“Because I cannot die.” Whispen leans over his pint of beer and inhales slowly before closing his eyes and sighing. “Did that once. Don’t recommend. Also, flame lord learned I cannot die when he tried to behead me.”
“Orion,” Finnian scolds, setting our next pints on the table.
“That’s not what happened.” I point at the damn ghost because now I’m convinced that is what a whisp is. “Tell the truth.”
He lazily looks at Finnian who takes his spot across the table from him. “That’s what happened.”
Finnian grabs his pint. “No more.”
“It’s my first,” he pouts.
Finnian points to the bartender. “Take it up with him.”
“Challenge accepted.” Whispen darts across the bar, shifting into a young boy again and sitting on the bar top only to glare at the bartender.
I watch for a moment as Donn leans against the bar, arms crossed and blinks slowly at Whispen. “He’s entertaining him.” I turn back to the group.
“Ash is going to kill us when he talks to her.” Kieran rubs his temples, snowflakes falling to the table.
Just her name and my chest tightens. A month without her voice and I still hear it in my sleep. Still wake up reaching for warmth that isn’t there.
I grab my pint and take a long, delicious pull, while pretending that didn’t just gut me.
“You think he will tell her everything?” Finnian questions, looking back at the bar.
Kieran laughs. “You truly believe he won’t?”
“Good point.” Finnian pauses. “At least he no longer speaks in riddles.”
Kieran, who is still massaging his temples, mumbles, “We should all feel so blessed.” Where he rubs his temples, snowflakes fall from his fingertips.
It used to be frost. Not snow. It would spread across the spaces like a fracturing window.
“Kieran,” I reach across the table, swiping up snowflakes that fell from his fingertips. “You’ve gone soft.”
He pauses, that icy stare turning glacial as he drops his hands to the table. “What did you say?”
My lips twitch.
Do I dare repeat that?
Finnian presses me back into my seat with a palm to my chest. “Perhaps we should focus on Ash? Yes.”
“Of course.” Now I’m smiling. Fully, wholeheartedly.
Maybe I shouldn’t. Oh, I know I shouldn’t.
But he’s snowing again. From his fucking chin.
Soft, I mouth.
“By the gods, Orion.” Finnian just barely gets out of the way when Kieran launches himself at me.
He hits me square in the chest, knocking us both over. My head hits the stone floor and my teeth smack together.
But just as soon as it begins, it ends.
It’s jarring. One moment I’m on my ass and the next my ear stings like hell. And just when I was looking forward to a good fight. I’ve been itching for a good fight. The borderland creatures barely know how to throw a punch.
