Page 215 of Cursed Evermore
We stayed until we could no longer see the lanterns. We might have been the only two people left.
Wolfe looked down at me with an uncertain grin tugging at his lips.
It was time to go. I was sure that was what he would tell me. I didn't know the exact time, but I knew it was late. The problem was I didn't want to leave.
“Tired yet, mage?” he asked as if challenging me.
“No...” I smirked, lifting my shoulder into a little shrug. “Are you?”
“Never.” A spark of fascination flickered in his eyes. “Let's get a drink at the tavern before we head back to Vyrenth Hollow.”
Be still, my heart. Gods, he wanted to spend more time with me. “I'd love that.”
Chapter 42
Elariya
“The Drink We Never Had”
The heavy wooden door creaked open with a low groan, and warm tavern air spilled out into the night.
Wolfe stepped in first. I followed him, drawn into the spice and smoky haze.
Shadows stretched long beneath the flickering light of enchanted flames, each bracket shaped like wolves and stars.
The tavern wasn't crowded, but it hummed with quiet life. Low murmurs floated from the other end of the room, and laughter rose and fell like a tide.
This place was nothing like the reverent hush of the lantern pools at the festival. Here, the world felt heavier. It was the kind of place where secrets stuck to the stone walls and uncertainty wrapped around you like a promise you weren't sure you could trust.
Wolfe placed a hand at the small of my back, steady and warm, and guided me toward the far corner.
We moved past several tired-looking Fae sitting around wooden tables. The scent of their ale wafted through the air.People glanced our way as we walked by. Some recognized Wolfe. Others were either so drunk or exhausted I was certain they wouldn't even know their own names.
Regardless, the strength in Wolfe's presence commanded respect, and I watched them give it.
We stopped at a booth tucked away from everyone. A single orb of golden flame hovered above the table, casting the area in a soft, molten glow.
Wolfe motioned for me to sit. When I did, he sat across from me, and for a moment, it felt like we were alone in here.
Wolfe watched me with cool appraisal, then leaned back against the wall. Beyond the window beside us, the Phantom Moon still burned high in the sky.
“Given what happened last night, I think I should do the ordering.” He smirked, raising his brows.
“You're not going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Not in this lifetime, Ziyka.”
I rolled my eyes at him, then glanced around at the bottles of liquor on nearby tables—nothing I recognized. “I don't know what drinks are good, anyway. Nothing looks similar to what we have in the mortal realm. Not even the ale.”
“No, you'd have a hard time finding anything familiar here. But I have a few ideas about what you might like.”
“Do you?” I cocked my head.
“Yes.”
“What do you think I like?” I was genuinely curious to hear his assumptions.
“You like sweet things. Anything fruity or spicy.”
