Page 21 of Enticing the Elf
Wow, the effects of that whiskey hitfast.
“What are you all here for?” I ask in a desperate attempt to distract myself from the wait and everyone else from my out-of-character behavior. I look around the table at my team. “Go home. Except for whoever’s on duty.” Fuck. Who’s on duty tonight?
I tip my head back and squint at the ceiling, which seems to be rotating. “That’s an interesting design feature.”
“What is?” Brayan asks, but I’m too busy following the movement of the ceiling with my eyes to answer. It’s slowly spinning, but not in a perfect circle—there are all kinds of wavy dips and?—
“Whoa!” Hands grab me and lift me back into my chair.
“I thought that was only his first drink?” Niamh says, hovering beside me as Ari grabs my chin and turns my face toward him, peering into my eyes.
I grin at him. “Hi. You have a nice face.”
“Hm,” Raðulfr says as Ari’s jaw drops. I pat his cheek. “Where did you say you got this whiskey, Brandt?”
Brandt’s already examining the bottle. “Fabian got it for me. I didn’t have time to stop somewhere, and it’s not like I can askmysecurity team to go to the liquor store for me.”
Oh! I swivel in my chair and nearly fall off again—it’s okay, Ari catches me. Who knew he was so good at that?—and wave excitedly at Steffen, who’s sitting at the far end of the long table, a little apart from the rest of us. Hey, this table really is long!
“How many people does this table seat?” I ask, then wave at Steffen again. “Do you have time for a consult? Raðulfr’s been troublesome lately.”
The king’s low laugh always makes me happy. It’s not easy being the person who sometimes has to say “no” to my species leader. “I just want you to be safe and happy,” I tell him earnestly.
Steffen’s chair scrapes across the floorboards as he stands abruptly. “Where are you going?” Brandt asks him.
“To call Wil. He needs to check if Fabian has any more of that whiskey and confiscate it.”
“Sit down. Fabian’s allowed to drink whiskey.” Brandt leans back in his chair, utterly relaxed, but Steffen’s not having it. He points at me.
“Do you see that? Do you see whattwoglasses of that concoction did to a steady, reliable,responsibleman? Imagine what it could do to Fabian—or Dustin—orHagen?” His expression turns even sterner than usual. “I’m drafting an edict for you to sign. That whiskey is going to be banned for all dragons.”
Brandt purses his lips, studying me, then sighs. “I suppose that’s the sensible thing to do.”
I gasp. Steffen’s stern face worked! Would it work on Raðulfr too? I should practice, just in case I need it one day.
“What’s wrong with his face?” Brayan cries. “Is he having a medical emergency?”
Fingers press against my neck, and I feel the cool tingle of a spell wash over me—Ari’s. He’s got the most training with healing magic, which makes him the team medic. “You have skills to go with your nice face,” I inform him, even as said nice face relaxes.
“He’s fine, just drunk. Why were you making that weird expression?” He sits back down in his chair, still turned toward me.
“I was practicing Steffen’s stern face. Oh! Steffen, is it okay if I use your stern face?” Has the word “face” been used too much tonight?
The frown line between Steffen’s eyebrows lightens a little, which is practically a smile for him, and I take that as permission.
“Seriously,” Niamh says, “what’s in this?” She’s picked up the whiskey bottle and is studying the label. “And why has it only affected Eoin like this? We all had some.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I tell her. “A little drunk never hurt me. I’ve been waaaaaay drunker than this.”
“Have you?” Raðulfr asks, sounding amused. I did that! I amused my king.
“I’m so sorry I don’t get to make you happy more,” I tell him solemnly. “You deserve to be happy. Jared is a gift in your life.”
“He is,” he agrees. “Don’t worry, Eoin. I know you’re doing your best to protect me. It’s okay if that means you can’t make me happy all the time.”
“Yes!” I jab a finger toward him, then turn to Ari. “See? See how right he is. Sometimes we have to make him miserableso he can be safe for Jared to make him happy! Jared is his happiness.”
Ari grabs my finger, which for some reason is still pointing at… something, and pulls my arm down to rest on the table. “Uh-huh.”
