Page 56 of The Fury She Holds
All mirth escaped Tal. The king’s gold made its way into taverns now. When did these two men come here? Were they the same men she encountered a few nights ago? How did they obtain the coins with the blazing willow tree?
The bartender pocketed the coin. “Who knows. Maybe the king himself was here!” He finished filling the drinks andthunkedthem down in front of Faron.
“Come on, princess,” Faron called, hugging enough pints to his chest to refill the whole table’s drinks. “Let’s go see what mischief awaits us tonight.”
If he noticed Tal’s frown or the sudden change in her focus, he didn’t say. While Faron laughed at something Carrick said, Tal sipped her drink and stared at a knot on the wooden table. Days had gone by since she’d found someone with a connection to the mages, and nothing had yet come of it. Her nail scratched the surface of the table. She detested inaction, but they were exhausting all their resources with zero results. Rainier’s sources remained tight-lipped, and Egan found nothing unusual of Gully and his associate’s recent behavior. She reached into her pocket and rubbed her thumb over the crested coin she’d gotten the night of Pochette’s deal.
“She’s brooding, Carrick,” Faron said loud enough for Tal to hear, nudging her friend in the arm.
“You know, I think she is.” Carrick flicked a bit of his ale at her.
Tal flinched. “Do not waste good ale.”
“I wouldn’t say it’sthatgood.” Faron sniffed his drink and grimaced. “But it may be your foul mood that’s turned it sour.”
She dropped her cup on the table loudly, spilling some of her drink.
“Who’s wasting ale now, Tal?” Carrick took a mighty gulp.
Faron leaned closer to Carrick as if sharing a secret. “I think she likes to be angry.” The nobleman’s eyes twinkled, making Tal bite her lip to avoid smiling. “See?” he said.
“Continue talking about me, and we’ll see how long that pretty hair of yours lasts, highness.”
Faron gasped. “You think my hair is pretty?” He played with the strands that fell into his eyes. “Carrick, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she likes me.”
Carrick’s amusement rumbled over the noise of the boisterous tavern. “You poor soul.”
She grabbed her drink again. “I hate both of you.”
Before Tal finished her drink, Faron managed to get a laugh out of her. She soon forgot about the king’s coin and the lack of action with the mages. Several hours and rounds of drinks later, Tal and Faron walked together toward one of the tunnel entrances. Several paces ahead, Carrick helped Eddard stumble over the cobblestones. Beside them, Waylon and Sybil walked arm in arm, giving a rowdy rendition of a ballad about an alchemist who never dies. Rainier and Egan followed close behind, deep in conversation.
Faron’s pace was considerably slower than the rest of their party. If she didn’t know any better, she would have guessed he wanted to prolong the inevitable end of the night.
“Thank you for allowing me to join you tonight,” he said.
“Am I to believe that you lowered yourself to come to the docks simply to have a few pints with us?” Tal hated that she liked the idea of the noble seeking her company. It had been over a year since she told Daire not to come by anymore, an order that heoften ignored. Tal quite liked the freedom of being on her own, but something about Faron excited her. Her mind swam with thoughts of him, especially after the day in the woods.
“My hope in coming tonight was to gaze upon a beautiful woman and engage her in pleasant conversation.” He winked.
“Then why did you waste your time at a table with us?”
Since meeting him, Faron often said ridiculous things. She frequently rolled her eyes at his poetic musings. However, if she was being honest, she’d smiled more since meeting him than she had in the last few years. He was smooth where Tal was all rough edges. He teased while Tal insulted. He laughed and Tal grumbled. Despite her resistance to his charm, Faron kept coming back. Since she’d met him, Tal noticed her hard exterior softening, and she didn’t quite mind it after all.
An easy smile pulled at Faron’s lips. “Because you are a beautiful woman, and conversation with you is pleasant.”
Tal did laugh this time. “You’re drunk.”
“I’m relaxed and happy to be alive tonight.” He opened his arms, palms up. “It is a good day.”
She didn’t respond, only watched him stumble a few steps with his eyes closed, enjoying the silence of the night and the peace of the moment.
He stopped and opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. “Don’t you agree?”
While Faron managed to ease Tal’s frustrations over the course of the night, she also came to the realization that she needed action. She sighed heavily. “I’m going to ruin your good day.”
Faron raised his brows in response.
“I’m going to get information out of those men. And you’re going to help me.”
