Kole stared at me for a beat. I half expected him to ignore my invitation. He didn’t strike me as the sociable type, and I had a feeling Nym, Jessip, and Felix might be off-putting to him, but surprisingly, he pushed away from the bar and slowly made his way through the crowd.
I couldn’t help but watch as he neared. Most of the fae scooted their chairs in the second he drew closer to them, and the fae standing between the tables stepped completely out of his way to give him room to maneuver.
“Must be nice,” I sighed dramatically, “to have the entire realm be slightly afraid of you.”
Jessip snorted. “If you carried a sword that big, I bet fae would move for you too.”
I laughed lightly, and Felix leaned back in his seat and casually rested his arm on the back of my stool. His hand brushed my lower spine. “There are other ways to cause fear in fellow fae, Prim. You could rave like a lunatic. Act unhinged. Talk to fae who aren’t there.” He shrugged. “You could try that. I bet it would work even if you didn’t have a huge sword.”
Jessip snorted again, but I chuckled and gave him an impish look. “Are you speaking from experience?”
“He is, although not in the way you’re thinking,” Nym replied for him. “He was committed to several healinginfirmaries during his lifetime. Our dear friend here suffers from occasional psychotic episodes.”
My smile was immediately wiped clean. “Oh stars, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to joke.”
But Nym, Felix, and Jessip all burst into laughter just as Kole reached our table.
“They’re toying with you, Prim,” Jessip replied. “Felix has never been committed, although I’ve wondered on occasion if he should be.”
Felix brushed his hand against me again, then lightly pinched my side, which got a squeak out of me. “Don’t scare her off too much, Jess. I’m hoping to convince her to dance with me later.”
I glanced upward, grinning, only to be met with Kole’s attention locked on Felix.
“Hi,” I said to the warrior, determined to act normal. “Would you like to join us?”
Kole hesitated for a heartbeat, his attention still on Felix, but then he turned my vacated chair backward and straddled it, having to angle his sword to do so. But the movement was so quick and so practiced that it was obvious he was used to sitting that way with his weapon.
Jessip’s eyebrows rose. “Introductions, anyone?”
I waved at the Faewood fae. “Kole, this is Nym, Felix, and Jessip. They’re not local either. And, everyone, this is Kole.”
Felix elbowed me teasingly. “Has anyone ever told you how cute you are?”
My eyebrows shot up. “Cute? Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe.” Blushing, I leaned forward since Felix sat between me and Kole, then said to the warrior, “Did you order something to eat?”
Kole eyed Felix again, but since his mask had fallen into place, it was impossible to decipher his expression. “I did. The barkeeper said it’d be over shortly.”
“Felix?” Nym said. “I almost forgot. I was going to ask you something about Teelive from back home. She told me...”
Since the Faewood friends began to discuss something about their friend, who neither Kole nor I knew, I settled back on my stool again.
Kole angled himself away from the table and said quietly to me from behind Felix, “I see you’ve already made some new friends, and quite quickly too.”
“I have.” I smiled cheekily and eyed his clothing. “And I see you’ve changed.” I cocked my head. “But you didn’t travel with any bags, so where’d you get the new clothes?”
Kole shrugged. “I have my ways.”
A tray floated toward us and deposited drinks and food before all four of them. The barkeeper had easily doubled Kole’s portions, compared to what he’d given me, and I had a feeling the warrior could eat all of it.
I eyed Kole, wondering what he meant by his evasive response, but Jessip stole my attention when she said loudly, “Anyway, enough about all that stuff from back home. Sowhere are you two from?” She picked up her fork and began to eat.
“Mistvale,” I replied readily. “Whiteolf, specifically. I live in the capital.”
Kole remained silent.
“And . . . you?” Jessip said to Kole, her eyebrows rising.
Kole took another drink. “I tend to travel a bit. I don’t really claim a residence.”
