“Nice to see you again, Valenia.It’sbeen a while.” Red smiled at Val as she leaned on the other side of the bar from us, then cast her gaze my way with a wink. “Though I see why you might’ve been busy.”
I shook my head at the implication, but Val swept in before I could respond.
“Actually, I serve our king here now as his Right Hand. Tonight is the first night sincehe’staken me on as such that I could get him to loosen up and live a little,” Val explained, nudging me gently.
Yet shedidn’tmove away after like I thought she would, and I could feel the heat of her skin through the fabric of my clothing.
Red whistled as her eyebrows raised, looking at the two of us in a new light.
“Well, good for you! And you,” Red fixed me with a pointed stare, “are fortunate to have her.”
“I am,” I confirmed, nodding my agreement.
Val looked at me with a hint of surprise masked on her beautiful features, but I carried on.
“Could you get us two of whatever Val’s regular is?” I requested, placing a few silver coins on the bar and sliding them Red’s way—more than enough to cover whatever we wanted.
“Be back in a moment,” thebarmaidsaid, snatching up the coins before the generous offer was retracted.
“So?” Val asked once Red had walked to the back of the bar. “Isn’t it awesome in here?”
“It’s definitely much more different from what I’m accustomed to,” I said, glancing around again.The space was mostly full of packed tables, but over on the opposite side of the tower I could make out couples dancing to the music thatseemed to beoriginating from over there.
“Hopefully a drink will help you loosen up.” Val shook her head. I had to adjust my seat to be closer to hersin order tohear her, just a breath of space between our forms at that point.
As if on cue, Red returned with two short glasses of a honey-colored liquid.
“Let me know when it’s time for the next round!”shecalled out, thenturnedto tend to other customers.
Val clinked her glass against the one I held, then smiled up at me before she took the first sip.
“Perfection, as always,” she confirmed. “Try it!”
Following her lead, I took in a mouthful of the liquid and was pleasantly surprised. It had just enough fruit juice and syrup in it to take the edge offthe aged alcohol, tasting much more satisfying than the alcohol I used to steal from Father’s private stash.
“That’s delicious,” I admitted, taking another full sip.
“I hope you have a good tolerance built up if you’re going to down it quickly,” Val warned. “Red is known for the strength of her drinks, even if it doesn’t taste like it.”
“I promise I do,” I reassured her.
I’djust downed my second cup when Val had finally finished her first.I’dlearned that shedidn’thavenearly thekind of tolerance for alcohol likeI’dimagined for somebody that frequented a tavern like Red’s.
Once she placed her empty cup on the bar, I hopped to my feet. I was careful where I stood so as not to stumble. My mind felt a little foggy, but I much preferred that over the restless voicesI’dheard on repeat for most of the day.
“Come dance with me,” I requested, holding out a hand toward Val.
If shewassurprised, shedidn’tshow it as she placed her hand in mine and said, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Feeling freer than I had in ages, I smiled mischievously at her before turning and leading us through the crowd toward the smalldancefloor.
As we stepped onto the middle of thedancefloor, the song—whichI’dheard before in passing—was reaching its climax. Just as the first verse was through and the chorusbeganwith a beat drop, I shifted my feet swiftlyin order totrip Val—then I caught her all in one swift motion, my arm wrapping around her lower back. The position we ended up in looked as thoughI’ddipped her, but her soft squeal of shock gave us both away. At her reaction, I laughed, and it felt like something that belonged to a version of myself from another life—but laugh I did.
Val, whose arms had quickly wrapped around my neck asI’dcaught her, looked up at me in awe as I smiled down at her.
Standing us up straight as the song continued, I held her close as we danced, though she still looked star struck.
“What is it?” I asked her, moving my head closer tohersso we could hear each other.
