Page 101 of Bound By Darkness

“It’s plausible. What do you think, Ivan?”

Ivan rubbed the back of his neck. “It does make sense, but we don’t even know where the rebel base is at.” He scratched at his chin. “If we do this, we need to make a stop along the way, and I’ll need to send a few more letters by owl.”

“Where are we stopping?” I asked, my eyes flicking to his.

“A place called the Hideaway. I need to pick up a few items I left behind.”

Chapter 29

Citrus Rain

MORIA

Beer stainedthe table as it sloshed from my cup, coating it in a sticky residue. Raising it to my lips, I swallowed the bitter liquid as it coated my mouth in its piss-poor taste.

Naexi raised her glass, her hand cupping around her lips as she yelled at the woman behind the counter. “Another round!” She burped, sliding the empty mug across the table.

The barkeep grumbled as a waitress brought another round, her chest barely concealed by her white top as she leaned over the table. “Pay up,” she said, her hand splayed out to Naexi.

Naexi huffed, but pressed three coins to her delicate skin. “Two for payment and one for you.” She winked.

The woman’s eyes widened, heat creeping into her cheeks as she whispered something into her ear. A smile crept across Naexi’s face as she tugged at the woman’s chin. “Room 7.”

I grimaced as I shoved my mug into my face, blocking out the giggling from the woman.

“Did you forget we have a job to do?” I muttered once the woman left.

“Did you forget what it means to be silent?” Naexi grumbled, her hands wrapping around the handle as she quickly tossed the amber liquid back.

“Iyanna said this mission cannot fail and I highly doubt she would approve of your drunken stupor.”

Naexi slammed the mug onto the table, amber sloshing over the sides. “Fuck you. You have no right to talk about her as if you know her.”

“And you’re drunk,” I hissed back. “What if the meeting happens tonight and you’re like this?”

“Shut up,” Naexi grumbled. “We’ve only been here for a few days. Plus, I am far… from drunk.”

I raised a brow as Naexi burped again, her hands gripping the table’s edge to keep upright.

“Yeah, and I’m the problem.” The pungent liquid sent a dull vibration through my chest. Three days of scouting with nothing. Not a hint or sight of any rebel in all of Gendry.

“You are,” Naexi said, her words slurring together. “You were supposed to come here alone. Now I’m stuck babysitting an arrogant asshole.” She reached for her mug, but her fingers grabbed air as I tugged it toward me. Her eyes narrowed, her head wobbling as she leaned over to catch it.

“What happened to the perfect angel from camp?”

Naexi swiped at the mug, but my fingers were faster as I poured the remaining ale onto the floor.

She growled, her hands curling against the thick wood. “Buy me another.”

The ale swirled my vision and words as I crossed my arms over my chest. “No.”

“Buy me another,” she ground out, her fist pounding against the table. “I don’t need to answer your questions.”

“Yet you have time to drink and flirt, which makes what?” I held out my fingers. “Three women you’ve pursued over the past few days. Shouldn’t you be spending your time collecting information?”

Naexi rose to her unstable feet, her thin frame rounding the table as her blonde hair fell over her eyes, dulling their caramel color. “I’m not Iyanna’s bitch.”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder, exposing the skin beneath. She’d chosen to wear a fitted shirt, her shoulders and collarbones exposed to the chilling air—a statement to make in the nearing winter.

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