Page 30 of Broken Lands

Tears welled in my eyes, and I looked down, blinking fast, as though that might push them back down. I didn’t want or need to cry in front of a stranger, in a tent full of fae guards. What a display of weakness that would be.

“Hey,” she breathed. “I’m sorry, I’ve clearly hit a nerve. Go. Sit. I’ll bring out the best of the best. Nothing like some good grub and faerie wine to pick up the mood.” She winked at me and moved towards the makeshift counter at the back of the tent while simultaneously waving us towards a couple of dining tables set up to the side.

Colin moved toward it, pulling out a seat, and gesturing for me to sit down. Once I’d done so, he pushed in my chair and took the seat across from me. He fidgeted a little, like he might be nervous. It was cute, if not a little strange, and I recalled what Bee said my first night about him being completely unavailable. Was I developing actual feelings for the surly, surprising man in front of me? Was that a mistake?

“I thought this would be a quick check in. I didn’t expect to be waiting here at all. I apologize. We’ll leave and get a start on your tutoring as soon as Colonel Stubbe brings me his report. I hope you don’t mind.” He smiled at Amy as she dropped off two small silver goblets and a bottle of what I can only assume is the Faerie wine, before hurrying back to her kitchen.

“I don’t mind at all. Learning how things are set up, and gaining some insight into how things work in your community, is actually really interesting. The more of your history and goals I learn, the less… angry and judgmental I feel toward your kind—the fae.” I offered, as he uncorked the bottle and poured the wine.

I wasn’t expecting the swirl of pink and orange shimmering liquid that came out of the dark bottle. Somehow, the colors remained separate, although they looked as though they should merge as they poured.

Colin grinned at me as he poured his own glass. “It tastes even better than it looks.” He said with a wink. “Like oranges and strawberry jam.” He held his glass up in a clear invitation to cheers. Lifting my own, I toasted, clinking his goblet and grinning back at him. I was grateful he didn’t comment or dwell on the change in my mood. My emotions had been all over the place, but for right now, enjoying a glass of Faerie wine with him feels like exactly the right thing to do—even if I might regret it later.

With that thought, I tipped my goblet up and downed the contents. He was right; it tasted just like oranges and strawberry jam. It flowed down my throat smoothly, a nice fiery warmth settling in my belly. I placed the goblet back down on the table and looked up to find Colin gaping at me, his eyes wide with surprise.

“I probably should have warned you,” he began, clearing his throat. “Faerie wine is potent. One glass is more than enough to have a fae bigger than yourself tripping over their own feet.” His face is conflicted as though he can’t decide whether me downing the whole goblet in one go is funny, or something to be worried about.

I giggled at his confused expression, and his face broke into that lovely grin again. He shined so brightly when he smiled, his chocolate brown eyes becoming lighter, more amber in coloring, and his powerful jaw seeming more defined. My eyes tracked down that jaw, down to his muscly chest that was showcased by his tight shirt. If I had any artistic talent, I’d paint him. He looked so damn fine.

“You’re pretty.” I said just as Amy arrived back at the table with two large bowls of curry and rice. She raised an eyebrow at Colin, then looked back at me with a huge, toothy smile. She was enjoying this.

“He is, isn’t he, love,” she said, winking at me conspiratorially, placing one bowl in front of me and the other in front of Colin. “Best you get some of this into you, so you can make the most of his prettiness and not wake up with a banging headache tomorrow.” She points at him and then back at me. “Make sure she eats; all of it.”

She left again, and I looked down at the food in front of me. The smells I’d caught earlier were even stronger, wafting up from the steaming bowl in front of me, and my stomach let out a loud growl in anticipation. Another giggle escaped me as I shushed it and picked up my fork to dig in. Amy needn’t have worried about having Colin make sure I ate it all—I was not one to pass up a free meal, especially not one that smelt this bloody good.

“Why are you so grumpy most of the time, grumpy man?’ I asked, hiccupping between mouthfuls of curry. The Faerie wine had broken down any filter that might have held me back in the past. I wasn’t even sorry; I liked the chunk of muscle sitting in front of me, and I wanted to know more about him.

He considered my question for a moment, a slight crease forming between his brows. Placing his fork down on the table, he took a small sip of wine and then answered with an honesty that took me by surprise, sobering me just a bit.

“I don’t think I’m grumpy, not really. My job requires a certain amount of professionalism and separation from others. I have to ensure I earn the respect of the men that report to me, the respect of the community, and maintain the respect of King Ronan and the elders.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and my eyes were suddenly drawn to his lip as he looked at me for a response.

The room swayed a little as I tried to focus and ask him another burning question. He was being surprisingly open, and I felt as though I was peeling back his layers little by little, and getting to know the man behind the walls.

“Focusing so much on the respect of others sounds kind of lonely. What about friends? What do you do for fun?” I asked. I wasn’t sure how much of that he’d be able to understand. My words slurred around a mouthful of food. God, the curry was good. I looked up and spotted Amy stirring a pot in the kitchen area. I gesture to my bowl and give her a thumbs up. She laughed lightly and went back to stirring as I turned my attention back to Colin.

He chuckled softly. “I have plenty of friends, Riley. I keep my circle tight, but I’m not lonely. Callie, for one, keeps me on my toes.” Despite my addled state, it didn’t escape my notice that he ignored the last part of my question.

“Do you spend a lot of time with Callie?”

“Every spare moment I have.”

“It’s amazing you’re so close to her. James and I were really close.” My throat stuck and tears threatened to flow. The faerie wine had loosened my hold on my emotions even further. “God, I miss him. I feel like I’m wasting time. I wish I knew what happened to him, where he is, what I can do to find him. I don’t even know where to start.” I buried my face in my hands, the feeling of despair sobering me—though that probably had a lot to do with the amount of food I consumed as well.

Colin wasn’t the only one letting his walls down tonight.

I could still feel the warmth of the wine spreading through my limbs, and although I was on the verge of tears and incredibly frustrated by the lack of information I had regarding my brother’s disappearance, I also felt energized, ready to move my body, to use my magic, and work towards controlling it.

I pushed to my feet, done with my meal. Energy buzzed through my veins, building quickly to a point where I could no longer fight it, no longer able to sit still.

“I need to move,” I told Colin, bouncing on the balls of my feet. “I need to run, or dance… or something. Can we go?”

He chuckled, his baritone laugh causing little zaps of electricity to light up all over my skin. He stood, reaching to take my hand again just as an alarm blared around us.

Chapter sixteen

Riley

Theroomexplodedintoa whirlwind of activity. Guards that had been quietly eating their dinner were on their feet in the blink of an eye, some drawing weapons to hand, others bringing their element to their fingertips, all while rushing out of the mess hall.

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