The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Chapter 10: Gold or Glamour

Niako turned down one corridor. Then another. Down a flight of stairs. Another turn. Down some more stairs. I soon gave up any hope of remembering the way. Finally, he pushed open a trapdoor at the top of a small set of steps in a dank cellar, and fresh air washed over me.

I breathed out a sigh of pleasure at the tingle of the cool breeze on my skin and the sight of tree limbs stretching up toward a darkening sky. When I turned back to Niako, a funny expression flitted over his face.

"What?" I said.

He shook his head and thrust the bottle toward me. "Drink."

I accepted the bottle and took a swig. Coming from the bottle instead of the chalice, the alcohol tasted even more pungent. I grimaced and shuddered.

If Niako noticed, he made no comment. He took a much larger pull from the bottle and turned toward the treeline.

"Follow me," he said, and he started walking.

He picked his way across the forest floor with ease, movements still lithe if a bit looser than usual. My own body swayed and jerked as I fought to maintain my balance.

After a few minutes, I finally thought to ask, "Where are you taking me?" My speech slurred slightly.

"Do you not trust me?" He sounded vaguely amused. His speech did not slur.

"Should I?"

He shot me a sideways glance before returning his gaze to the path ahead. "There's a nice little clearing in the trees not far from here."

We walked in silence for a minute before Niako stopped, and I realized the trees had cleared around us. A bed of leaves covered the forest floor. He dropped to a crouch before sliding back onto the ground, one hand on the ground behind him and the other still holding the prak bottle.

I plopped down beside him, landing harder than expected. The impact was jarring, but the cool solid ground beneath me and the crunch of leaves felt reassuring. I unbuttoned my sleeves at the wrists and pushed them up to my elbows. Then I inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh earthy scent in the air, and tipped my head back to admire the sky above. In the middle of a nearly perfect circle of tree tops, stars sprinkled the sky like flecks of white paint flung onto a dark canvas. I recognized the Three-Legged Lion constellation, the brightest star for the nose and five more for the back, tail, and each of the three legs.

I felt Niako's eyes on me, and I turned to meet his gaze. "You were right," I said. "This is nice."

He offered me the bottle again.

I shook my head, which made me dizzy. "If I have any more, I will lose my dinner."

"How can you be that drunk?"

"How can you not?"

"I am actually quite drunk, but I've had a lot more than you have, and you must outweigh me by a fair amount. You can't be as drunk as you are acting."

"You overestimate my acting skills."

"Hmm." He slid a hand into his pocket and drew out a pocket knife. When he flicked it open, the sharp blade gleamed in the moonlight. He turned it over in his hands, examining the edges. "So if I tried to kill you right now, would you be able to defend yourself?"

I eyed the knife warily but did not move away. His tone was more curious than malicious, and my mind and body both felt sluggish. "I don't know," I said, "And I'm hoping I won't find out."

He flicked the blade closed again and slid it back into his pocket. "I can't believe you got drunk on that little."

"I don't drink often." As though my own body was protesting the half-truth, I hiccuped. "Or ever. I don't drink ever."