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The three of them disappeared down the front steps, the calf’s excited chatter fading into the crisp afternoon until the air grew quiet once more.
Asterion fell into step beside Ria as she headed back toward the living room. “So,” he began, “this karaoke.”
She glanced over at him. “What about it?”
“Do people actually enjoy standing in front of others and singing?”
“They do.”
“Even if they can’t sing?”
She smiled. “Especially if they can’t sing.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” He frowned.
“It’s not supposed to. That’s part of the fun.”
“Hmm.” He considered that for a moment before another question occurred to him. “So, everyone takes turns embarrassing themselves?”
“Pretty much.”
“And no one objects?”
“They’re too busy laughing.”
“Seems inefficient.”
“You say that now.” Ria let out a chuckle.
“I don’t sing.”
“We’ll see.”
“I won’t.”
“You definitely will.” Ria tucked the last bottle into its compartment and exhaled slowly. A faint wave of lightheadedness rolled through her, enough that she had to stop for a moment.
“I absolutely—” he stopped.
She thought she’d hidden it well until she looked up and found Asterion looking at her.
“How much magic did you use?”
Ria busied herself, pretending the question didn’t matter. “Enough to help her heal a little more,” she replied with a casual shrug. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
His expression tightened into a grimace, and she recognized where the conversation was headed. Please, not this again, she thought, already too drained to argue. The last thing she needed right now was another lecture about the dangers of magic, from a minotaur who still distrusted the very force that had kept Korinnae alive.
If only the room would stop spinning.
She reached toward him, but the moment her fingers left her kit, the world lurched beneath her, tilting just enough for her to realize she was falling. Before she hit the floor, Asterion caught her, one arm encircling her waist and the other supporting her shoulders.
“Ria.”
“I’m okay…”
“You are not.”
He guided her to the couch, lowering them both onto the cushions. The moment they sat, instinct took over. Ria shifted closer until she was practically in his lap, her arms looping loosely around his neck as she rested against his chest.
