Page 68 of Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance

“What's that?"

"Alcohol." He stated with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language and he laughed.

"Don't you have this in the city?" He pressed the small, curved glass into my hand and took my water away. The amber liquid inside winked warmly in the light and I could smell a strong but not unpleasant aroma coming from it.

“Not that I know of," I said as I took a swig from the glass. It burned my throat as I swallowed it in one and I coughed, feeling my eyes prickle. “What the hell is it?" I gasped and Coal barked a laugh.

"I would have told you to have a sip first rather than sink a whole glass!" He laughed at me and the sound was deep and dark and made my toes curl.

I

could feel warmth pooling in my stomach which spread slowly to my limbs.

“Is it drugged?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“No, it’ll make you a bit dizzy though and light headed. Here I'll catch you up." He winked and knocked back the contents of his glass before pouring another and knocking that one back too.

"I think I like it," I said, feeling a grin spread across my face.

"Me too," he agreed and he dropped down next to me, his side pressed against mine.

Coal topped up our glasses again and I lifted my glass to drink. He reached out suddenly, placing his hand over the top of it to stop me.

"It will make you dizzy and you'll enjoy it, but it'll make you sick if you drink too much and that's no fun. Got it?” His breath fluttered over my lips and I found myself nodding.

“Okay, dizzy but not sick, that's easy enough to remember." I drained my drink and held the glass out again.

“Sure it is. I'm not gunna hold your hair back if you start puking," he warned as he filled my glass again.

“Well I won't hold your hair back either." I giggled and nudged him with my elbow as he took another sip of his drink, sloshing some of it over the two of us which made me laugh even louder.

“Shhh you'll wake everyone up." Coal laughed too as he mopped some of the spilled mess off of us.

“Except for Taylor," I said, frowning as my amusement died.

“He'll be okay," Coal said, settling back into his seat.

“I know. He won't let a little thing like a bullet skimming his skull keep him away from me for long." I smiled but it felt false on my lips.

"He sounds... like he really cares about you and you about him," Coal said quietly, refilling his drink again.

“Of course." I nodded. "Like you and Alicia."

“Right. But he isn't your brother though, is he?"

“Nope." I shook my head and it made the room spin.

Coal drummed his fingernails on the rim of his glass and shifted to look at me.

"Have you thought about what you want to do now?" Coal asked as he drank again.

“What do you mean?"

“Well I doubt you can go back to the city, unless you plan on serving really long sentences in the Lawless Trials." He smiled wolfishly over his glass at me.

"I haven’t really thought about long term,” I said, realising how stupid that must sound but my main focus was on helping Taylor for now. "But everything about it out here just feels right to me."