Page 179 of The Call of Crimson
“Hey now,” Jerome protests. “Why isn’t she drinking?”
“Because she had already drunk an entire glass of cider. I give it five more minutes before you hold the upper hand against us both.”
Jerome and Shay both grin widely, a cocky look gracing their faces.
That look falters slightly when we both land our shots in the same cup. Three cups are pulled, and our balls are returned to us.
When Ayden makes his second shot, Shay narrows his eyes. “Are we being hustled?”
“Nonsense,” I reply with a chuckle that leans dangerously close to a giggle. “Your prince would never hustle the loyal citizens of this kingdom.”
“Actually,” Jerome mutters, “that’s exactly what he would do.”
The rounds continue, each team playing a close game as it comes down to the final cup. Ayden, having taken all my drinks, has begun missing more shots than he makes. Surprisingly, I make most of mine, despite the amount of liquor I consumed before the start of the game.
I line up my shot, taking a deep breath. Before I release, I feel the gentle, reassuring presence in my mind. It’s almost as if I can hear the wordNowright as I make the shot.
The ball lands directly in the last cup, and I squeal in delight, jumping up and down. Ayden grabs me by the waist, spinning me around as we laugh in glee. “You’re a natural, love.”
“I’m a natural at all drinking games,” I retort.
As he leads me away from the table, he leans into me to whisper, “I have a confession.”
“Is it that I am far better at that game than you?” I wink.
He chuckles before admitting, “I am far drunker than you at the moment.”
“You only finished two mugs of ale in that game. Surely that’s not more than the cider.”
“Okay, I have two confessions.” Ayden grins sheepishly. “I swapped your cider for the cider we give the children. You’re not actually drunk.”
“Ayden,” I exclaim. “That certainly explains why I don’t feel drunk. But why lie?”
“I needed you to believe you were getting drunk so Jerome and Shay would believe it, too. They got cocky, which led them to be sloppy.”
“You filthy liar,” I accuse, trying to hide the grin curling the corners of my mouth. “You did hustle them.”
“Indeed,” he agrees, grinning.
“You’re not even a little bit sorry.”
He smirks. “Not even a little bit.”
We fall into a fit of laughter, and I feel lighter than I have in weeks. As we arrive back at the table, I find a full glass of the real cider waiting for me. Aurelius has also arrived and is talking with Rowina.
I take a small sip of the cider, savoring the burn and spices as they drift across my tongue. It is easy to tell that this mix is heavily laced with liquor.
“That was a good game you both played,” Aurelius says mildly. “Even if you did lie your way through it.”
“Does it get uncomfortable?” Ayden asks.
Aurelius cocks a brow. “Does what get uncomfortable?”
“That stick you have stuck up your ass,” he snorts with a roar of laughter.
I stifle a giggle, taking another drink of cider. This time, I actually feel the effects of the alcohol start to take over. A warmth spreads through me, and I smile widely.
“I’m not the one here that likes things up their ass,” Aurelius replies smoothly. “And when done properly, I assure you it’s anything but uncomfortable.”
