Page 10 of White Raven
“Please,” Tony smiled, joining him and pulling a chair. They both sipped from their short glasses and were quiet for a moment as their attention inevitably went to the brightness of the sliding door. “You doin’ alright?”
Decclan sucked air through his teeth and nodded without turning his face back to look at him. “I am. Surprisingly so.”
“Ready to go home?”
“More than you know.” He swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. “Few more days and we get to experience another strange phenomenon.”
“You sure there’s not some kind of boat that can take us across the pond?” Tony’s stomach turned at the thought of getting on an airplane.
“Relax, mate. They have liquor on these things, supposedly. We’ll be fine.”
Tony took another sip, savoring the oaky taste. “I wonder where the rest will go.”
“I’m inclined not to give a shit.” Decclan smiled and lowered his chin, drinking from his glass. “Speaking of the rest though, there was a reason I came over.”
“It wasn’t for my fine company, and the theft of my whiskey?”
Decclan chuckled into his drink. “Not just that. Kane got in touch. He wanted to take us to some pub downtown before we leave. He’s got something he wants to talk to us about.”
“Our discretion?” Tony asked.
“Nah, I don’t think he’s worried about that. Sounded like something else.”
Tony finished off his whiskey and adjusted his cap. “When are we having this little get together?”
“He said that he and the girl would be at the pub in an hour. That work for you?”
Tony’s brows twitched and he gave Decclan a hard look before raising from his chair and plunking onto his back on his unmade bed. The mattress billowed around him, and he nestled into the perfect softness of the sheets. Decclan snorted. “I would probably refrain from referring to Kane’s mate as ‘the girl’ when we get there. And that’sifyou can convince me to part with these sheets.”
“They are a far cry from the cots at the tavern.”
“It’s like laying in between the thighs of an angel, these sheets.” Tony smoothed the fabric across the ginger stubble of his cheeks. Decclan barked a laugh.
“You’re starting to sound like Dev.”
“Where is he? He coming with us to this meeting?”
“Yeah,” Decclan replied, standing. “He should be out of the bath in a little bit. That’s what he finds most enjoyable about this place, I think.”
“WhatIthink…is that to be as old as we are, things like…” Tony pulled the worn tag of the sheets close to his face, “Egyptian cotton? Hmm…things like Egyptian cotton shouldn't suddenly be a luxury we never had.”
“You’re right. It’s odd to think that I never considered how oppressed we were being with her. Makes me question what I ever thought I loved about her, Tony.”
Tony raised himself to sit, and they stared at each other for a long, quiet moment. “I think you loved the idea of her, mate. She was our queen. We didn’t really know any different.”
“Kane did.”
Tony nodded gently and stared off at the wall. “Yeah…he did.”
“I don’t ever wanna be controlled like that again. It’s probably good that we’re meeting them tonight. I’ve got a great deal to thank her for. I feel like I owehiman apology.”
“I don’t think he expects one, Decc.”
“That’s why I need to do it, man.” Decclan shook his head in shame. “I’ve spent centuries treating him like an asshole, and I should have been the friend I thought I was being. Kane fought like hell for that freedom. We didn’t deserve for him to extend it to us.”
“Just because we were lost, doesn’t mean we aren’t deserving of it. None of us had a choice, Decclan. He knew that, too.”
Decclan abruptly turned his head. “You saying you suddenly feel like you deserve it?”
