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Thesunhadset,the darkness bringing shadows to life from the fires lit along the road, and Bryn smiled again, more than she had in years, as she watched the shadows dance beneath the last of the evening’s revelers.

As the night wore on, more and more people made their way to their homes, but Bryn and Niamh stayed out here as their day was only beginning.

Bryn, able to walk the street without judgment, Niamh watching over the girls who stayed under her roof as they catered to the pious men, who were happily married during the day but came in under the cover of darkness to enjoy the hands of a woman not their wife.

She didn’t judge her friend, nor her lifestyle. Niamh was her closest ally aside from Sage and Jace. She was the one who had taken her under her wing when Bryn was the most lost and scared she’d ever been right after her father had died and she was left to her aunt’s care.

Teaching her how to be a woman when Mallory couldn’t be bothered to speak of such things. Guiding her through her first love, Declan, and first heartbreak, also Declan.

It was a loyalty born from another’s neglect.

The few women who worked for Niamh kept to themselves, even now they stayed inside, keeping to the shadows of the night as much as Bryn did these days. She never saw them unless she visited Niamh, but even then, they kept their distance. Yet when she did stumble upon one of the ladies, they were far more welcoming than any other in Ifreann, even in their reclusiveness.

Funny. One would think those of the church would have been opening their doors for all the “poor sinners.”

“Glass houses all around and so many stones...” Niamh would say as she swept the church’s behavior like lint from her shoulder.

No matter how much Scrios Arioch had tried to run Niamh out of town, to bring the townspeople together with the mindset she was running a house of ill repute, he failed every time. He finally gave up years ago, but his eye was on the house for anything he could throw at it in the hopes of knocking it down like the villain to their story that he was.

A glass of Caden’s brew was suddenly blocking her vision, her hand moving to take it without thought as Caden moved to sit on the other side of Niamh.

“Thank you,” she whispered before putting the glass to her lips, thankful that no one could tell she had an alcoholic beverage due to the dark glass. A sorely needed alcoholic beverage.

“Figured you could use a pint or so after dealing with the town idiots.” He smiled at her.

He worked as the barkeep at the Sanctuary, but Niamh told her long ago that he never messed with any of the girls. A huge reason he had lasted there so long.

Even when the very serious Travis came to visit and have a brew, he also kept to himself, simply being polite company.

“Thanks for stepping in without making it obvious,” she replied. Caden was good at that and had saved her more than a few times when someone was messing with her in front of the Sanctuary.

“He shouldn’t have to. You should be safe in your own town,” Niamh groused as she took a sip of her wine.

Caden settled back, leaning his elbows on the topmost step of the porch. How he managed to look comfortable lying across wooden steps, she didn’t know. Her butt was going numb from the discomfort.

“Travis says the same thing. We wish it. We grew up with you, Bryn, and the town doesn’t see you the way we do. If they could, they would know you are amazing,” Caden said, referring to their small group of friends: Justin, Declan, Kessler, Sage, and Jace.

Still, even among them, she felt like an outsider. Hiding and keeping her secrets from them, like the fear she lived out in her own home or the fits she fell into when she touched someone who would die soon.

“Kessler is still pissed as a wasp bothered during mating season that you won’t let him make you a weapon,” Caden said with a nod to the forge where Kessler was ignoring the joyous revelers dancing outside on the street.

As if he could hear everything, Kessler looked toward them before hammering some metal hot from the fire. He’d made his appearance to appease his friends and got back to work. Smart man.

“I’ll speak to him soon. Perhaps I should let him,” she whispered, Niamh and Caden turning to her with raised eyebrows.

“You’d make his year if you did, Brynnie.” Caden smiled. “He isn’t law like Justin, not a trader like Declan with his own gang of thugs, so he wants to have something he can do to protect you.”

Bryn gave him a small smile, wishing she felt like she deserved it.

“That’s all for tomorrow. Tonight, we listen and wait for the peons to go to bed so we can rule the town once more.” Niamh raised her glass, Bryn and Caden clinking their own against hers as they fell into the music of the evening. Bryn was able to listen to Declan’s playing, ignoring the stares and whispers, which was a relief. His music was a balm to the weary soul.

Soon enough, only the light of the torches was left aside from the fires that burned only once a year along the street. The shadows took over the celebration as they danced along the buildings.

Settling back, she swayed her body to the last of the music, the night ending slowly as people stumbled and laughed after having allowed themselves the pleasure of being human one night of the year.

The feeling in her gut, the warning, grew at a rapid rate, and she found herself standing and looking around.

“What’s wrong?” Niamh asked, standing as well, looking for a threat.