Page 32 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
“Fine.” Kieran’s lips twisted into a smile. “You managed not to fall off your dragon, so you get to pick the place. We’ll do a loop around the castle, land at the edge of the capital, and then walk to the tavern.”
Of course he’d want to ensure everyone saw us. Kieran Caddel was always scheming.
The tension in my shoulders eased when I saw the familiar doors of The Dragon’s Hearth. The walk to the small, rundown tavern had been filled with curious and awed stares. It was enough to make me want to break out in hives.
“This place looks like shit,” Aurelia hissed.
“Oh, it is.” I grinned at her and threw open the doors. The tavern, as usual, buzzed with activity. People of all backgrounds were seated at the various tables. Those who danced clearly had some liquid courage. My grin widened when I spotted Brynn. She was in the middle of setting down two cups of ale for customers, but her head jerked up the moment the door opened, and her mouth went slack.
“Your friend issohot,” Nimue blurted.
A laugh escaped my lips, surprising me. “Trust me, I know.”
Brynn’s hands shook as she rushed over and threw her arms around me. “You absolute moron,” she whispered in my ear. “I thought that dragon would send you flying.” She pulled back to glare at Kieran. “And I didn’t trust him to not stab you in the back.”
“I try not to kill unless I’m ordered to,” was all Kieran said in reply.
I could have smacked him for it. “I’m okay.” Her worried eyes searched mine, clearly not believing a word I said. “I wasn’t at first, but I’m okay. And I have a dragon watching my back.”
“The Child must have blessed you. This whole thing is insane.” She pulled back to squeeze my hands, though her eyes darted to the rest of the dragonsguard gathered around me. “Why did you come here of all places?”
“I wondered that too.” Aurelia stood tense and kept her hands pinned at her side. She probably thought staying here too long would cause ‘the poor’ would rub off on her.
I grinned and squeezed Brynn’s hands back. “I got to choose, and The Dragon’s Hearth isn’t so bad. Plus, it has you.”
“How about we do a round of shocha vials!” Ben grinned. “Do you have those here?”
My eyebrows rose.Fancy.Shocha was different from ale. It hit you a lot faster. Instead of drinking a wholecup to feel the effects, you only had to drink a small vial. Ben’s family—House Markos—was known for producing it. Though it wasn’t something peasants could usually afford.
Brynn knitted her brows together. “I can, uh, give you some from my family’s collection. Please don’t spread the word that we supply that though.”
Ben frowned. “If it’s too much—”
“It’s not!” Brynn clasped her hands together in front of her heart. “Consider it my thanks for watching out for Selena. She’s a handful!”
“Hey!”
Brynn’s smile was a lot more genuine as she left to go get the vials and the shocha. We claimed a table tucked into the corner. Aurelia sat by the wall, then Nimue and me. Ben, Gareth, and Kieran sat across from us. When Brynn returned with the vials, I stared at the clear liquid. I’d never had shocha before. It was too frivolous of an expense. Brynn patted my arm and left to attend to the other customers.
“That’s a bad idea if you’re a lightweight,” Kieran said, shaking me from my thoughts. “We don’t need our newest rider on the ground at a tavern because she can’t handle her shocha.”
“One shot won’t get her wasted,” Nimue countered.
“It tastes disgusting, but it’s a lot faster than drinking a whole cup of ale.” Ben grinned and raised his vial. “To not dying.”
I clinked our vials together. “And proving pompous assholes wrong.” I threw back the drink and almostimmediately wanted to spit it out. The awful taste wasn’t unfamiliar but the fire raging down my throat was an entirely different experience. It flooded my system, sending a tingle at the edges of my brain. I met Ben’s amused gaze. “Another.”
“It’s good, right?” Ben poured us both another vial and slid one toward me. By the time I’d swallowed mine, he’d done two more shots.
Amazing.Ale never worked this fast. I slammed my vial onto the table. “Another.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Kieran’s icy voice broke my trance.
I didn’t bother looking his way. Instead, I took the offered shot, relishing in the fiery warmth.
“I won’t take pity on you tomorrow,” Kieran continued.
I took another shot and only then did I look at Kieran, arching my brow. “Am I supposed to believe you have before?”
