The Bastard Queen (Viciously Yours #2)

Chapter Two: Not A Bit

"By the Divine Noble? Is this kid serious, right now?"

Smothering a laugh, Dani smirked, "Lay off. He was just trying to warn us."

Rolling my eyes with a huff, I went back to watching the guards from the edge of my vision. The small group of four had entered the tavern halfway through my conversation with Dani and calmly made their way through the crowd. The men laughed lightly amongst each other as they walked up to the bar with shoulders proudly thrown back. Mab's soldiers had always had an ungodly amount of confidence, they walked through all the nastier parts of Tir Na Nog free of fear. Believing themselves untouchable because nothing could possibly be worse than the woman they worked for. Oh, how wrong they were.

The boy whipped his head back and forth between us before anxiously whispering, "What's happening right now?"

"Relax, they're not here for us." I replied, keeping an eye on the soldiers.

"What do you mean they're not here for us? You're the most wanted fae in the realm."

My lips curved into a smug smile, "I know."

"What she means, Puck, is that they come here for shits and giggles. To flex their muscles a bit, show off to the Outerland women. Whispering promises of bringing them over the wall before fucking 'em and leaving 'em." Dani informed him, signaling a nearby waitress.

"That's- That's messed up." The b- Puck stuttered.

A waitress rushed over, fluffing her short red bob, "What'll it be?"

"I'll take a sugared ale, Babes." I answered, admiring her full figure with a quick smile before turning my gaze back on the men in purple. Distractedly, I heard Dani and Puck giving their orders to the cute waitress.

Even though I knew the men weren't specifically here for me, that wasn't going to stop me from keeping an eye on them. Beside's one of them looked vaguely familiar, like I had seen his face somewhere once before. Pastel green hair buzzed down to a stubble showed off a baby face that hadn't come into the sharp bone structure of an adult Fae just yet. Since he looked to be about the same age as Puck, who was around twenty in human years and seven hundred in fae, I couldn't have known him. He wouldn't have been born, let alone old enough for our paths to cross before I was sent to Slykhelm. Chalking it up to paranoia, I swung my eyes back to my companions as the waitress stalked off temporarily blocking the strange boy from view.

"Don't feel bad for the women, Puck. Feel bad for the men." Dani laughed, throwing her arm along the back of the booth behind him.

"Why?"

I grinned, showing off two rows of pointed teeth, "Because sometimes they make it back to base fine...and sometimes they're missing their dicks."

We laughed loudly at Puck's nauseous expression just as the waitress came back around. Sugared ale sloshed over the rims of the mugs as she slammed them down before scurrying away to another patron. Still chuckling, I reached out and pulled the mug to my lips for a large gulp. Dani snatched up her own, eyes still twinkling with mirth as she took a deep sip. Feeling much better than I did since waking up earlier that night, I closed my eyes and soaked in the taste of the ale. I hadn't had sugar since before prison and it tasted even better than I remembered. In large amounts, sugar was the only thing that could inebriate a fae and it made everything after Slykhelm just a pinch easier.

"Macha. What happened to your wrists?"

"Huh?" Forcing my expression to remain relaxed, I opened my eyes and raised my wrist like I didn't know exactly what she was talking about. "Oh, that. Got a little wild with a Banshee last night." I winked.