He nodded once and cleared his throat, dropping his gaze as he wiped the bar with a rag. “Well, I can say for certainty, you are just as compassionate as both of your parents. Your mother must be so proud. How is Elora?”
“Evander killed her just a few days ago,” I said as the numbness returned.
He snapped his head back to me, mouth open.
“I am-I am so sorry,” he uttered as he pulled a decanter from under the bar and poured two shots of brown liquid into tiny glasses. He slid one to me and lifted the other. “To Vaelor. To Elora. To every kind soul taken too soon.”
I clenched my jaw, but it didn’t stop the tear that slid down my cheek.
“To every kind soul,” I echoed, lifting my glass and tossing the shot back. I embraced the burn, letting it chase away the hot lump in my throat.
Setting my glass back down, he filled it again. I lifted an eyebrow at him and he chuckled.
“It’s customary to take two, one for the life they lived and one for the afterlife that is to come.”
I tipped it back and sputtered a little.
“That stuff is strong,” I choked out and he laughed again.
“Yes, it’s rum from a local distillery. I would assume Fae rum is stronger than the whiskey in Auryna.”
“Oh, it definitely is.”
Grabbing my mug, I stood from the bar stool and swayed, my head spinning. Rogue was there in a split second, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, chuckling in my ear.
“Oh, I’m fine,” I said, swatting at his arm and pulling out of his grasp.
“Are you, little storm?” he said, stifling a smile, and let go. Smirking over my shoulder at him, I took a step forward and ran straight into a table, knocking my hip on it. He started to laugh, but I held up a finger at him, glaring.
“Not a word.”
I carefully stepped around the table to rejoin my group as he returned to his.
It may be the rum, but there was something about this place. These people. The warmth of their smiles and stories. The sound of waves crashing in the distance. Knowing Rogue was nearby.
It all felt safe. For the first time in Goddess knows how long, I felt myself exhale the tension I had been carrying for so long. For the first time, I felt at peace.
I sunk into the leather chair, losing myself in their stories. When I finally looked around an hour or so later, I glanced at Rogue just as a woman stepped closer to him, reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder.
I don’t care.
I jerked my eyes away.
I told him he wasn’t my mate. I told him I would never be his mate.
Sparks tickled my fingertips, burning spots into the mug handle. A female voice rang out above the chatter and I jerked to my feet. The men glanced up at me, pausing.
“I’m just going to step out for some air real quick,” I explained, faking a smile. It slid from my lips the moment I turned around. Stalking to the door, I exited without another word.
I don’t care. I don’t.
I marched around the edge of the building, halfway expecting to see the pond from back home, but I was met with an ocean instead. I gasped at the sight. It was black and endless with the small, calm waves lapping at the sand. The sky was clear, the full moon reflecting and bouncing off the waves.
I took a half step forward when a hand grabbed my wrist. Expecting Rogue, I whirled around but found the face of a stranger. His beard was scraggly and he was missing a few teeth and one eye, covering it with a dirty patch. The stench of him almost made me gag. When he grinned, I jerked back, putting distance between us.
“So you’re the daughter of King Vaelor, eh?” He stepped closer and I took another step back. “I’ve never been with a princess.”
My heart raced, my lip curling in disgust. “And you won’t be tonight, either.”