11. Tahlia

Chapter 11

Tahlia

T hree different songs wailed through the streets of Midhampton. Locals and visitors alike danced the same quick-step jig, drank ale from pale crockery cups, and laughed together.

"It's marvelous," Tahlia said, doing her best to keep moving. Marius kept gently urging her forward with a hand to the small of her back.

"It's chaos."

"What would you rather be doing right now? Sitting in your chair at Dragon Tail Peak with one of your saucy novels?"

He growled over her shoulder. She glanced up at his handsome, scarred face and grinned.

"How do you know about my reading choices?"

"I'm your mate. You think you're sneaky, putting that military history book on top of your romances, but I'm not fooled."

"Well, I'll thank you not to mention my preferences regarding books in public."

"Nobody here knows us."

His breath was suddenly at her ear. "Hush, female, or I shall have to tie you up when we get home and punish you for disrespecting your commander."

"Oooh, promise?"

A chuckle rumbled in his chest, vibrating into her back as they took the third right.

The Siren's Grotto sign swung in the sea breeze.

"There!" Tahlia pointed.

Marius trailed her through the tavern's round oaken door. "Remember, they'll call us dogs. That's the term for hired guards."

Tahlia nodded. "Adorable."

Pipe smoke clouded the air inside and the voices of at least twenty patrons echoed off the low ceiling.

A hand clamped down on Tahlia's forearm. She whipped around, her hand on the hilt of her dagger. Marius came up behind the man who'd grabbed her and had set a blade beside his throat in a movement that blurred with speed. He moved so incredibly fast. And he was going to blow their cover. Unless of course, everyone here was too sloshed to notice.

The man let go of Tahlia and held up his hands. "Easy, dogs. I was only going to offer you a drink for your services today." His smile was missing a tooth, but that was probably poor hygiene, not from fighting. He was a lump of a fellow.

Marius lowered his weapon and nodded for Tahlia to relax.

"Sorry," Tahlia said, taking on a casual tone. "We've had some real idiots to deal with already today, so we're on edge."

The man chuckled and waved them to the barkeep's counter. "I can imagine." He faced the keep and handed over a few coins. "Three of your best, please."

The ale was bitter but very cold. Tahlia forced herself not to gulp it down. She needed her wits about her. Marius was only pretending to drink. She'd seen him fake it before; he tended to furrow his brow when he was actually drinking.

Knowing Marius might murder her for the recklessness but also certain they had no time to waste, Tahlia went ahead and asked a probing question. "I bet King Durniad has called in every last soul down to his own brother to watch these wild crowds."

Marius's mouth tightened to a line, but he kept his gaze on the man and pretended to sip his ale.

The man grinned and glanced toward a weasel-eyed man at a small, square table near the back wall. Had to be the brother, Jovanyth. Marius and Tahlia exchanged a look.

"Well, he isn't that desperate, I don't think," the man said. "Your accent is unusual. Where do you two hail from?"

Marius pretended to be very thirsty while Tahlia answered with their cover story. "We're cousins. Our parents were traveling merchants, so we picked up a little of everything along the way."

Shoulders relaxing, the man appeared to swallow her lie. "Ah, so that's why you sound like a Veiler."

Veiler? Perhaps that was what they called folk who lived close to the Veil.

"Oh, look," Marius said to Tahlia, his gaze going to a terrible painting at the back of the tavern. "The use of lighting in that piece is very well done."

Tahlia stifled a snort of laughter. She elbowed the man. "My cousin has a passion for the arts."

The man frowned, then shrugged. "I never thought a hired dog would care a whit for paintings…" His gaze twisted into a look stuffed with suspicion.

A woman in a very tight and revealing corset bumped into him and giggled. The man turned to face her fully and seemed to forget about Tahlia and Marius, which was a stroke of good luck. Phew.

Marius waved Tahlia toward the painting.

"Now, what do you love so much about this one, dear cousin?" she said loudly as they approached Jovanyth's table. "And how did you lie about the lighting?" she whispered, laughing.

"I closed my eyes and imagined a painting at the castle."

"Good one."

"It's not my first mission, Lady Tahlia," he whispered under the din of the tavern.

Tahlia accidentally bumped into Jovanyth. "I wonder who the artist is?"

Durniad's brother grunted and glared at Tahlia with swollen eyes. "Eh, watch your big arse, dog."

Marius's nostrils flared and he bared his teeth. He was going to blow this thing up.