Chapter 1
Brie
Potatoes are by far the most versatile crop. You could fry them up, bake them, or throw them at undesirable men who refuse to leave you alone. At least, that’s what I enjoyed doing with them. I snatched another baked potato from my friend Cinnamon, who balked in protest. Before the spice trader could reclaim her favorite treat, I side-stepped out of her reach and prepared to fire another round at my latest annoyance. Jack stumbled back and held his hands up. The splatter of hot cheese and potato on his cheek fell away. In its place was a red mark that swelled with the consequences of him not following my simple instructions. “Leave me alone, Jack. I told you I’m not interested.”
The farmer held up his hands, feet widening in a stance as if he was preparing to swat away the offending root. “Brie, come on, how much longer are you going to play hard to get?” His crooked mouth turned up into a grin. A forced laugh choked out of his skinny neck before he took a tentative step forward.
Gods, I was so sick of his shit. I looked around, pretending to be confused for a moment. “Jack, have you lost your mind? Did you come here so I could help you find it? I can’t think of any other reason me pelting you with root vegetables would be mistaken for flirting.”
Cin stomped her foot. “Not my potato! Throw something else at him!”
My shoulders slumped before I took my gaze off the farmer to reassure my friend and her lewd lust for food. “I’ll buy you another one and give you a wheel of cheese. Just let me deal with this asshole.”
The annoyance in her features vanished in an instant. Replaced with starry eyes and a wide grin. “Nevermind, it’s yours!” She chirped and spun around, set her fists on her hips and glared at the man as if he were a small child in need of a reprimand. “You heard the lady, Jack. She doesn’t want you, so get gone.” Cinnamon’s glare in itself wasn’t the most terrifying thing in the world. She herself was rather short. Several inches of her height could be attributed to the proud crown of curls on her head. But what was terrifying was the dragon shifter behind her.
Cin’s husband, Fallon, sat on a bar stool, nursing a mug of mead. The obsidian horns decorating his head nearly scraped against one of the many colorful fall banners decorating the stale. He took another sip, before turning to see whatever poor sap angered his wife. Jack’s back straightened when the demon locked eyes with him. The farmer’s raised hands twitched. He opened his mouth, then thought better of it and swallowed. I couldn’t blame him. Fallon was terrifying.
It had only been a short time since Cinnamon and our goddess chosen hero, Priscilla, returned from their respective journeys. Normally, a returning hero was met with cheer and a village-wide Fall celebration to commemorate another successful demon purge. But Cin returning with a merry band of pirate demons (very much NOT purged) and news of our goddess’s death put a bit of a damper on things. Though it wasn’t enough to stop the festival altogether.
The residents of Boohail could be in the middle of a raging tsunami and still find an excuse to party. In the distance, I could hear Carter and Katie blaring their latest song for all to hear. The only thing that the couple loved more than their bakery was playing music. A gift they shared any chance they could. Not to be outdone, most of the shop owners in the village had set up stalls lining Boohail’s center. Bright banners and shimmering lanterns lit up our small corner of the world like a sea of stars. Delicious smells of festival food and incense greeted you everywhere you turned. Even with everything that’s changed in the short amount of time, a party just made everything feel like home.
Priscilla did her best to help Cin explain to the rest of Boohail that her new friends meant no harm and it was, in fact, our own goddess, causing all demons to become crazed animals. But some villagers took it better than others. Humans had been worshiping the goddess Myva for hundreds of years. To find out it had all been a lie crafted by some undead witch was hard to swallow.
A small fraction of men, in particular, attempted to form a mob and kill as many of the newcomers as possible. That idea was firmly put to bed when Fallon turned into a giant dragon. The fiery smoke around his mouth was enough to get even the most zealous men to drop their weapons. If I remembered correctly, Jack was one of them. Gods, the money I would have paid to see that smug asshole piss himself at the sight.
Jack smiled, combing a hand through his dark curls. “OK, no need to bite my head off. I’ll go fix you a drink, Brie. Maybe it will loosen you up. You seem tense.”
This fucking guy.
My response spat out through gritted teeth. “I’m not tense. I’m annoyed that you keep bothering me. This.” My finger waved in between us. “Will not happen.”
“Sure, sure,” he replied before turning and walking away.
My shoulders slumped. It was like talking to a sleeping hog. I made my way over to a food stall and placed an order for two more baked potatoes. Once the vendor quickly wrapped up the steaming treats, I rejoined Cin and Fallon at the row of bar stools next to the mead stall. My body slumped over the counter and I let out a sigh. Cin reached over to snatch her food before taking a large bite.
Without a word, Sunbeam placed a mug in front of me and went back to washing out more cups. The barmaid was one of the few humans seemingly unphased by Boohail’s newest residents. Though it didn’t seem like anything phased her. Ever. Her bright name was a hilarious contrast to her stern and serious demeanor. I suppose you’d have to be on the sterner side to run a tavern on your own. The large and in charge woman was famous for her no-nonsense attitude toward sloppy drunks. Anyone who posed a threat to destroying any bit of her precious tavern was thrown out without remorse.
My hand snaked around the handle of my drink before downing half. The sweet taste of honey and peach washed over me, taking away most of my irritation.
“My friend has a hyena we could feed him to,” Cin said, patting my back. She laughed at my concerned look and took another bite of her potato. “I’m just saying we have options!”
“You’re a lot more bloodthirsty than I remember.”
She held up a finger to give herself time to chew. “Killing a goddess will do that to ya.”
“I…can’t argue with that.” The rest of my drink found its way down my throat and Sunbeam reached over to refill the mug. Her lips formed a thin line as she glanced at my side. A large red hand slammed on the counter, making me jump.
“Sunbeam, my precious day bringer! Have you missed me?” an orc the size of a bear sat on the stool next to me. The newcomer hunched his large body over the counter and rested his chin on his hands.
His eyes blatantly roved over Sunbeam before he broke out into a goofy grin. The women in question only gave him an impassive stare. Her tone was the definition of ice. “What will it be, Balabash?”
The red orc grinned wider. Thick tusks poked out the sides of his lower jaw, giving the large man an even more menacing appearance. “How about a kiss from my honey butter biscuit?”
Fallon spat out his drink and choked on a laugh. His wife snickered and patted his back. Of all the lame pickup lines I’ve ever heard, that may have taken the cake. To my surprise, Sunbeam’s stoic face gave way to a mortified sputter. Quickly, she turned her back to him and snatched a bottle from the lower shelf of her stand. “Just for that, you get the weak brew!” The bottle slammed down in front of Balabash, whose face remained as gleeful as ever. He took the bottle with a wink, which Sunbeam returned by marching away from him and busying herself by ferociously scrubbing the glass she just cleaned.
Balabash took a swig from the bottle and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “She wants me.” I covered my mouth to stifle a laugh. That may have been the first time I’d seen any emotion on the woman’s face.
“Bash, she’ll kill you at this rate,” Cinnamon warned.
