Page 114 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

He turned, and there he was. “Sage?”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, eyes wide.

“My ship had to make a stop. The real question is what are you doing here?”

Gallivanting around with pirates while pretending to be with you.

That would be a poor answer.

“I decided to take my own trip,” I said, hoping that sounded believable enough.

“Alone?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m here with… friends.”

“I see, and where are these friends?”

Was he worried about me? “I was the only one who wanted to go out.” The lie slipped off my tongue with ease. “And I always take myself out when I want to.”

The smirking, easy flirtation came back so easily. I didn’t feel anything while I did it. Just like slipping on another dress, I put the mask back on.

“I have heard that about you,” he said. “Can I get you another?” he asked, pointing to my empty glass.

Had I had the whole thing?

“I’d love one,” I said. I was finally meeting someone I knew after all this time. Though it felt familiar, it also felt… hollow. And maybe for tonight, that was fine. I could set my big feelings aside.

We both looked at the bartender as he handed me another water. “This is all she gets.”

I didn’t argue with him. Octavio and I drank together as he told me about his travels. He asked me about mine, but I kept it vague, mostly telling stories that had happened way before this. I felt a bit bad for all the lying, but I couldn’t tell him what I’d really been up to.

“Hey, how about we go on a little tavern crawl?” he said. “Somewhere you’ll be able to actually drink again.”

“Yeah?”

He nodded. “I saw one a few blocks up that looked way rowdier. We could do some dancing.”

I couldn’t lie, dancing sounded nice. Though Adrian said he would stay close. Was he right outside? Probably not. I’d been… abrasive. And though It’d never chased him away before, it was only a matter of time. And I knew he asked me to stay here, but I was with someone I trusted. That had to make it okay, right?

“Sounds fun. I do need to be back here after though.”

I downed the glass of water and dabbed at my mouth before heading out with Octavio. He didn’t try to hold me, which I appreciated. He’d been a gentleman the entire time; I didn’t feel anything for him but he made for good company.

As we exited the tavern, I realized how empty it was out here. There were still some people wandering around, but they were tucked in dark corners, just trying to reach their destination.

“Where is this place?” I asked, ready to follow him.

“This way,” he said, leading me down the row of buildings. “It’s a bit more… exclusive.”

“I see.”

The air had crisped in the evening, bringing a chill to my skin. It sobered me up just a bit.

Enough that I realized following a man somewhere I didn’t know was probably a bad idea. Before me wouldn’t have cared, but I felt some… strange unease I wasn’t used to.

“Maybe we should go back,” I said.

“Trust me, you’ll love this place,” he said.