Sighing, I slammed the shot glass down and narrowed my eyes. What were the chances that there would be Winged Soldiers waiting for me if I left out the back? I didn’t know Daegal, and I had never heard of a Fortune Elf before.
But the way his eyes had gone glassy and then he had disappeared… It had struck a chord within me.
“Dammit,” I muttered. I was going to stay. Even the thought of being captured by the king’s guards sent shivers down my back.
Resigning myself to staying put, for the time being, I set the shot glass down on the bar-top. Angling myself so I could see the entrance of the tavern better, I took a deep breath.
If there was one thing living in the tower had taught me, it was that the ability to listen and learn was a gift from the goddess herself. One that I wouldn’t let go to waste.
Exhaling deeply, I let the sounds of the tavern wash over me. A female’s giggles reached my ears, followed by a much deeper male voice.
“… come upstairs, Polly.”
The female’s reply made me blush. Her worldly response and barely veiled innuendo reminded me that despite what I had said to Xander, I was, in fact, a maiden.
Scowling, I shifted my attention away from the amorous couple. Pretending to straighten my skirts, I tilted my head and eyed a pair of older males seated by the front door. They were leaning close together, their voices low as they whispered.
“Did you see the Winged Soldiers patrolling the city, Bard?” the young male asked.
The older male coughed, gesturing to a cane leaning against the table. “My leg doesn’t work as well as it used to, Godwin, but I’m not blind. Of course, I saw them.”
Godwin nodded. “When I was younger, my great-grand-mum would tell me stories.”
“Did she now?” Bard sounded like he was putting up with the younger male’s conversation.
“Yes,” he whispered, “she told me all about the Dragon Massacre. She said during those days, there were hundreds of soldiers all throughout the kingdom.”
Bard’s eyes bulged, and he grabbed his cane. In a swift movement, he whacked it against the side of the younger male’s legs. I sucked in a deep breath at the sudden violence as Godwin bit back a yelp.
The older male hissed, “Bite your tongue, you fool. No one speaks of those days. Anyone who was alive then could tell you they were a nightmare.”
“Were you… did you see it happen?” Godwin asked eagerly as he promptly disregarded the older male’s advice for the sake of gossip.
I shook my head but leaned in to listen.
“Hush, you idiot,” Bard whispered. “Of course not. It was over a century ago. But my grandfather was five at the time and he told me…” Bard’s voice lowered and I struggled to hear what he was saying.
“Eavesdropping, Sunshine?”
I jolted, my hand flying to my chest, as I turned to stare at Xander. He was leaning over the bar-top, his eyes twinkling as he studied me.
“No,” I spat out.
He raised a brow, a knowing look on his face. “Liar.”
Narrowing my eyes, I slammed my hand on the counter. “Don’t call me names,” I seethed.
A feminine chuckle came from behind me. I turned to see Jo barely containing her laughter as she said, “My goodness, Xander. It isn’t often that I see someone who isn’t falling all over you.”
Crossing my arms, I glowered in the barmaid’s direction. “Females fall all over themselves forhim?”
Xander placed a hand over his heart, his mouth tilting down. “Sunshine, you wound me. I’ll have you know, I’ve had my fair share of females seeking my company over the years.”
Jo nodded. “It’s true. The last time he disappeared from Thyr in the middle of the night, three different females’ hearts were broken beyond repair.”
“Josephine,” Xander hissed. “Stop spreading stories about me.”
Jo… is short for Josephine?