Page 92 of The Queen and the Half-blood
“Good.” Lyall stared him down. “Because we’ve all worked too hard, for too long, to letanythingruin this for us.”
The rain had stopped as Alar made his way through the ring of tents—where the druids would bed down—back toward the royal pavilion. The air was still heavy with moisture though and laced with the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat. He recognized the gamey smell. Grouse. Someone had gone hunting before dusk.
He skirted around a glowing firepit where Cailean, Bree, and Roth all sat playing Liar while the carcasses of three birds roasted on a spit. They were taking turns shaking dice in a lidded cup and then trying to guess whether each of them was lying about its contents.
He might have passed unnoticed if Skaal hadn’t spotted him.
The fae hound rose smoothly to her feet and paced across to Alar, nudging him hard with her nose.
And despite his dark mood, he stroked the thick ruff around her neck.
Cailean’s chin jerked up, his gaze narrowing at the sight of him.
Alar couldn’t help it; he flashed the chief-enforcer a smirk.
Cailean scowled.Bull’s eye.Few things annoyed the warrior druid more than the adoration Skaal had for the Half-blood. It took Alar aback too, although he didn’t discourage the beast.
But then, the chief-enforcer surprised him. “How about a game?”
Alar raised his eyebrows. “Now?”
“Aye.”
“Lara will be waiting for me.”
“I’m sure she won’t mind,” Bree chimed in. “Her attendants were still readying supper when I left them a short while ago.”
Meanwhile, the glint in Cailean’s eye made something competitive flare inside Alar.
He hadn’t played Liar in a long while, not since the time he’d spent in Braewall. It was a popular game amongst the Marav, yet he found it boring.
“What’s wrong?” Roth asked as Alar hesitated, his tone goading. “Worried one of us willunmaskyou?”
“Not at all,” Alar drawled. Moving across to the fire, he pulled up a stool and pushed in next to the captain. Skaal padded up and sat down behind him. Alar didn’t miss the way Cailean’s jaw tightened at her disloyalty. “Let’s go.”
“We’re halfway through a round,” Bree replied tersely. “You’ll have to wait.” Picking up the cup, she shook the pair of dice within before peeking inside. “Two fives,” she declared, replacing the lid. She then shifted her attention to Cailean. Her husband had the first go at deciding whether she was a ‘Liar’. After a moment, he grunted, accepting her answer. The challenge now moved to Roth. The captain’s gaze narrowed as he studied Bree’s face. Alar had to admit, the woman was good at veiling her expression.
Perhaps it was because she was once Shee.
“Liar,” Roth said finally.
Bree whipped off the lid and thrust the cup at him. “See for yourself.”
Roth peered inside before growling an oath. It seemed Bree had been telling the truth.
“Not good at this game, are you, captain?” Alar couldn’t help himself.
“Let’s see you have a go then.” Roth shoved the cup at him.
Alar took it without comment, fastened the lid, and shook the dice.
Meanwhile, the others watched him, their faces gilded by firelight. The aroma of roasting grouse made Alar’s belly rumble.
Looking inside, he straightened up. “Two sixes.”
Roth gave a low whistle. “Someone just slapped their balls down on the table.”
Cailean snorted, while Bree’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
