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I opened my mouth to reply but Tess pushed her way to the front of the desk. “We’ll take them, thank you,” she told the clerk and grabbed the two bronze keys from her. Without looking up she held her hand out for payment and Nik plopped a few large golden coins into her palm.

“Rooms 310 and 317. Enjoy your stay,” she said as she finally gazed up, her eyes vacant. She said it in a way that implied shecertainlydidn’t hope we enjoyed our stay. Why did Nik and Puck like this place so much?

We made our way up the spiraling wooden staircase to the second floor which opened onto a landing with a long row of guest rooms. We continued upwards to the third floor which appeared much the same. We made our way down the hallway, the thick wooden planks creaking beneath our feet as we reached Room 310.

“We can take this one.” Puck snatched the keys for the rooms out of Tess’ hands and passed the other room key to Nik. “Meet you downstairs in ten?”

“You got it.” Nik nodded and looked to me, a question in his eyes. I swallowed hard before starting down the hallway again. Tess gave me a wicked grin and wiggled her eyebrows before disappearing behind the heavy wooden door to their room. I followed Nik down the hallway to Room 317 and paused, taking a deep breath, and swallowing the lump in my throat as he unlocked the door. I quietly followed him inside.

The room was much larger than I’d expected. It was appointed with a queen size bed on the left side of the room made out of cast iron, with a comfortable looking mattress and heavily layered cream linens. To the right was a brick fireplace set into the wall, two red upholstered chairs sitting before it. Next to the fireplace was a door to a separate washroom with a sink, tub, and shower. It appeared they did have running water here in Istmere,thank God. The windows on the far wall bathed the room in light and looked out onto the rooftop of the bank. I could see the rest of the city beyond in the distance.

“I can go if you need some time alone to wash up,” Nik offered, dropping his pack down next to the bed. “It was a long trip to get here if you aren’t used to it.”

“No, that’s ok.” I moved to the opposite side of the bed, dropping my pack down as well and crossing my arms awkwardly.

“Are you ok with this? Because Puck and I can share a room, it’s no big deal,” Nik said as he ran a hand through his hair.

“No, it’s ok.” I paused. “Are you ok with this?” I asked, meeting his eyes across the bed. It hadn’t even occurred to me until now that maybehedidn’t want to share a bed withme. Sure, we had kissed a few times, but that might not mean anything to him. Not the way it did to me.

His eyes were smoldering with heat, and I could see a muscle tick in the line of his jaw. “I am ok with this,” he answered softly.

The silence felt deafening as he held my eyes, a dangerous glimmer in them. What would happen tonight, if anything? Was I ready for something to happen? A flush of heat rushed to my cheeks and Nik grinned.

“It’s almost as if I can read your thoughts, firecracker.”

“If only.” I laughed, but it sounded hollow in my own ears.

“Let me get a fire started, so the room is warmed up for when we get back,” Nik offered as he moved to the fireplace and crouched before it. “Nights in Istmere can get pretty cold.”

“Ok, I am going to freshen up.”

I moved towards the washroom and closed the door quietly behind me, my nerves on edge. This would be my first time sharing a bed with a guy, and I wasnervous. I felt it creeping up my chest and into my throat as if it were a powerful flame I couldn’t douse. My stomach flipped as I gripped the sink and saw my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were flushed, my soft blue eyes framed by my falling auburn curls. I took a deep breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth, splashing some water onto my cheeks and pushing my hair back from my face.

Tess had done this a million times, and so could I. Nothing had to happen if I didn’t want it to…but did I want it to? I thought of how it had felt to have Nik pressed against me, the stifling heat of him consuming me. His fingers running across my skin, his mouth on my neck. Ididwant something to happen tonight. I wanted him. I swallowed hard as the realization settled in my stomach and I splashed more water on my face, turning to grab the towel hanging on the rack.

Maybe I would change my mind after a few Dragon’s Ales. I needed to not overthink this, as I did everything else. I stepped back from the sink and sat on the edge of the claw-foot tub, steadying my breathing until I felt calm enough to join Nik back in the bedroom.

By the time I had collected myself, Nik had a roaring fire crackling in the fireplace. He was lying on the bed with his legs crossed at the ankles, his head resting on his bent arms.

“Did you use magic to do that?” I asked, gesturing towards the flickering flames.

“Only a little,” he confessed with a shrug. “A man should know how to start a fire, and trust me, Iknowhow to start a fire.”

“Sure, you do.” I nodded with a demure smile. “Let’s go grab some of these famous Ale’s you’ve been talking about.” I moved towards the door as Nik got up from the bed.

“If you’re a lightweight, which I assume you are, we should keep it to two.Maximum.” He smirked.

“And what makes you think I am a lightweight?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. He reached out and grabbed a lock of my curly hair between his fingertips, examining it.

“Just a calculated guess,” he answered as he twirled it around his finger. Truth be told I had only ever had a few drinks in my life, mostly wine coolers when my mom had friends over and she let me have a few. I’d had a few beers at one of the college parties Tess had dragged me to and I’d had wine on a family vacation to Napa Valley once. But that was a long time ago. The truth was, I had no idea how I would handle the Dragon’s Ale, but I didn’t want Nik to know that.

“I guess we will have to see,” I said, turning the knob and starting down the hallway. When we reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, we could see that Puck and Tess had already grabbed a booth. Our mugs of ale were already waiting for us on the wooden tabletop. I slid into the booth first, and Nik followed.

“This tastes nothing like ale in the other realm,” Tess told me as she took another gulp. I lifted the wooden mug to my nose first and took a whiff. It sure smelled like beer in the other realm, for what it was worth. I took a small taste and realized she was right, this was nothing like ale in the other realm. It had a smooth, but earthy flavor. Almost Buttery.

“That’s actually really good,” I conceded, “What’s in it?”

“Don’t ask,” Nik and Puck replied in unison with a laugh. They had been doing that a lot lately since we’d arrived in Istmere.