I looked in the kitchen and outside the servants’ entrance for the house staff but didn’t see them anywhere. Noise came from the butler’s pantry, somewhere I should have looked first. Instead of finding Qarla or the others, I interrupted Nik, who straddled over the piles of pots and bowls, rummaging through the items inside.
“What are you looking for?”
His eyelids were somewhat lowered, and his body had a harder time standing without support of a nearby piece of furniture or wall. “Ale.”
“Those things are in here.” I opened the door to the wine cellar. He stumbled behind me into the narrow space, gawking at the selection.
“Wine, bourbon, ale, champagne. I think I’ve found the best room in the house,” he joked, running his fingers along the various bottles before him.
“Whatever you see in this room is yours.”
He paused and glanced in my direction. “Is that so?”
My heart jumped.
Nik pulled a bottle from the shelf. “Then I’ll take this one.” The one he chose didn’t have a label.
“How do you know you’ll like it?”
He shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it won’t matter.”
A shadow took over the already dim space.
“The door!” I pushed past him to stop it from closing, and the bottle slipped out of his grip, shattering on the floor. He cursed, and the door latched, trapping us both inside. The room, dark as night, closed in around us. I couldn’t see a thing.
“I guess it is wine?” He chuckled.
“I’m not wearing shoes!” I grumbled.
“I am. You stay still.” He tried the handle, but it didn’t give.
“It’s temperamental. The servants keep a key in here somewhere.” I felt around the walls, not moving my feet for fear I’d cut them on the broken glass. “There’s a lantern over there.”
Bottles clinked randomly. “Over where?” His blind hands found my chest and quickly pulled back. “Oh, gods.”
I giggled and reached out for him. Finding his hands, I extended one. “That way. There’s a shelf about this high with a lantern and matches.”
“Thanks.” Nik shuffled between me and the rack behind him, glass popping under the weight of his feet. A moment later, a tiny flame created a soft glow at the end of the cellar. “Found it.”
The light reflected itself in a hundred specks around us like the night’s sky. The sweet smell of wine and oiled wood filled the space, making it all feel like a romantic rendezvous. I made sure to keep myself focused on the cellar’s custom woodwork as Nik searched for the key. He refused to let me move for fear I might get hurt. I didn’t argue. Calish didn’t need another reason to hate him, and if I had so much as a scratch, my husband would convict him just to be rid of him.
“Here it is.” He held it up then used it to free the latch. Using a growler of ale to prop open the door, he returned the key to where he found it and slid past me to snuff out the lantern. The room dimmed. “Now, let’s get you out.” He put my arm over his shoulder and swept me up with ease. I’d never considered Nik a strong man, but the strength of his arms and shoulders impressed me. He took pause to study my eyes, glancing tentatively at my lips before sidestepping to the exit.
When he set me down, my arms didn’t leave his shoulders, and his draped easily around my waist. His hand opened across my lower back and held me gently against him long enough to know his affection was purposeful. It was also too late.
I let my arms slowly fall, and he broke our gaze, his lips pressed tightly together and eyes full of regret. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “It’s just… I…I need to get more wine or Ino will have my head.” He snatched a random bottle from inside the cellar and disappeared into the kitchen.
I stared at the debris on the floor and the deep red splatters staining my skin. The desire to guzzle a bottle myself had never been so strong. Hearing laughter from the other end of the house distracted my thoughts to more joyful opportunities, so I grabbed as many bottles as I could carry and headed toward the party.
It made me feel more comfortable to know the servants had been dismissed for the remainder of the day, though I’d left them a mess to clean up when they returned. It had been an incredibly stressful few days, and my guests wished to down as many bottles of ale and wine as possible without judgment. Thankfully, they had the foresight to protect Calish’s reputation by clearing the house staff first. Knowing they wouldn’t leave without a direct word from their Lord’s lips, Marsh convinced them the order had been given.
It felt good to be silly with the surprisingly foolhardy crowd. I discovered I didn’t need to partake in the wine and ale to benefit from its influence. Marsh proved himself an entertaining drunkard; he was loud and his stories more theatrical than normal. I laughed so hard at his account of various childhood memories, I found it difficult to catch my breath. Unable to deny them, I could only confirm his accounts, embarrassing as they were. I had a feeling Calish would not approve of most of them being made public, but he wasn’t here, and I doubted any of the details would be remembered by anyone the next day.
With half a dozen empty bottles and a few dry growlers scattered about the room, Marsh asked when dinner would be served.
“You dismissed the servants, remember?” Trisk reminded him.
“Ah!” He waved his monstrous paw at her. “Let’s go fishing! I’m sure Calish has some hooks and line somewhere around here.” He stumbled up, rubbing his hands together maniacally.
“I don’t think so, brother.” I yanked him back onto the couch by his wrist.
“Whoa.” He reached up to steady his vision. “Maybe you’re right!”
“You’ve had a lot to drink, and until Mother returns from weeding the neighborhood gardens, you’re staying put.”
“I still don’t understand why she wants to pull weeds for these assholes,” he grumbled.
Trisk sat straighter with excitement dancing in her hazel eyes. “We should play Truth or Lie.”
Ino shook his head in an exaggerated form. “Uh-uh.”
“What? You scared?” she challenged him.
“Don’t be stupid, Trisk.” He took a swig right out of the wine bottle and passed it to Nik. “We’ve got two Seers in the room.”
“I know.” She pulled her legs under her on the floor to prop herself up a little higher. “We can still vote, and they can tell us if we’re right or not! It’ll be the best game ever!” She clapped her hands together.
Neither Marsh or I knew how to play, so Trisk reviewed the rules.
“Normally, we go around the circle asking questions. They can tell the truth, or they lie. The rest of us put our thumbs up if we think it’s the truth or down if we think it’s a lie. Those who guessed right do nothing, but those who guessed wrong have to do something gross.”
Ino belched. “Or not gross.”
Trish ignored him. “You and Nik can tell us if we’re right or not, because some people cheat!” She narrowed her eyes at my brother.
“What? I’ve never even played!”
“Count me out.” Nik held up his hands. “Seers aren’t any good pickled in ale.” He looked over at me. “It would be good practice for you, though.”
It had been a while since I practiced, so I agreed to play judge.
“I’ll play.” Marsh raised his hand.
“Fine.” Ino raised his. Trisk raised both her hands, leaving Nik to submit to peer pressure.
“Terrific!” Trisk said victoriously. “First challenge: remove one article of clothing if you’re wrong.” A general moan of displeasure came from the group. “What?” She held out her hands.
Oh, gods. What have I agreed to?
“That’s so overdone,” Ino slurred.
“Well,” Trisk put her hands on her hips, “you don’t like it because you have no discernment and always end up naked. Your opinion doesn’t matter anyway; it’s my turn to challenge, but you can ask the question.”
Ino sighed. “Tr
isk, have you kissed anyone other than Marsh?”
My brother grumbled.
“No,” Trisk answered indignantly.
Marsh put his thumb up, supporting her answer, but everyone else aimed their thumb down, thus accusing her of lying.
Trisk offered me her hands. “So, am I lying?” She batted her eyes.
I touched her hand and laughed. I covered my face in embarrassment, not for me, but for my brother. “Take something off, Marsh.”
“What!” He threw a pillow at his betrothed as the others teased him for his poor judgment.
“Sorry, Muddy.” She giggled.
“Muddy?” I chirped.
“Don’t ask,” Marsh said as he took off his shirt and tossed it onto the table.
“Here we go, next challenge,” Ino stood, “sit upside down for a round.”
“As if we’re not dizzy enough,” Trisk objected. “Then I choose…Nik!”
As a person who didn’t share much about himself, he had to be nervous.
Ino rubbed his hands together attempting to appear malicious. “Have you used your visions for personal gain?”
Nik shifted in his seat. “Yes.” He took a drink. Of course, he had. How could you not? I had. He had, if only by bringing all of them here to save me. I guess Trisk had too much wine to think that through.
They all spent the next round upside down.
As the game continued, I learned many, many things I didn’t need to know. Ino pretended to be a Scavenger to fish, Marsh’s goal at the Atchem Festival was to collect more pairs of panties than his age, and I admitted to killing the guard while in prison.
Because I played the judge, I didn’t vote and therefore didn’t have to participate in any of the challenges. I quickly learned to appreciate my role after seeing what they were forced to eat, act out, or pose like for being wrong. Most of them had lost several articles of clothing, leaving the men in their undershorts, and poor Trisk in nothing but a shirt. Before each turn, she begged not to be made to sit upside down again, and Marsh’s promising glares convinced them to comply.
“The next challenge…” Trisk laughed, looking at Marsh. “Kiss the person to your right and your left.”
“Gross!” Marsh protested, having the spot between Ino and Nik.
“Get it correct, and you don’t have to kiss anyone,” she said condescendingly.
Ino thought about his question to Trisk very carefully. He sat between Marsh and Trisk in a chair across from me. “Kissing Trisk isn’t so bad,” he said, “but, gods, I don’t want to kiss you.” He flashed a disgusted look at my brother. “Can I sit over there?” He pointed between me and Trisk, and Marsh laughed.
“No way.” He shook his head. “It’s bad enough you’re going to kiss my girl, you’re not kissing my sister too.”
If Nik got it wrong, he’d kiss Marsh and me. I tried hard not to react, but given our earlier tension, I decided to intervene. “Why don’t we play another game? For Marsh’s sake?”
“Oh no, you don’t, Una!” Trisk shoved me. “I want to see if Marsh will actually kiss these two men.” Her smile was sinister.
“All right,” Ino submitted. “Your question, Trisk. Are you turned on by watching two men kiss?” His query was somewhat sarcastic but still troubling nonetheless.
Marsh grabbed his hair and shook his head as if he were going to vomit up all he’d drank. “I don’t like this!”
“I’m pretty sure none of you do, or will you?” Trisk bit her lower lip, considering her answer. Of all the things one could ask, I could safely assume no one in the room had an advantage. Not even Nik.
“Just answer the question,” Ino rushed her.
“Um, yes.” She folded her hands and rested them in her lap.
Marsh started tapping his heel, quickly making his knee bounce. “Man, does it have to be on the lips?” he whined.
“Oh, absolutely!” Trisk answered.
Ino held his thumb up, but Nik and Marsh claimed she lied and aimed their thumbs down. We all nervously awaited her answer.
“Well, Una? Who’s kissing who?” Ino asked.
“Oh, right.” I reached out for her, and she took my hand. It took me a moment to decipher her thoughts. What excited her wasn’t watching two men kiss; it was forcing them to follow her orders. In this case, it meant she would enjoy watching them kiss each other.
“Um,” I paused, “right now, for this game’s purpose, I’d have to say…”
Trisk let go of my hand and beamed at Marsh. “Pucker up, Muddy.”
The only person who didn’t have to get kissed was Ino. He jumped to his feet and hopped like a victorious rabbit. “Yes! There you have it! I was right! Whew!” He sat, exhausted from his near escape from Marsh’s lips.
Nik couldn’t look too long at my brother. “And this will be the first time you wish to hit me. I didn’t even see it coming.”
“Some Seer you are.” Marsh slid forward toward him. “I’ll remember next time I follow your directions, you jerk.” Marsh quickly kissed Nik, throwing him away in an instant, spitting and wiping his mouth repeatedly.
“Oh, come on.” Trisk’s shoulders fell. “That was barely a kiss. All right, Nik, your turn.”
“What? I kissed Marsh, do I have to do it again?”
“No, but you do need to kiss the person to your right,” she sang.
“Marsh didn’t have to do his other side,” Nik complained.
“Oh, I’ll kiss him later,” she promised, and Marsh shuddered.
“Come on.” I pushed myself up. “She’s not going to give it up, so let’s just get it over with.” I cleared my throat.
Nik played the game the best so far (he had his trousers on), but I sensed he would rather be fully disrobed than standing before me with the intention to kiss me.
“You know, Trisk,” I said cheerfully, “I’ve not been part of a challenge this whole game. I shouldn’t be now.”
“Then don’t kiss him back,” she responded. “Besides, there is more tension between the two of you than between him and Marsh.” She propped her elbows up on the corner of the table. “I know what my next question is going to be, Mr. Nik.”
Nik stepped closer to me and touched my arm with sudden sobriety. I stopped breathing.
This is so unfair.
Trisk giggled, which made me hate myself for playing such a stupid game. As Nik’s face came so near that we shared the air between us, I closed my eyes, not to invite him, but to pretend it wouldn’t happen.
While he wanted to fulfill the challenge, be just a man partaking in a game among friends, it went against his vow to respect my marriage. I felt all his conflictions through his touch, which only confirmed to me how much he truly cared for me. He leaned in, his chest pressing against the fullness of mine. His heart beat faster, his fingers intertwined with mine, curled in passionate restraint.
Finally, he turned his head and exhaled. “I can’t, Trisk. She’s married, remember?”
I laid my hand on his chest in gratitude, and he turned his attention back to me. “I love you too much.”
His words had barely been spoken when Calish walked through the front door. Nik released my arm and cussed under his breath.
“What’s going on?” Calish demanded as my shirtless mentor took a step away from me.
“Nothing,” I said. “We were playing a game, and Nik lost.”
Calish sauntered to me, eyeing the empty bottles of wine placed haphazardly around the room. He kissed my cheek as he studied the half-naked people around the room. “What game?” he asked with palpable restraint.
“Truth or Lie,” Trisk replied. “You want to play?”
“No,” I answered for him, taking Calish’s hand. “In fact, I think I’m done, too.”
“Wait a moment, Una.” Calish unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. “It’s been a long day.” He released my hand and removed his cufflinks to push up his sleeves. “Why not?” He tossed the studs onto the table before sitting on the flo
or between Nik and me. He patted the plush carpet, encouraging us to sit.
I reluctantly obliged.
“Una’s not playing, Cal,” Marsh interjected.
“Oh?” Calish looked at me and Nik. “It looked like she was.” He reached for an open bottle of wine and gulped a full serving before he set it down on the table in front of him.
“She was, I mean, is the judge,” Ino stuttered.
“Whose turn was it?” he asked. “Maybe I should take off my shirt so I don’t have an unfair advantage,” he said as he pulled his shirttails from his pants.
“Calish,” I whispered.
“Don’t worry, my love, I won’t embarrass you.” He winked at me.
“Do you know how to play?” Marsh asked.
“Uh huh. Although this is the first time in mixed company.” He tossed his shirt onto the table with the others.
Hawk came through the door and stopped, unsure of what he walked into until Calish invited him to join. “Hawk! Take a seat, we’re playing Truth or Lie.”
He took a quick inventory of the six of us. “Have you been drinking all day?”
Trisk stuck her lower lip out like a child. “I guess that depends on what time it is now.”
He sighed. “All right. Game’s over. Come on; get up, put your clothes on, and get some water, all of you.”
“But I just got here.” Calish glanced at Nik.
“More reason to end it.” Hawk reached into the clothes pile and threw things back to their owners. “We have work to do. Go sober up and meet down here when you’re decent.”
I sprang up, thankful the game had been ended by a mature adult. Not wanting to talk to anyone, I sprinted upstairs as fast as any pregnant woman could. I made it into my room and closed the door by leaning against it.
That was too close.
I stepped out onto the veranda, now shaded by the setting sun, to recover from what almost happened. If Calish walked in on us kissing, even if it happened as quickly as Marsh had been kissed, I would never be able to forgive myself. Calish wouldn’t either. My eyes rested lazily on the bends of the river, longing for the simpler times of being a Scavenger on its banks.
Scavenger Girl: Season of Toridia Page 11
