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“Don’t get me wrong—I still think it’s pointless,” she went on. “But I’ve been trying to improve on my own without any progress. I figure it can’t hurt to try something new.”

Taly considered her, poised to toss back another shot. This wasn’t an easy thing for Aimee to ask. She understood that. Still— “Are you sure you’re comfortable taking advice from the one who killed your father?”

Aimee scowled. “Oh, please. You don’t actually expect me to believe I hurt your feelings.”

“I wassohurt,” Taly insisted. She couldn’t say it with a straight face. “Nah, you’re right. Coming from anybody else, maybe it would’ve stung. But from you, I just can’t make myself care.”

“Yes or no,” Aimee pressed.

“I have to answernow?”

“Yes.”

“When I’ve been drinking and am clearly not capable of making sound decisions…” It was all coming together. “I see your plan,” Taly said. “Smart.”

“Family helps family.”

“And now we’ve moved on toguilt. Fantastic.” Taly reached for a bowl of nuts, popping one in her mouth. “You don’t get to complain about my music.”

“Now you’re just being absurd.”

“Andyou have to compliment me. Right here, right now—give me praise.” Taly spread her arms, ready to receive it.

Aimee glared at her. “It’s amazing, you know.”

“What?”

“How little you’ve changed. You still act like you’re five years old.” Aimee took a sip of liquor. “There, I did it.”

Taly let her arms drop. “We’re going to need to work on your definition of a compliment.”

“And that’s when she told me I was too‘clingy,’Can you believe it? Me,clingy?” Kato finished his ale and slammed the empty glass down on the table.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Aiden asked, head propped drunkenly in one hand as he watched Taly and Aimee at the bar.

Skye knew the answer to that. They were probably talking about what a half-cocked, overly excited dipshit he was. And Aimee, the opportunisticharpy, was no doubt advising Taly to cut her losses because this sort of thing didn’t get better.

His heel bounced beneath the table. He couldn’t believe he’d fucked up this badly. Theonetime it mattered, and what did he do? Hefumbled.

His mind replayed the countless women he’d bedded successfully. They could all vouch for him. This didn’t happen. Not to him. He was a shadow mage—he had absolute control of his body.

Except with Taly, it seemed.

“You could at least pretend to be listening,” Kato grumbled, folded over the table. Apparently, he was a sad drunk.

“We are listening,” Aiden said, eyes on the bar, same as Skye. “Eula broke up with you.”

“Brutally,” Skye added. To Aiden, he said, “Can you read lips?”

It wasn’t a skill he’d ever bothered to acquire since he could normally overhear even distant conversations. But the bar was crowded, and the din of noise echoing in such a small space made it difficult to sort through the sound.

“Yes,” Aiden answered and raised himself up. He slumped back down. “Never mind, Aimee must be using a privacy distortion.”

“How can you tell?”

“They’re both smiling.”

Fair point.