Page 60 of The Fury She Holds
“But you knowsomething,” he drawled.
“And we don’t have time to discuss this. We’re going to be late.” She brushed past the noble, a shock of electricity joltingdown her arm at the contact. “I’ll see you at the tunnels,” she called to Carrick.
Tal sipped her ale in a shadowy corner of the run-down tavern. Badger and Gully blathered to nearby patrons while she and Faron sat in near silence all afternoon, a small relief. Faron had plagued her with questions the entire walk to the dodgy side of the docks. More than once, she stopped herself from blurting about her power. The man was nothing if not persistent.
He gained focus once they’d taken the watch from Egan and Sybil. Her mind warred over the decision to tell Faron. He’d proven to be trustworthy time and time again, but revealing her magic would be putting her life in his hands.Does he deserve to know?she asked herself.Do Iwanthim to know?Her finger tapped the metal cup, and she was reminded of Eddard. She’d known the guardsman for longer, and he seemed to trust Faron. Tal bit her lip and turned her attention to the noble beside her, catching his stare.
“You’re supposed to be watching them.” She lifted her cup in the direction of the men sitting by the barkeep.
“You’re unusually broody today.”
“You pestered me the whole way here,” she shot back.
“Pestered is a strong word. I like to think I… questioned? Interrogated? Asked when you were being less than forthcoming?” He drank his ale, hiding his smirk.
Tal ignored Faron and focused her attention on Badger. He was in a particularly jubilant mood. The two men had done little more than spend their coin on food and drink for the last two days. They’d become predictable and gave no indication they’d see the mage or its apparition again.
Unbridled laughter drowned out the rest of the tavern.
“Hey Gully, tell us again how you lost your finger!” someone called over the chatter.
“I heard it was a woman!” another called.
“Fuck off!” Gully threw his drink at the responding chorus of jeers. “I told you; it was some bastard with a sword! Besides, the bitch is about to regret it. They both are!”
Faron stiffened beside Tal. The tendons in his hand strained as he gripped his cup.
“Oh yeah? How do you figure that?” The barkeep’s tone belied his lack of patience for the man.
“We got big friends—powerful friends. Ain’t that right, Badge?” He nudged the man next to him.
“Yeah, where do you think we got the money to pay for these drinks?” Badger held up his ale.
“Next time we see her, we get to keep her for a night before handing her off.” His dark chuckle set Tal’s teeth on edge.
Her fury crashed against its walls. The single mug of ale she’d drank that day did little to tamp down its influence.
Beside her, Faron leaned forward on his elbows, his gaze fixed on Gully. A muscle in his jaw flexed.
Someone threw food at the goon. “Like you would know what to do with a woman!”
Tal couldn’t listen to Gully’s reply. She gripped the dagger sheathed to her thigh. They needed him alive to find the mage. She inhaled the stale air, which did little to quiet her turbulent fury.
A hand on her arm pulled her from the inner turmoil. “They will not touch you.” Faron’s voice hovered barely above a whisper, his rage simmering behind each word.
She held his gaze. The noise within quieted to a simmer. “I know.”
Cheers of greetings reached her ears. Daire entered the tavern in plain clothes, a frown on his face. He ignored the heckling crowd and searched around the tavern.
Tal swore and sunk into her chair. She pulled her hood further over her face. She noticed the way Faron angled his body, concealing both himself and Tal from view.
“If he sees me, the whole tavern will know I’m here,” Tal spoke into her cup. Her eyes darted between Daire, Gully, and Faron. The tavern had only one exit and nowhere to hide. Their presence could not be revealed if they hoped to continue monitoring the two men.
When Daire stepped away from the door, Faron grabbed her arm and, in unison, they rose to their feet. His hand slid to hers, and they picked their way around the outer edge of the establishment. Every step closer to the door felt like the beat of a warning drum. Five steps, and she would be out the door. Daire spoke to the barkeep, his back to them.
“Hey, Captain!” a man shouted as Tal passed. “I hear your fancy lady dumped you at the king’s ball! Gully has one he can share with you!”
Tal tripped over the leg of a chair and knocked someone’s drink over. A cacophony of yelling and wood scraping on stone pulled everyone’s attention. Faron tugged her through the door. She lost sight of Daire around the outside wall as he turned toward the noise.
