Page 67 of Rising

Reina had offered me a shot, with the condition that she be the one to provide my drinks for the night to ensure I didn’t overdo it. I hadn’t planned on it, but obliged, anyway. It was the first time I’d let alcohol pass my lips and enter the depths of my stomach guilt-free in months. It was a slippery slope to walk, but I was intent on living in the moment, wanting to enjoy this time with my family.

All of us here. Safe.

It was a good night to be out. Fridays in Entertainment Square could be lively. The theater space was only used about once a month. That didn’t stop the few restaurants and bars from attracting exhausted patrons on the hunt to let loose after a week of work and physical labor.

There were a few bars that were popular, but this tavern had always been my favorite. Our favorite. It was the first in The Compound and never lost that spark for me. The drinks were simple but good, but it was truly the atmosphere and Friday music that made it for me. Popular with my soldiers, I was glad we’d chosen this for the night; it’d been a while since I could let loose around them. And like the way I’d missed my friends the past few months, I also missed the comradery amongst our ranks. No one understood what we went through out there more than each other, which also meant there was no one better to drown the trauma with over a few drinks.

There was no set attire for any of the spaces in The Compound. Entertainment Square was the one silently agreed upon place that everyone went to in order to escape the pressures of our reality. What you would expect someone to wear out for a night on the town in The Before, was similar to what you would find here. Though maybe slightly less dressed unless you were Reina. Her lace bustier propped her girls up high as she jokingly spun Moe in a circle, putting her long legs on display through the slits of her long skirt. Her long brown hair, perfectly placed down her back as she abruptly let go of Moe’s hands and took off up the stairs to chase after her girlfriend who’d just entered through the door.

Moe turned back to us, shrugging, her face red from laughter and alcohol, covering her mouth in uncharacteristic giggles as she hiccuped.

“Care to escort me, boys?” she said, grabbing Riley and Seth and looping arms. Her dress hugged her figure. It was short and black, per her usual style, with pieces cut out around the top, allowing Wrath to tuck seamlessly in across her spine. She kept her hair from her face with a simple clip, accentuating the angles of her cheekbones nicely. Her aura radiated similar to a tall goddess, the chunked platform at the bottom of her boots giving her an extra boost on the already inches she towered over me.

Seth followed, his rancher’s son outfit the opposite aesthetic from his ladies, but I took notice of the extra starchiness in his simple black tee tucked into the belt at his waist and had myself my own laugh.

Riley swiveled on his heels, noticing that only Alexiares and I would remain if he left us to move inside with Moe and Seth. I nodded at him. It’s okay. He offered me a smirk, before continuing on. It was nice to see him dressed casually for once, usually in his work cargos and boots. The black pants and casual black jean jacket were a welcomed change, though he still sported some form of combat boots, just less worn.

“What’s so funny?” Alexiares asked, closing in on me at the base of the steps, tearing me from my thoughts.

“Nothing really,” I answered honestly, “just funny to think back on how far we’ve all come. It’s nice to see them smiling again. I didn’t think that I would.”

“Scared it won’t last?”

“Iknowit won’t last. I’m not some delusional little girl, foolish enough to assume we’ll all make it back in one piece.”

He teased me, “And here I was thinking that just for a moment, you were capable of being anything but depressed.”

I pushed his shoulder softly. “I can be fun. Just not around you.”

Ain’t No Rest for the Wickedpoured out of the bar as Reina opened the door, hanging off the pretty blonde woman.

“Maia,” she wailed, “come onnn! It’s your song girl!”

I tossed my head back, laughing at the scene before ascending up the steps to follow her in. I stopped at the top, looking back at him before following her in. His eyes met mine before the door closed, making me think twice as if I’d heard him correctly.

“Good choice.”

The night was nearly perfect. The band played hit songs from The Before, leading to less than respectable karaoke and loads of terrible drunk group singing. Alexiares had grabbed the group a table to keep our drinks on, but most drinks were downed within seconds, leaving only a stack of empty cups. He sat there most of the evening, watching me, watching everyone, his demeanor showing he was rather entertained, if not actually having a moment of fun.

The drunker the crowd got, the louder the music went. Soldiers danced along the edges of the bar, yelling out messed up versions of a chorus or flat out singing the wrong song. I danced with them, without a care in the world, enjoying this moment of respite no matter how fleeting it may be.

Then there was Riley, the tension between us no longer as we danced and talked loudly over the music. He’d always enjoyed dancing. The beats and notes moved through him, allowing him to catch the rhythm no matter the song. It was one of the only times I’d see him let go and not hold back. Seeing the softer, laid-back version of him wasn’t something he’d displayed often, which only made it feel like a privilege each time that I did.

Seth and Tomoe moved in sync next to us, eyes focused on each other, tuning out everyone else in the room and stealing kisses in between. His hands moved dangerously low for a public place. I kicked out a foot, nudging the back of her shin and burst out laughing, not wanting to pass up the moment to embarrass them both. The two most stone-faced people I’d ever met, had fallen victim to lust and love, allowing both of their barriers to be dropped.

There’d been a brief moment before he’d left for Reno where I thought the group would have to deal with a different sort of fallout. I was glad to see the distance between them no more, at least for the night. Drunk rage simmered in their gaze in my direction before finding a more private corner in the crowded room.

When my lungs hurt and my feet throbbed, I decided it was time to take a seat at our table, leaving Riley to dance with one of the higher ranked women. As I watched on, he leaned close to her bronze ear and whispered something, causing her face to flush and her eyes to dart towards the ground. She smiled nodding, and her hands slowly moved to the nape of his neck, moving closer to him to hear the rest of what he was saying.

Alexiares cleared his throat. “Does that not bother you?”

“Doeswhatnot bother me?” I turned, brows furrowed, not liking where this was going already.

He pointed as if it were obvious and I smacked his hand down, not wanting to draw any attention.

“Oh, please. No, gosh no. He’s a brother to me.” My nose crinkled, disgusted with the insinuation.

“Well, since I got here, if he’s not with me, he’s with you. Doesn’t leave your side much, and ya’ll are …” His gaze fixated on me, shifting in his seat a bit. “A bit, touchy. Handsy. I mean hey, none of my business.”

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