into her locker.
“How is it?”
“Still bleeding,” Elli shouted, slamming her locker door shut with a clang. Shouldering her bag, she turned and left the locker room, taking her swirling anger with her.
“What a bitch,” Taer muttered under her breath as she pulled off the hoodie and T-shirt she’d been wearing and put on the one Mist had given her. After washing her face and finger-combing her dark hair and putting it in a high ponytail, Taer checked the reflection of her scar, just peeking out from the top of the boat-necked shirt.
With a resigned sigh, Taer pushed through the door and back into the belly of the Eye. There were at least double the amount of people crowding at the bar now, but Mist appeared to be handling everything well. Maybe she wasn’t needed after all.
“Taer, get your ass back here!” Mist called as Taer turned to go. Taer did as she was asked, stepping behind the bar and looking at the closest customer.
“What are you having?” she asked. She had to listen hard to hear the guy’s reply as he yelled it over the music. After she’d served him two beers, he paid and she moved on to the next customer.
After about six hours of this, the crowd started to drop off and Taer felt as if she could breathe again. She slumped against the bar top, staring out at the thinning crowd. Exhaustion completely and utterly owned her body, but Taer figured it was better than the alternative of reliving her brother’s agonizing and drawn-out death.
She spun around when someone grabbed her hand. It was Mist, shoving a fistful of money into her palm. Taer gave her a quizzical look.
“Your share of the tips from tonight. You did well, Taer.” Mist turned back to wipe the bar down. By the time everyone had filed out, and the bar was clean, the lights had been turned on, chasing away the shadows.
“Tay?” Korvain asked behind her. Taer looked up to find him standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper levels of the club. “What are you doing behind the bar?”
“Mist asked me to fill in when Elli cut her forearm on a glass bottle,” she said, shoving the cash into the pocket of her sweats.
Korvain leaned up against the side of the doorway, his dark eyes assessing her. “How are you feeling?”
Translation: Aren’t you tired?
Taer shrugged. “I’m surviving.”
Korvain frowned, but said, “Come on. I want to teach you something.”
“Tonight? Now?”
He arched a dark brow at her. “Weren’t you the one complaining that I wasn’t teaching you fast enough?”
“We’re going to do weapons training right now?”
It was true that this was exactly what Taer wanted, but why the change of heart?
Korvain shook his head. “No. I’m going to start your mental training tonight.” Before she could baulk at his offer, he said, “Not negotiable. Come on.”
Taer looked at Mist, who only shrugged at her. She followed Korvain’s broad back to the elevators up to the apartments. Taer could still feel the tension between them, their earlier argument still stifling the air between them.
She cleared her throat and leaned against the side of the elevator car, facing Korvain. He looked relaxed, but looks could be deceptive.
“Is Bryn still worried about Darrion coming after the other Valkyries?” she asked to break the stiffness between them. “Is that why you’re taking Eir to and from work?”
He turned to her. “It’s not Bryn who’s worried. It’s me. I don’t trust that he’s just gone into hiding. He has to be planning something. He has to be coming for me, or you …” He paused. “Or the woman I love,” he tacked on quietly.
Taer stared at him, dumbstruck, and Korvain averted his eyes—looking at the sealed door of the car.
“You love her?” she asked just as quietly.
Korvain’s jaw flexed, and he refused to look her way. He was shutting down, unwilling to share any more with her. A little over a month ago, she would have seen his love for Bryn as a
“How is it?”
“Still bleeding,” Elli shouted, slamming her locker door shut with a clang. Shouldering her bag, she turned and left the locker room, taking her swirling anger with her.
“What a bitch,” Taer muttered under her breath as she pulled off the hoodie and T-shirt she’d been wearing and put on the one Mist had given her. After washing her face and finger-combing her dark hair and putting it in a high ponytail, Taer checked the reflection of her scar, just peeking out from the top of the boat-necked shirt.
With a resigned sigh, Taer pushed through the door and back into the belly of the Eye. There were at least double the amount of people crowding at the bar now, but Mist appeared to be handling everything well. Maybe she wasn’t needed after all.
“Taer, get your ass back here!” Mist called as Taer turned to go. Taer did as she was asked, stepping behind the bar and looking at the closest customer.
“What are you having?” she asked. She had to listen hard to hear the guy’s reply as he yelled it over the music. After she’d served him two beers, he paid and she moved on to the next customer.
After about six hours of this, the crowd started to drop off and Taer felt as if she could breathe again. She slumped against the bar top, staring out at the thinning crowd. Exhaustion completely and utterly owned her body, but Taer figured it was better than the alternative of reliving her brother’s agonizing and drawn-out death.
She spun around when someone grabbed her hand. It was Mist, shoving a fistful of money into her palm. Taer gave her a quizzical look.
“Your share of the tips from tonight. You did well, Taer.” Mist turned back to wipe the bar down. By the time everyone had filed out, and the bar was clean, the lights had been turned on, chasing away the shadows.
“Tay?” Korvain asked behind her. Taer looked up to find him standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the upper levels of the club. “What are you doing behind the bar?”
“Mist asked me to fill in when Elli cut her forearm on a glass bottle,” she said, shoving the cash into the pocket of her sweats.
Korvain leaned up against the side of the doorway, his dark eyes assessing her. “How are you feeling?”
Translation: Aren’t you tired?
Taer shrugged. “I’m surviving.”
Korvain frowned, but said, “Come on. I want to teach you something.”
“Tonight? Now?”
He arched a dark brow at her. “Weren’t you the one complaining that I wasn’t teaching you fast enough?”
“We’re going to do weapons training right now?”
It was true that this was exactly what Taer wanted, but why the change of heart?
Korvain shook his head. “No. I’m going to start your mental training tonight.” Before she could baulk at his offer, he said, “Not negotiable. Come on.”
Taer looked at Mist, who only shrugged at her. She followed Korvain’s broad back to the elevators up to the apartments. Taer could still feel the tension between them, their earlier argument still stifling the air between them.
She cleared her throat and leaned against the side of the elevator car, facing Korvain. He looked relaxed, but looks could be deceptive.
“Is Bryn still worried about Darrion coming after the other Valkyries?” she asked to break the stiffness between them. “Is that why you’re taking Eir to and from work?”
He turned to her. “It’s not Bryn who’s worried. It’s me. I don’t trust that he’s just gone into hiding. He has to be planning something. He has to be coming for me, or you …” He paused. “Or the woman I love,” he tacked on quietly.
Taer stared at him, dumbstruck, and Korvain averted his eyes—looking at the sealed door of the car.
“You love her?” she asked just as quietly.
Korvain’s jaw flexed, and he refused to look her way. He was shutting down, unwilling to share any more with her. A little over a month ago, she would have seen his love for Bryn as a
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