“Ale,” Shadowhawk added.
I didn’t truly care for either of those drinks and glanced at the menu on the wall behind her. Ale, whisky, or mead. Not much of a variety. “None of these drinks are enchanted, are they?”
Taewyn snickered. “Not here. No worries, Aesira. You won’t need Vander to carry you out this time.”
I rolled my eyes at him but smiled. “In that case, can I get a half pint of honey mead, please?” It was sweeter than ale at least.
“Coming right up.”
With our drinks in hand, we found an empty table. It was only a few minutes later that Taewyn pulled me onto the dance floor after Celine and Shadowhawk. I giggled as he spun me around. With only friendship between us, it made it easy to relax and move to the music. I wasn’t thinking about where his hands were or what was on his mind. We hooked elbows to the upbeat tune and skipped in a circle, laughing the entire time.
I tried not to think about Kace, but our last meeting bothered me. I left upset with him. Why did he have to tear the knot from Vander’s neck? After losing my mother, I didn’t want to be on bad terms with anyone I cared for. I shouldn’t have left without speaking to him properly again.
Vander weighed heavily on my mind too, but I’d already begged him to stay. What else could I do?
Taewyn and I sat back at our table, leaving the other two with their tongues down each other’s throats on the dance floor. The music still thumped but it had changed to less drums and more melodic singing. Taewyn propped his feet up on the seat besidehim and sipped his ale. “Since we might die tomorrow, I have a confession.”
My heart skipped and I quickly picked up my drink. I hoped it had nothing to do with me. I had enough male drama. “What?”
“I slept with Celine’s trainer.”
I spat out my mead, spraying half of it on the table and the other half back in my cup, then slapped my hand over my mouth. I blinked at him and scrutinized his face. He looked amused by my reaction. I cleared my throat and wiped my mouth. “Did I hear you correctly?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “I guess she has a thing for scholar bookworms. Even though I’m not in the scholars’ guild, I still have that look about me. Runs in the family.”
“Celine’s trainer?” I could not picture the two of them even having a conversation, let alone in bed together, not that I wanted to picture that. I leaned forward and whispered, “Falcon?”
“That’s the one. Her real name’s Ingrid.”
I stared at him for a good ten seconds, trying to decide if he was joking. I didn’t think he was. “So, is it a relationship then, or...”
“Nah, it’s happened a few times, but once she’s had her fill of me, it’s back to business and she sends me out. Sometimes when she has me and Celine spar, she gives me the eyes though.”
I laughed. “The eyes?”
“You know what I mean. Vander gives you the eyes all the time. TheI-want-youstare from afar.”
“No he doesn’t.”
He chuckled. “Either you’re blind or you’re lying.”
“Anyway,” I drawled. “Does that upset you that she sends you away?”
He grinned. Widely. And took another drink. “Upset? I get to sleep with an older woman when she wants me. I’ll takewhatever I can get. It was a nightmare for me at the academy trying to get girls. I’m not your dashing, conventionally good-looking man. You even spat out your drink in shock. Admit it.”
Poor Taewyn. “It’s not that I didn’t think you could get a woman to like you. You’re handsome, whether you think so or not, and sweet, and you’re in LOA. That makes you appealing. I just thought it would be another apprentice, not Ingrid.”
He beamed at the compliments. “I was as surprised as you, if I’m being honest.”
Laughter bubbled up in my chest. I put my hand over my mouth to try to stop it. I wasn’t sure why I thought it was so funny. “Does Celine know?”
He shook his head and glanced at her still dancing with her partner. “No, and don’t tell her either. Celine sneaks off with SH and I sneak in.”
I giggled while picturing that. I hummed to the tune and swayed in my seat with a goofy smile. My cheeks warmed too. I peered into my mug and my brows rose. It was nearly gone. “SH?”
“We aren’t supposed to use those names, and I don’t know his real name. He’s never told me.”
“It’s Camden. She calls him Cammy when he’s not around.” We both snickered like it was an inside secret.
