Page 30 of Raven Rebel (Sablewood #1)
“I supposed it’s my turn.” Tayen straightened and cleared his throat.
“Let’s see, I unintentionally dated Kyrell, heir of the Court of Darkness,” he added when Brenna frowned, “for a few months the first time I visited. I thought he was merely an attentive host.” He shrugged.
“Secondly, the first time I was going to be kissed, I got so excited that my magic reacted and he hit his nose on my shield and refused to try again.”
“Is that why Kyrell wrote to our court so often all those years ago?” Cerne asked with an eyebrow raised.
“You are ruining the game,” Tayen snapped. Cerne’s laughter filled the room.
“So no bungled first kiss?” Seda asked.
“Oh that was true, but he was willing to try again,” Tayen said with a wink. “I think we all must drink this round.”
Brenna took a long draught of her ale and set it on the table with a thunk. Beside her, Meara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her mannerisms relaxed. Brenna loved seeing her sister at ease and enjoying herself in this new group of friends.
“Alright, my turn,” Seda said. “When I completed my trial to join the guard, I sliced my foot open but kept it secret from my mother. I stitched it myself.”
Brenna recoiled, flexing her foot within her boot.
“Secondly, at one point I didn’t want to take up my mother’s post, and instead planned to become a fletcher and craft the finest arrows.”
“Oh really,” Cerne said, one eyebrow rising. Brenna frowned, trying to interpret his meaning.
“I believe it is the foot injury,” Ayala said.
Meara nodded, “Agreed.”
“I can’t picture you as a craftsman, so that is my vote,” Tayen said.
Xurey frowned, looking between them. “I think it must be the injury as well.”
Seda’s smile was smug as she raised her hand to show a thin scar across her palm, hidden near a crease. “It was my hand, and Cerne did the stitching.”
Brenna gasped, looking at Cerne. “You sewed up a wound?” He shrugged, leaning back in his seat with a smug smile.
“Drink,” Cerne said. “And I think it is Xurey’s turn. ”
Sighing, Xurey leaned her arms on the table, her teeth dragging over her full bottom lip as she contemplated her answers. “The first time I shifted, I couldn’t figure out how to shift back and I spent three days wandering the Observatory as a horse. Secondly, the Autumn Court is my favorite court.”
“Well that is obvious,” Cerne said. “We all know we are your favorite. You should drink twice for that.”
“Sorry,” Xurey said, raising her hand to cover her mouth. “I was only stuck for a few hours, but I couldn’t think of anything else.” Tayen reached forward and nudged the bottom of the tankard clutched in her hand. Rolling her eyes, Xurey lifted it and took a long drink.
“Brenna? Would you like to go next? Give us a proper challenge?” Cerne said with a grin.
“Alright, let me see.” She giggled, raising her fingers to her lips. The ale saturated her, leaving her feeling light and giddy. “When we were kids, a boy was teasing Meara so I pushed him into the stream.”
Giggles and guffaws circled the table, emboldening her.
“And then my first kiss was a boy in the village, the butcher’s son, and he was awful.
He licked at my teeth and then told me thank you and that he wanted to see someone else.
” Surprised that the words escaped her, Brenna covered her flushing face with her hands.
Tayen laughed so hard he wheezed. “Surely they are both true.” Brenna shook her head. “Alright, I think it’s the first kiss.”
“Pushing the boy into the stream. You are too kind hearted for that,” Cerne said.
Brenna braved a glance to her sister. Meara scowled. “Kipp, really?” A flush darkened Brenna’s cheek.
“Well?” Ayala asked, sounding irritated she had to wait to find out the truth.
“It was Meara who shoved a boy into the creek, and it was Kipp because he made me cry after that kiss.”
“I wish you had told me why. I would have found a deeper river to throw him in,” her sister grumbled.
Xurey wiped a tear from her eyes, her giggles dying away. “I would have helped. That sounds like a terrible first kiss.”
“It was.” Brenna took a long drink of her ale.
Her friends’ teasing and laughter comforted her.
This must be what it felt like to belong to a circle of friends.
A third round of ales was called for, and she lost herself in laughter as Xurey told them about the time she was lost and ended up wandering with a herd of wild horses.
Meara gripped her hand, squeezing her fingers, and Brenna leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder.
As the evening continued, the stories and ale flowed freely.
A sense of closeness wrapped around Brenna, like a cozy blanket.
She would give anything for this to be her usual end of week gathering of friends.
For a time, she imagined this was one of many evenings laughing and playing with her friends.
Nothing could convince her to give up her life as a fae and return to the human lands. Meara would have to understand.