Page 97 of The King's Weapon

He ran his fingers down the length of her hair, freeing it of any tangles that the ride in the open wagon had caused. As he reached the end of her hair, the back of a finger brushed over her bare shoulder. He dropped his hand, then scooted past her, heading into the crowd, leaving her behind with goosebumps covering her skin. But before he disappeared into the crowd, he glanced back over his shoulder. His silver eyes shone through the black mask in the shape of a panther with a look that dared her to follow.

Clearing her throat, Kallie turned to Myra. "How about that drink, Mys?"

"Drinks?" Dani exclaimed, unraveling from Fynn's hold. "Say no more."

And before Kallie knew it, Dani was pulling her and Myra away from the foyer. Leaving her brothers behind and thankfully heading in the opposite direction than in which Graeson had gone.

Graeson may have wanted her to follow him, but she wasn't going to make it that easy for him. Eventually, he would grow tired of waiting and come find her. Her targets always did.

So, she would lay out the trap and let him get snagged in it.

Dani weaved through the crowd, holding onto Kallie's hand as Kallie dragged Myra along behind her. Kallie was too short to see above the people standing around with their drinks. As a result, she had to trust Dani to guide them in the right direction. Meanwhile, music bounced off the walls. It wasn't any kind of music Kallie was used to hearing in the ballrooms or taverns back in Ardentol. The beat was faster, more chaotic. The people around them moved to the music with unbridled energy as the three women did their best to avoid the drinks that sloshed in the dancers' hands. At that moment, Kallie was thankful she was wearing all black for it would hide any liquid spilled onto her. Although, the same couldn't be said for Myra who was still pulling at her dress.

Soon, the crowd thinned, and Dani stopped before a bar where two bartenders worked. She leaned over the counter, waving one over.

The waiter came over, polishing a glass in his hand, his hair long and pushed back behind his shoulders, a series of piercings lined one ear. "What'll it be?"

Dani twirled a curl around her finger. "Three house specials."

The waiter nodded and then moved to the glass bottles lining the counter behind him. He began mixing some concoction, adding different liquids into the glasses.

"What's the 'house special?'" Myra asked, voice timid.

"Only one of the best drinks here," Dani said, that devilish smile reappearing. "But be careful, it's rather potent."

The bartender placed three tall glasses filled with blue liquid in front of them. He then grabbed a bottle from beneath the counter and poured another liquid on top. As the liquor mixed with the drink, the blue color melted into a light lavender. Myra cooed at the transformation beside her.

Dani handed them each a drink and raised her glass. "To freedom," she said.

A wide grin found its way on Myra's lips and the three women clinked their glasses.

Kallie took a deep breath and sipped the lavender liquid. While it didn't provide the same bite as whiskey, the drink was sweet. The taste somehow reminded her of spring mornings and felt like the sun rising.

When Dani noticed that Myra was still drinking, she touched Myra's shoulder. "I said be careful, not chug it all."

Myra giggled and removed the half-empty glass from her lips. "Sorry." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "We should dance. Do you want to dance?" The liquor must have hit her head quickly because she was talking faster than normal and a buzz of energy radiated off of her.

Dani laughed and Kallie could not help but join in. Myra grabbed Kallie's hand, her other hand still wrapped around her drink, and led them to the crowd.

If Kallie were at one of the taverns in Ardentol, she would not hesitate to dance. But here, she was too wound up. And Dani must have sensed it, for she danced over to Kallie and tipped Kallie's glass up.

Begrudgingly, Kallie took a large sip of the drink as she listened to the music and began to sway to the beat. As the alcohol swam through her, she reminded herself that no one knew who she was here. She did not have to be bound by protocols or standards. With their identities hidden away by the doorman's gift—which Kallie still had trouble wrapping her mind around—she was free. For a little while at least.

Dani grabbed Kallie's free hand and twirled her in a circle. Soon enough the three of them were taking turns twirling around, unrestrained laughter swirling between them. The music guided their movements as their drinks quickly emptied.

When they reached the bottom of their glasses, Myra, who was smiling wider than Kallie had ever seen, scurried off to get them a second.

Then the smell of smoke floated around her accompanied by a trace of cedar and Kallie's insides flipped, knowing exactly who was near before she even saw him. A pair of hands slid to her waist, featherlight and carefully riding the line between friendly and something more.

"So this is where you have been hiding, little mouse," Graeson’s voice was warm against her neck. His nose brushed the tip of her ear.

Kallie smirked. As expected, Graeson had fallen right into her trap.

But fear of being seen this close to him in public made her want to pull away despite enjoying his touch. She didn't want to risk the possibility of a rumor spreading throughout the kingdoms, especially if there were traitors among them. Whenever she went out in Ardentol, she was always careful, always cloaked.

Graeson must have felt her start to move away though because he stepped closer, then whispered in her ear so she could hear him above the loud music, "You don't have to hide here, remember? Your identity is completely hidden. There's nothing to worry about."

Kallie knew the doorman's gift protected her identity, but something inside of her still screamed at her to walk away. She knew better than to stay, to continue down this path. They had talked about it at the springs. Fought over it. And there was no need to rekindle that fight.

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