An Ember's Keeper

Chapter 8

"You're sure we can just hang out here until it's time for us to... get what we came for?" Carlos asks, careful not to actually mention the Ember by name just in case.

CJ shrugs. "Sure. Why not? The place'll start fillin' up in a couple hours anyway." She gives them a look. "You're payin' if you want a drink though."

Evie's nose crinkles slightly. "Ah, no thanks," she says delicately.

Harry and Uma share a grin. "They're not exactly the rum and whiskey types," she tells her in amusement.

"We got beer."

"They're the wine an' champagne types if anythin'," Harry says, his tone clearly mocking.

CJ snorts. "Hm. Knew you Bore-adon folks would be no fun."

Mal raises her eyebrows. "So sorry we don't need to drink to have a good time," she drawls sarcastically.

"You don't drink. You don't gamble. What do you people even do?" she asks, genuinely confused. She doesn't bother to wait for an answer. "Whatever. Least I know I chose well with stayin' here."

"Speakin' of stayin' here, is Da' 'round?" Harry asks.

CJ shrugs. "Haven't seen him yet."

"He'll prob'ly be in tonigh'," he muses.

She gives him a pointed look. "We'll see. Then again, you know him better than I do."

She doesn't say it with any bitterness. CJ has long accepted her relationship with their father. It's largely business only; she runs the pub he technically owns, and he shows up to drink and occasionally discuss how business is doing.

The statement earns them slightly curious looks that they ignore completely. Instead, Harry crosses around the bar and starts to help CJ prepare for her upcoming customers.

The hours seem to pass in no time. It feels like the pub fills between one blink and the next. Ben, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos find themselves sitting at a table near the front entrance. None of them can say they're particularly comfortable being surrounded by rowdy and drunken pirates.

After all, one of them has lived in Auradon all his life while the other four have simply become accustomed to that lifestyle.

Ben clears his throat nervously. "So, uh, this is a pirate's life, huh?" he asks.

"Apparently," Evie says dryly. She crinkles her nose as a scruffy man staggers by, drink threatening to slosh right over the rim of his tankard. "I can't say I'm impressed," she adds.

"You know what gets me?" Carlos asks.

Mal gives him a curious look. "What's that?"

"Hayden used to spend time here," he says. He gives them a pointed look. "Hayden. You know, the guy that hates crowds and, well, most people?"

Jay shrugs. "Hayden likes to drink," he reminds him. He smirks. "Hayden likes pirates," he says suggestively.

Evie giggles quietly. "He likes one pirate," she corrects, gesturing toward Harry.

They all turn to look at the pirate in question. He and Uma had wandered off to play something they referred to as Liar's Dice. None of them really know what that is but they can pretty much put the pieces together by the name and the frequent yells and denials that come from the table it's being played at.

Ben hums thoughtfully. "Is it weird for me to say that I can actually kind of see him here?" he asks.

"No," Mal says quietly, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "I can too."