Enjoy this ELITE medieval/pub shanty sounding playlist I listened to whilst editing. It goes with the chapter!
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The Buxom Nixie was a pub located near the end of the strip. Its wooden sign depicted an indeed, busty blue-skinned nixie that had been charmed to flirtily wink at the guests and wave slim, webbed fingers.
The night was in full swing. Wooden booths full of merry fae, waitresses carrying trays full of bold coloured drinks and peculiar meals, tables surrounded by loud patrons playing games. A group of dwarvish musicians played in a corner, their fiddles, bodhrans and bagpipes playing fast-paced sea shanties that had a large crowd singing and dancing along.
Thick vines crawled up the wooden pillars and walls, making their way up to the ceiling. They were dotted with large, teacup-shaped flowers that emitted bright flashes of colour. The petals fluttered open and shut, making the lights blink in bright jewelled tones—reds, blues and greens.
"Fee flowers!" Briar explained, already tugging Ella along towards the bar. "They're magical flowers used for lighting. Gorgeous, isn't it? Better than keeping will-o'-wisps in jars anyway," she grimaced at the custom some had, to trap wispy faeries that had luminous, smoky bodies.
Briar, apparently, knew exactly what to request. She leaned upon the bar with a dazzling smile and rattled off a jumbled order. The bartender, a yellow-haired orcish woman, grinned, tipped her head and began to pull out concerning amounts of bottles of liquor, spilling them all into two glasses.
The end result was a drink a violent shade of glittery hot pink that bubbled, smoked and promised trouble. It smelled like caramel apples and vanilla, which was a sure sign it would pack a punch.
If tastes like sweets, it'll knock you arse over tits, Cedric had said once. Ella had learned that the hard way.
"Alright, two Blushing Dragons for the lovely ladies," the bartender slid the drinks over, leaned muscled arms on the bar and winked. "On the house."
Briar beamed in delight. She stuffed a small fortune worth of gold and silver coins into the half-full jar on the bar. It was probably enough to buy a hundred glasses of their drinks.
Blushing Dragon, how very fitting, Ella mused as she lifted the smoking pink drink. The border glistened with a brilliant golden substance.
"Ooh, you'll love this, it's so good," Briar squealed, lifting her glass and licking the golden rim. "My favourite."
Ella grinned wide, preparing herself for what she knew was going to be a sucker punch to the head. "See you on the other side, dear. Cheers," she clinked their glasses, licked a strip of the golden liquid and took a big gulp.
The golden garnish tasted like something spicy, mixing delightfully with the bubbly, sugary sweetness of the drink. She pressed a hand to her lips as her mouth fizzled and crackled. A hiccup broke past, coming out with a stream of small, smoky pink bubbles.
This time, she couldn't hold in the loud giggles from escaping. She only doubled over as Briar released her own pink bubbles. She didn't even fight the way her shoulders shook with a mixture of hiccups and laughter.
Two more sugary drinks later and her blood hummed and buzzed. Briar took her hand and lead her off towards the centre of the room, where music swelled and people danced.
The Buxom Nixie was known for its particular design. The middle of the pub opened up into a dancing space. The high ceilings slanted open into a wide circle, letting bright moonlight seep through, casting the entire floor into a beautiful, white spotlight.
A group of rowdy dwarves sang lively reels, their fiddles moving fast, their bodhran drums marking a blood-rushing pace. Sweet pan flutes enticed everyone to dance, join hands and spring around in a circle.
This wasn't the aristocratic music Ella had grown up dancing to, with its neat and precise steps. It was fast-paced and electrifying, the pulse dizzying and entrancing. She let the wild tempo fill her to the brim, throwing her head back, drinking in the pale moonlight and hazy smoke around her.
On her tiptoes, she danced in a large circle, skipping side to side to the rhythm of the jig. She looped arms with Briar, as the song demanded for them to swing back and forth, switching partners and bumping along.
She grabbed Briar's hands, giggling uncontrollably as they took their turn at the centre of the ring, spinning round and round as the faeries around them skipped, cheering along with the song. Illuminated by silvery moonlight and the blinking flowers, they twirled together, shouting the words to the songs.
Entranced by the wild pulse of the music, she abandoned herself to the rhythm. The beat of the bodhran drums thrummed under her skin, as she bumped along to the animated tunes. Beautiful faeries swayed all around her, bursts of lilac, greens and teals, wings gleaming, limbs long and graceful, laughs twinkling. A mesh of colours, smoke and bodies, swaying like grass in the wind.
Song after song, she danced until she lost notion of time. All she knew was the incessant beat and the contagious mirth. Agile limbs tapping along, skipping and kicking back and forth.
Ella danced until she wasn't even sure how much time had passed. Pulling out of the circle, she took a step to the side, intent on catching her breath and downing another drink. Skin flushed pink and glistening, she pressed a hand to her beating pulse, watching the dancers sway beautifully. She took a moment to focus on her surroundings.
Ronan and Blaise sat in a wooden booth, absorbed in animated conversation and a game of card, though Ronan kept a keen eye on Briar, watching over her. Val was off by the bar, a large mug of ale in hand as she sat on a rickety stool. She raked her eyes over the pub, leisurely observing it all, when a large hand touched her waist.
Ella tensed instantly. Eyes narrowed into vicious little slits, fist bunched into a ball, she whirled around, intent on planting a hook on whoever had been foolish enough to touch her.
"Who the hell--" She met a solid chest clothed in black, and trailed her gaze up to the sight of a smirking Aedion. Instantly, she relaxed her fist.
"Oh," she blinked, lips turning up into a lazy smile. "It's you."
"The one and only," he conceded, gifting her one of his impish smirks. He leaned against a wooden pillar and craned his neck down so she could hear him over the loud music. "I do love to see you keep sharp reflexes."
"Always prepared, like a hawk!" she said, tapping the side of her temple with a grin.
Perhaps she was slightly tipsy.
He let out a little snort and rolled his eyes, producing two dark coloured drinks and offering one. She brought it close and sniffed. Rich and full-bodied, like toffee.
Aedion clinked his glass to hers, "Cheers, drunkard."
Ella clicked her drink to his and tipped back the glass with a single flick of the wrist. She brushed a dainty thumb across the corner of her blood-red lips and grinned, full and mischievous. "I'm not drunk, I'm merry."
Aedion raised a brow, amusement and something else swimming in his golden gaze. He hummed and swallowed thickly. "I probably shouldn't be impressed by that."
"But you are," she said simply. Wordlessly, she linked their fingers and tugged him toward the throng of people. Aedion didn't correct her words nor her actions, he just went along.
The dwarvish group had been replaced by an elvish singer and her pixie musicians. The songs were just as lively, if a bit slower. It allowed for a dance of pairs. Briar, who'd been dancing with a group of nymphs, now held hands with them, animatedly swinging along, head tossed back, curls wild and bouncing.
Ella grinned openly, before turning back to Aedion and looking up at him with a pleading smile and sparkling eyes. She squeezed his hand and tilted her chin to the side. "Dance with me?"
Rather than answering her, Aedion gripped her waist with both hands and lead her along to the whimsical tune.
He looked down at her with half-lidded eyes and that soft, indulgent smile, twirling her, laughing as Ella squealed with delight and swayed in his arms. All the while, his eyes never left her once.
She looked up at him through her lashes. He was devastatingly gorgeous. So much, it made her heart ache. Tipsy and happy, observing her through a fan of long, sooty lashes. Heat radiated from his strong body, those large, muscled arms of his pressing against her, making her want to sigh.
And that smile. Oh, that smile. Alluring and feline, spelling all kinds of trouble. He spun her around and pressed her body back to his, thumbs rubbing circles into her waist. The heat of his large hands seeped through the flimsy fabric of her bodice, making her skin prickle and shiver. He made her want to do bold, stupid things. Dangerous things.
Throat dry and blood pounding, she pulled back from him and announced she was thirsty, slinking off to the bar before her head began to swim.
She hopped onto the tall stool and asked the woman behind the bar for a drink, something Briar had ordered earlier, a Mermaid's Malady. She paused and considered, before ordering it extra strong for good measure. Heavens knew she needed it.
"Thirst means drinking water," Aedion said, leaning sideways on the bar. "Not your sixth sugary suicide concoction."
"Here you go, sweets," the bartender set a shell-shaped glass in front of her, topped with a swirling, iridescent liquid. Aedion grimaced at the mix of seaweed green, teal and violet.
"I hardly think anything safe to drink lets out fumes." His lip curled in mild horror. "Darling, if you wanted a headache tomorrow, bashing your head against the wall would be less painful."
Ella let out a little scoff. "Says the man who drank down an entire bottle of dwarvish brandy. I saw you and Val, drinking like it was going out of style. So kindly sod off, Eagan." She downed half the glass, licked her lips and shot him a pleased little smirk.
Aedion narrowed his gaze and opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the arrival of a newcomer.
A slinky nymph sauntered up to him, all coy smiles and mischievous eyes. In a single, graceful move, she deftly placed herself between Aedion and Ella, completely ignoring her.
"Hello," she purred. "I've seen you looking my way all night. I thought I'd come over here and introduce myself. I'm Nyssa," she flashed a sharp, plump-lipped smile. "And you are?"
"Not interested," Ella muttered despite herself, feeling her jaw tick.
The nerve of this woman. Ella couldn't believe she'd walk up to them, pawing at Aedion and completely disregarding her. She could feel a hot, roiling sensation growing under her skin. She couldn't even be bothered to care that she'd voiced her thoughts out loud.
The nymph turned to look at Ella as if noticing her for the first time. Her sharp features twisted into an expression one would make after stepping on a roach.
"That's sweet," she cooed, looking at Aedion. "You've brought your little sister along."
This woman was undoubtedly beautiful. Large moth wings, delicate lilac skin that shimmered like silk, large eyes of pure obsidian. Her slim, statuesque body looked like carved marble, her legs went on for aeons.
Next to her, Ella felt like a little girl playing dress-up.
She stamped down the urge to grab a chunk of her stupidly beautiful green hair and drag her away kicking and screaming.
But no, she wouldn't cause a scene. That would be terribly gauche, she attempted to convince herself. And Ella was a lady, thank you very much. Not like this common cow, a petty, vindictive part of her mind chanted.
Besides, if Aedion liked her and wanted to flirt with her, he could. It was fine. Perfectly fine.
Aedion released a small scoff-like laugh. "Definitely not my sister," he shook his head. "And I'm not quite sure what you think you saw," he eyed her with wariness and disinterest. "But we were in the midst of a conversation."
The woman's eyes widened, her pink mouth parting slightly. She was aware of how attractive she was, it likely wasn't often she didn't get the attention she desired.
She doubled down her efforts, laying a hand on his arm and stroking up and down as she smiled seductively. "I just couldn't help myself, it's not often you see such a handsome man around here."
Ella wanted to rip her hand off and skewer it to the bar with a fork.
She felt hot up to her scalp. In her mouth, she could taste the faint hint of coppery blood where her canines had lengthened into spikes.
Be a lady, she reminded herself, as her eyelid twitched. Aedion could do whatever he wanted. She had no right to say anything.
Aedion raised a brow and looked down at the woman's hand with a hint of distaste. He shrugged off her hand, paying no heed to the way her smile fell like a rock to the bottom of a well.
"Thank you, but I'm not interested." He turned away from her, tilting towards Ella and giving her his full attention. "What were you saying?"
Immediately, the dangerous spike in Ella's blood calmed. Satisfaction coiled deep in her belly, like a primal instinct. She resisted the urge to gloat and purr.
The woman let out an incredulous laugh. "Excuse me?"
Unable to help herself, Ella fixed her with a sweet, condescending smile. "You're excused."
The woman sent her a venomous glare, before stalking off, fuming.
Ella stared at her retreating figure, feeling a vicious sort of satisfaction. She still wanted to do something petty, like tripping her, but she chose to be the bigger person and let it go... Unless she decided to come back.
Aedion didn't even bother concealing his chuckle.
"What are you laughing about?" she grumbled.
"Bit testy, aren't you?"
"I loathe people who interrupt conversations. It's terribly rude," she sniffed. Pointedly looking away, she reached for her glass and downed the rest, in an attempt to ignore the uncomfortable flush spreading up her neck.
She'd never felt such a violent emotion before. She'd never thought such rude things about any woman just for making an advance. Hell, Ella believed there was nothing wrong with it. So what if the woman had found Aedion attractive and wanted to try her luck?
Could she blame her? He was beautiful, after all. Magnetic, powerful and charming. Everyone saw that. Everyone wanted to bask in his all-consuming presence.
Still, she couldn't begin to unravel the sickening feeling she'd felt in her stomach, the violence in her veins, urging her to strike. It was almost animalistic.
With a shake of her head, Ella decided this was a thought for another time. Preferably when she wasn't halfway to being tipsy.
Aedion smiled fondly. "Come, I want to give you your present before you get too drunk to function."
"I'm not drunk, I told you. I'm—" she weighed her words, searching her mind for the right expression. "I am imperceptibly under the influence." She punctuated her words by nearing her thumb and index finger. It failed to prove her point, given that her fingers pinched together.
"Gods, you are as beautiful as you are difficult," Aedion shook his head, flicking her nose affectionately. She flushed scarlet and grumbled, but still took his extended hand.
"Come here, up you go." He carefully helped her off the stool, allowing her to grip her long dress before leading her towards the entrance of the pub with a hand on the small of her back.
Ella bit her lip guiltily, looking back towards the pub. Briar was still very much entertained dancing in the midst of that nymph circle as they cheered her on. Ronan guarded her whilst he chatted with Blaise, who gesticulated wildly, both wearing large grins. Val sat next to them, slumped on the booth and nursing her umpteenth goblet of goblin wine.
There was no harm in popping out for a bit, right? She'd be back soon enough, she promised herself.
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Note: The dances here are somewhat inspired by Cèilidh dances! Lots of reels and jigs danced in circles and lines