Page 61 of The Call of Crimson (The Crimson & Shadows #2)

As the music picks up and couples begin the dance, I watch intently.

The dancing couple weaves figure-eights in a diagonal pattern with two others in the line.

They meet in the middle, grasping forearms and spinning each other, before continuing the figure eight pattern with the opposite couples from the first round.

The steps and pattern continue, each couple taking their place at the end once their turn is done, effectively progressing us forward.

The dance is lively but simple. When it finally comes to our turn to join, I smile in glee as we begin the familiar pattern. The upbeat lilt of the fiddle, the consistent beat of the drums, and the whistle of the flutes fill my ears, making my body and soul hum in delight.

Around and round, we spin, weaving our way through the other couples until we fall back to the end. The instruments fade as the dance comes to an end, but I’m left wanting more.

When I reach the table our group has chosen, Rowina hands me a glass filled with something that looks like cider. I take a large gulp, savoring the rich spices and fruity tang of the drink.

“This is delicious,” I say between drinks. I glance around and notice that everyone else seems to be sipping theirs while mine is nearly gone. “Do you not think so?”

Ayden chuckles before responding, “Oh, I find it quite enjoyable. Just… give it a few minutes.”

Rowina pries the empty glass from my hand, setting it on our table. Clearing her throat, she explains, “That particular cider is meant for sipping. It might not taste like it, but you just drank the equivalent of six shots of rum, Breyla.”

My eyes widen. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I ask in horror.

“You didn’t really give me the chance, babe. You’ll be okay, though. You’ll just get to the drunk stage much faster than the rest of us.” She smiles sheepishly at me.

“Why would I need to ask if it was okay to drink cider normally? Most cider doesn’t contain enough liquor to get a small child drunk.”

“It’s solstice,” Ayden says by way of explanation, giving me a shrug and trying to hide his amusement.

“Well, shit.” I sigh, wondering how long it will take to feel the effects of the alcohol.

Depositing his still mostly full drink on the table, Ayden grips my elbow and gently leads me away. “Come on, love. Let’s play a game. I have a feeling you’ll excel at this one.”

“Does it involve more drinking?” I mumble.

“Yes, but I’ll take all your drinks, wild one. You just focus on winning.”

“Fine,” I relent.

We make it to the other side of the town square, where several long tables are set up. There are groups of cups set up on each end of the table in the shape of a triangle.

“We’re up next,” Ayden says to the two males standing at one end of the table.

“Come to lose, Prince?” one of the males goads.

“Not today, Jerome.”

“I don’t see how you stand much of a chance without your usual partner,” the other adds with a shrug.

Ayden just grins. “You’ve never seen the princess here play drinking games, either. She has impeccable hand-eye coordination.”

For a brief moment, I’m flattered by his praise until I realize he’s never seen me play drinking games, either.

I remain quiet, deciding not to undermine Ayden’s confidence in front of these males.

“The premise of this game is pretty simple. You want to throw this ball,” he says, holding up a small white ball, “into those cups. We each get one shot per round, and once the cup is made, it’s removed from play.

The first team to eliminate all its cups wins.

For each cup the opposing team makes, we drink.

Like I said, I’ll drink for you, which means I’m drinking double, so do your best not to miss. ”

“Seems easy… What’s the catch?”

“No catch. There are a few nuances, but I’ll explain those as they come up.”

I nod my head, trying to decipher the look in his eyes and whether I believe him.

“Are you two ready or not?” Jerome calls from the other end of the table.

“Ready to kick your sorry asses,” Ayden fires back.

The game starts quickly with both Jerome and the other male, who I find out is named Shay, making their cups in the first round. I quickly learn that that means they get to take a second shot. Thankfully, they miss those.

Ayden takes four drinks, two for each shot they made.

“Hey now,” Jerome protests. “Why isn’t she drinking?”

“Because she had already drunk an entire glass of cider. I give it five more minutes before you hold the upper hand against us both.”

Jerome and Shay both grin widely, a cocky look gracing their faces.

That look falters slightly when we both land our shots in the same cup. Three cups are pulled, and our balls are returned to us.

When Ayden makes his second shot, Shay narrows his eyes. “Are we being hustled?”

“Nonsense,” I reply with a chuckle that leans dangerously close to a giggle. “Your prince would never hustle the loyal citizens of this kingdom.”

“Actually,” Jerome mutters, “that’s exactly what he would do.”

The rounds continue, each team playing a close game as it comes down to the final cup. Ayden, having taken all my drinks, has begun missing more shots than he makes. Surprisingly, I make most of mine, despite the amount of liquor I consumed before the start of the game.

I line up my shot, taking a deep breath. Before I release, I feel the gentle, reassuring presence in my mind. It’s almost as if I can hear the word Now right as I make the shot.

The ball lands directly in the last cup, and I squeal in delight, jumping up and down. Ayden grabs me by the waist, spinning me around as we laugh in glee. “You’re a natural, love.”

“I’m a natural at all drinking games,” I retort.

As he leads me away from the table, he leans into me to whisper, “I have a confession.”

“Is it that I am far better at that game than you?” I wink.

He chuckles before admitting, “I am far drunker than you at the moment.”

“You only finished two mugs of ale in that game. Surely that’s not more than the cider.”

“Okay, I have two confessions.” Ayden grins sheepishly. “I swapped your cider for the cider we give the children. You’re not actually drunk.”

“Ayden,” I exclaim. “That certainly explains why I don’t feel drunk. But why lie?”

“I needed you to believe you were getting drunk so Jerome and Shay would believe it, too. They got cocky, which led them to be sloppy.”

“You filthy liar,” I accuse, trying to hide the grin curling the corners of my mouth. “You did hustle them.”

“Indeed,” he agrees, grinning.

“You’re not even a little bit sorry.”

He smirks. “Not even a little bit.”

We fall into a fit of laughter, and I feel lighter than I have in weeks. As we arrive back at the table, I find a full glass of the real cider waiting for me. Aurelius has also arrived and is talking with Rowina.

I take a small sip of the cider, savoring the burn and spices as they drift across my tongue. It is easy to tell that this mix is heavily laced with liquor.

“That was a good game you both played,” Aurelius says mildly. “Even if you did lie your way through it.”

“Does it get uncomfortable?” Ayden asks.

Aurelius cocks a brow. “Does what get uncomfortable?”

“That stick you have stuck up your ass,” he snorts with a roar of laughter.

I stifle a giggle, taking another drink of cider. This time, I actually feel the effects of the alcohol start to take over. A warmth spreads through me, and I smile widely.

“I’m not the one here that likes things up their ass,” Aurelius replies smoothly. “And when done properly, I assure you it’s anything but uncomfortable.”

Ayden’s jaw drops, and I blink slowly at the insinuation in Aurelius’ words. I probably should be embarrassed by his words, but I can’t find it in me to care right now. A full laugh breaks free from me, and I fight a snort.

“Oh, I’m well aware.” Ayden quickly recovers, giving us all a cocky smirk. “But that’s good to know. I’ll keep it in mind for the honeymoon.”

“I’m not sure when this turned into a dick-measuring contest, but we’re going to dance!” Rowina shouts, grabbing my hand. I quickly take another drink of the cider before I let her lead me into the crowd.

Ignoring both of their protests, Rowina shouts over her shoulder, “Besides, we all know I win that contest!”

She hands me her flask of the apple-flavored liquor, a devilish grin spreading across her beautiful face.

I take a sip, licking my lips. “Are you trying to get me drunk, Princess?”

“I thought that much was obvious,” she says with a wink.

“I should warn you, I’ve been known to make questionable decisions when intoxicated.”

“Oh?” she purrs, tracing a delicate finger along my jawline. “Are you saying you’ll finally let me have my chance between those pretty thighs?”

“Not that questionable.” I roll my eyes. “I’m still into males, Ro.”

“Only because you don’t know what you’re missing.” She pulls me into the center of the dance floor. “I know I make you curious, darling. Your mental shields aren’t completely impenetrable.”

I toss back another shot of the sweet liquor as I let the music take me. “You and your brother do like reminding me of that, and it drives me wild. I’ve never met anyone who was capable of breaking through my mental shield. Not even my own father.”

She just shrugs and says, “You’ll figure it out eventually.”

A pleasant buzz takes over my body as we lose ourselves to the melody. Time slows, and I’m unsure if it’s a few minutes or a few hours later that I feel Ayden’s presence behind me.

“Can I help you, Prince?” I ask without so much as looking at him.

He takes my hand, twirling me out and back into him. “They need to break down the dance floor.”

“I’m not done dancing,” I protest.

“Well, you’ll have to do it off the dance floor.” He tugs me gently away from the center of the space so the villagers can begin dismantling the makeshift dance floor.

Despite its absence, the musicians continue playing.

“In that case, I don’t need a dance floor,” I say with a grin, eyeing the empty tables.