Basil scowled, lowering my hand.
“Well?” I demanded, my heart beating synchronously to the tavern’s fast rhythm of drums.
“Nothing. It’s blood. Tastes… metallic.”
I pulled out my pocketknife and cut deeper along my finger. Basil cringed before taking my hand to his mouth again. It stung where he drank, but the pain was inconsequential compared to the potential future I might need to thwart. Long, drawn-out seconds passed before he opened his eyes.
When he finally did, I gasped. His irises dazzled like the stars. He stared at me, yet I got the sense that he couldn’t see me at all.
“Baze?” I reached out to touch his face. Perhaps this was normal. I waited a little longer until seconds drew into minutes. Then his jaw went slack, leaving his mouth agape. Alarmed, I shook his shoulders. “Basil.”
Shuttering the stars away, his gaze shifted back into focus on me. “Rahz?”
“I’m here,” I assured him with relief. “What just happened?”
He blinked. “I don’t know. It’s like I fell asleep. I was here, but not?” His hands rested on his stomach. “I feel sick.”
“What do you—oh, gross,” I said as he violently vomited onto my boots. “Aren’t I the one whose hair usually needs to be held back in this alley?”
“Something doesn’t feel right.”
Concern had me biting at the chapped skin of my lips. “Let’s get you some water inside.”
It would be an hour-long trek back home, and we were both clearly in no position to make that journey yet. While theprevious Geminian king had invested in better infrastructure, crossing any skybridge while inebriated was always hazardous.
A black critter skittered near our boots. I squealed, jumping toward Basil as the eight-legged creature disappeared into the shadows.
“So squeamish.” He sighed, then extended his hand out. “Let’s never speak of this again, alright?”
“Fair enough.” I slipped my hand into my brother’s and squeezed, tampering down my disappointment.
Basil cringed at my vomit-coated boots. “Sorry for those. I’ll buy you a new pair.”
I kicked the heels against the wall, rubbing off what I could. “You know, Ihavebeen eyeing those black ones with the block heel in the shop down the road.”
“Ah, so this was all part of your master plan then, wasn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Basil chuckled tiredly, relieving some of my unease. As we returned inside the tavern, a lingering chill followed us and seeped into my back. I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever we’d done would have more consequences than either of us could imagine.
Chapter 5
Rahzlyn
Circles of peoplelinked by their arms danced between tables around the tavern. Basil fled to the barkeep in search of water as I spotted two familiar figures tucked in a booth against the back wall.
I recognized Ross first, his red waves concealing most of his face. His shoulders bunched as he leaned over the table in a tense exchange with his white-haired counterpart, Kole. Normally on such a busy day, Kole and his sister were required to work. Despite the large crowd, it appeared Kole was free of his shift. He was quite persuasive, and poor Orlah could never say no to his dimples.
I scanned the room for my best friend, Mel. Though I spotted her white floral shawl—her most recent knitting project—draped across the bench, she was nowhere to be seen. If she wasn’t also working the counter, she was likely locking lips with someone in a broom closet.
The distinguishable voices of Kole and Ross were raised enough for me to catch the tail end of their squabble as I neared.
“For the last time, she won’t accept her without more proof,” said Kole. “Drop it.”
“What more proof does she need? They’re twins. Her hair fits the description,” Ross said. “You said she’s a dancer, right?”
Kole toyed with his tankard. “We don’t make a move until I say so.”
