Page 80 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

“She’ll be fine, Merrick. Look at her. She’s actually smiling.” Raine rested his elbows on the couch so his face leveled with Lessia’s. “Let her have some fun.”

“Yes, Merrick. Let her have some fun,” Lessia parroted as she snatched the glass in Raine’s hand and drank that as well.

“The—” She couldn’t stop a rough cough as the drink burned her throat, but more giggles soon joined the hacking.

Wiping her hand over her mouth as more warmth welled within her, she tried again. “The world is ending. And everybody hates me. Let… let me have some fun. I never have fun.”

Merrick glared at her for a moment while dragging his hands through his shiny hair.

As she watched him, an urge to drag her own hands through it seized her.

It was so sparkly in the firelight.

It’d probably be very soft.

Soft like one of the wolf pups she’d found in the forest when she was younger.

Crouching down before her, Merrick gripped her chin to ensure she stared into his eyes. “Everybody doesn’t hate you.”

“Yes, they do.” Lessia laughed. “My sister does. Loche does. And I can see my father blames me for my mother’s death. I left Amalise and the children I’m responsible for—they must also hate me.”

She was sure of it, but the liquor didn’t let any of the guilt or sorrow fester.

Lessia found Raine’s dancing hazel eyes when he grinned at her.

She was beginning to understand why he refused to go a second without this.

It helped.

Maybe she shouldn’t have been so quick to judge him.

Moving her face back to his, Merrick said softly, “You’re wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter. I feel amazing!” As she shrugged, Lessia offered him a broad smile, and Merrick’s eyes widened.

“That’s great and all, but some of us are trying to sleep,” Ardow muttered from her side, and she slapped a hand over her mouth not to burst out laughing when one of his sleepy eyes opened to glare at her.

Raine’s hand clasped her shoulder. “There are some kind of festivities every night at the tavern. I say we go. I’m sure the weeks ahead of us will be all but festive.”

The tavern.

It sounded perfect!

She’d been too worried last time.

But now?

She wasn’t afraid of some dumb Fae.

“Can we?” she begged Merrick, adding, “Please?” when he hesitated.

When he threw his head back with a groan, his silver hair billowed across his shoulders, and she watched in wonder as the pearly strands caught the light, dancing freely in contrast to his sharp features.

“Fine.” Merrick sighed. “But do not blame me for how you’ll feel tomorrow.”

Lessia flew up from the couch and was about to hug him when he stepped back, something she couldn’t read fighting over his features.

With another shrug, she hugged herself instead, savoring the warmth softening her limbs.

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