Dare Me (Take Me Series Book 2)
Page 24
“Still mild, relatively speaking,” Jade said. “Jinx predicted a long, hard winter. After today, we won’t be seeing the ground for another six or seven months.”
“Ah, the town crier strikes again,” Michael mused.
Jinx Cromley was the local psychic who had plenty to say about everything. Jade enjoyed his ramblings for the most part, but didn’t buy into his prophesies that the human world would one day more closely resemble what it had been at the turn of the millennium. Jade couldn’t fathom an alternative existence emerging from sheer and utter devastation.
“Jinx isn’t one to dampen spirits,” Michael continued, “but his winter forecasts always leave something to be desired.”
Jade reached for Donovan Kelly’s mug to refill it. She pumped the keg and cracked the tap while telling Michael, “Actually, all that fluffy white helps to counter the bleak gray and brighten the village.”
Just as the daily grind of serving drinks and chatting with the locals helped to ease Jade’s jangled nerves over being watched. Her working environment offered a bit of protection for now. No immortal other than the king or the general of his army had the authority to pass through a human door without invitation—and rolling out a welcome mat for the damned was something she’d never heard of happening.
Though she truly couldn’t afford the luxury of false security. Something awaited her in the dark, dead of night. She felt it in her bones.
“Notice our shipment of merlot came in?” Michael asked, cutting into her grim thoughts. “Up for a sample?”
“Always.” Jade preferred wine over beer, though the former was a rare treat because of the exorbitant prices. So many of the country’s vineyards had been trampled during the war and there weren’t enough experienced vintners or workers to fully revive them, similar to the tobacco fields.
Specialized resources were scarce and money was also an issue for the majority. Some people had found ways to hide or horde it while under siege. Mostly, though, bartering was a way of life, rather than the exchange of funds for goods and services—with some obvious exceptions. Jade, for one, had nothing to trade, so she needed the modest wage Michael paid her.
He pulled the cork from a bottle and splashed a decent amount into two tumblers.
“May we not freeze our asses off,” he said by way of salute, before tilting his rim to hers. The glasses made a heavy clink that wasn’t the least bit elegant, but she liked hearing the sound. There were too few toasts these days, so even the most inconsequential one was a pleasant change of pace.
Still, she chided, “You grow so cynical this time of year. It’s not as though we’ll run out of wood for our hearths anytime soon.”
The thicket surrounded the village. Additionally, there was plenty of fallen debris to gather before the snow came down in earnest.
Jade sipped her wine, though what Michael had poured was all she’d drink this evening. She knew to keep her wits about her, certain a confrontation beyond the tavern doors was imminent.
“Not bad, eh?” Michael asked as he gave her a casual grin. He was strapping and level-headed, and Jade tried to latch onto the comfort he naturally provided.
“Not bad at all,” she concurred. “The Delfinos will be pleased.” One of their best customers, who didn’t mind the upcharge on a premium merlot.
The evening progressed in its normal manner. Some of the patrons got a bit tipsier than others, which no one was overly concerned about, since everyone would agree it took the sting out of the oppression most of the villagers felt, being under the thumbs of demons. And given there were no automobiles—or gas stations, for that matter—no one fretted over causing an accident.
Jade, however, worried anew as the village’s bell tolled at midnight and the bar closed…
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About Calista Fox
Calista Fox is a multi-published and award-winning author, writing for St. Martin’s Press, Hachette Publishing and Radish Fiction. Her series THE BILLIONAIRES is a Romantic Times magazine Top Pick series. Book 2, THE BILLIONAIRES: THE BOSSES, is a Romantic Times magazine nominee for Best Book of the Year. The concluding title, THE BILLIONAIRES: THE STEPBROTHERS, is a Romantic Times magazine Seal of Excellence nominee. She is professionally represented by Sarah E. Younger of the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
Calista is a Past President/Advisor of the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America® and a four-time member of the local chapter’s Board of Directors. She teaches workshops and online courses on novella writing, creating flawed characters and generating believable and sustainable sexual tension.
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