Elina

I walked back to the King's Lodge. It was dark. There were some people out, but not many. Which meant that tomorrow was still a work day and not a church mandated rest stay.

I looked left, I looked right. No Elina. I wondered where she was. Somewhere out in Larose?

I looked up at the King's Lodge. Or had she come back?

Only one way to find out.

Entered the fancy building, into the fancy lobby, up some fancy stairs. Some people chatting in the corridor. Mostly wealthy older merchants. Some younger men, some younger women. All of them well dressed. Maybe their apprentices. Maybe something more.

They looked at me. At what I wore.

They didn't talk to me. In their eyes, I must be either a mercenary or a freelance headhunter. Neither of which was the type they'd have anything to say to.

So I moved past them.

Went to our room at the end of the corridor.

Opened the door. And there she was.

Sitting at the open window, one foot on the ground, one foot outside, her back leaning against the border of the window. A bottle in her hands.

She looked at me. Her eyes and hair silver. But her expression was odd. Unfocused, vague. A look I hadn't seen on her face before. Which meant this was uncharted territory. Good or bad? Only one way to find out.

She said, "You came back."

"Where did you go?" I asked.

She looked out of the window. At the city. At the lights. An orange glow reflected in her silvery depths.

She said, "I went for a walk."

She raised the bottle to her lips. Took a deep gulp.

"What are you drinking?"

"Hmmm? This? It's just wine."

I closed the door behind me. Carefully. I looked at where she sat.

I said, "Did you have a lot to drink?"

"Hmmm...only a bit." A vague smile.

I sighed. I understood. She was someone who couldn't hold her drink.

"Do you usually drink?"

"Never."

"Then why start now?"

"Hmmm...I just felt like it."

Something was wrong. She acted like a child. Like she forgot how she boasted about the eons of wisdom in her magic. Like she were...human.

But why drink now? Maybe something happened while I went to see Rosaly.

I said, "Get away from the window first. It's dangerous."

"Hmmm…but evening air feels good."

What a pain.

"Come now, get back here."

"Hnghhh...fine."

She turned and put both feet on the floor.

Very good.

Then she wobbled and fell back. Out of the window.

Not very good.

"ELINA!"

One-two.

One-two.

I pulled her back into the room. We fell to the ground. She landed on top of me. Her head on my chest, her eyes closed. Not the least worried. Or shocked. Like she had slept through it all.

But then. She chuckled.

She said, "You know that I can fly, right?"

I said nothing.

"But for you to scream my name like that...hmmm, were you worried about me?"

I said nothing.

She prodded my cheek. "Come on, say it."

Her eyes smiling. Waiting.

Then she stopped.

"Hmmm? What's this?"

I glanced down at her. Something between her fingers. She raised her hand and held it against the moonlight. A strand of long wavy brown hair.

Elina said, "This isn't mine...this is from some other woman?"

She looked at me. I looked away.

"How did this get on you?"

I said nothing.

She raised herself. Planted her full weight on my stomach. Grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look at her. Suddenly the drunkenness in her expression was gone. Her eyes were clear and flashing.

"Who said you could go meet some other woman?"

I said nothing.

"Didn't you promise to stay by my side all day?"

I wanted to point out that she said she wanted to be alone and then walked away. But my gut feeling disagreed. Gut feeling said I was in danger.

"So who did you meet, hmmm?"