Page 55 of The Gathering

Draven was happy to see them back to normal.

“You’re getting slower,” Nadir teased.

“It’s the domesticated life,” Draven chimed in.

Nadir’s sly smile widened. “Oi, it’s mister Katharos now, is it?” he mocked. “Has she learned to cook yet?—“

Hagen started after him, and Nadir jumped, laughter rising, but he didn’t stop.

“—He’ll be telling us when next we see him that he’s found wolf pups to raise—“ Nadir jumped as Hagen lunged, and Nadir swung up on one of the iron torches out of his grasp “—perhaps a few children from Mons himself—“ His feet hit the long edge of the iron stick, balancing atop it as Hagen huffed and glared at him.

“Wait, did you tell him?” Draven asked.

“I did not,” Hagen grunted.

“Tell me what?” Nadir asked as he made his way to the ground.

Draven eyed Hagen, and Hagen shook his head, straightening out the sleeves of his nice shirt.

“Aren’t we late?” he snapped instead.

They were among the first to arrive in the ballroom, and as such, grabbed drinks from the tables and made their way to the side of the dance floor to watch. Draven didn’t know many of the Dreamers who were present, so they mingled with a few Blackhands and Honest who had already arrived instead.

It was a half-hour more before someone tapped Draven on his shoulder, and he turned to find Bala smiling widely up at him.

“Hello, boys,” she drawled, making her presence known, chin raised as she presented herself in the black pantsuit.

Catcalls emitted from the three, with mocks of banter that made Bala pose for them smugly, obviously proud of how she looked in the royal garb.

“Look out, D. She’ll be taking that crown on your head next,” Hagen said with a wink.

“Bala coming in and putting the rest of us to shame,” Nadir bantered animatedly with her. “Tell us who has your eye tonight.”

“Reminder that I am on my own at this castle,” Hagen suggested as he adjusted himself.

Bala’s eyes fluttered at the comment, and she looked around them. “Ah, she’s not here yet,” she replied with a look to Draven.

Draven realized she was talking about Lex, and the image of the Belwark sprawled against Aydra’s chest as he settled between her thighs entered his mind. “Probably on the way down unless they decided to have more fun without me.”

“Without you?” Hagen repeated.

“Knew you looked too refreshed,” Nadir bantered, giving him a sideways grin. “He’s got that three-party glow.”

“I can’t believe you’ve been sitting on this story an hour now,” Hagen grunted.

Draven chuckled under his breath at his friends who were hazing him for details, and as he started to reply back, the doors closed with a sharp rattle.

Hagen kicked back his whiskey. “Locking us in,” he mused, stuffing a hand in his pocket. “Wouldn’t that be a fuck of a way to die?”

“Fucking royal presentations,” Nadir said, glancing at the door. “I’m glad we don’t have these dramatics,” he said as he looked at Draven. “I like our simple realms.”

“Apparently,” Draven said with a nod to Nadir’s bare feet.

“You know I don’t wear shoes, mate,” Nadir said.

“The rest of us don’t need to see those fingers you call toes,” Hagen said. “You should keep them hidden. Though maybe you can get the Princess to suck them later.”

“Speaking of the Princess…” came Bala’s voice as the doors opened. She looked back at Nadir over her shoulder. “How are your knees feeling, Naddi?”