winged Andrions?”
A time or two. Andarions were a strange, warring race who preyed on anyone dumb enough to get in their way . . . and rumors said that they hunted and ate humans for sport.
More than that though, they were known for their quirky family titles that they would fight to the death over. Being a rigid caste culture, Andarions valued the purity of their family bloodlines and race above all else. “That’s a family title-thing, right?”
“Now, but it wasn’t always so.”
“What do you mean?”
She smirked at him. “Back in the day, the winged clans were named that because they were actually winged. As in they soared through the skies like birds.”
“Seriously?”
She nodded slowly and pulled back from the table as the waitress delivered their drinks. She picked hers up and held it as if in a toast. “My grandmother was a Winged Batur.”
He choked on his drink.
Jayne glanced around the bar before she did something that would make Eve go into conniptions. She unfurled her wings to their full impressive expanse.
Several patrons near them scurried away.
God, it felt good to let them out. It was something she rarely did as it caused more questions than she wanted to answer.
About everything.
But what the hell?
With a relieved sigh, she stretched them wide before she tucked them back into her skin.
At least Hadrian had the good grace to look sheepish. “I am so sorry for my comment about Andarions.”
She knocked her drink back in a single gulp. “You and everyone else.” She wrinkled her nose. “For the record, it’s why they allow the myths and bullshit to continue. Easier to go with it than try to educate others.”
Hadrian held his hands up. “Honestly, I have nothing against any Andarion. But you have to admit, your people will eat just about anything.”
Jayne rolled her eyes. “Not true. Andarions are actually very picky eaters.”
