Chapter 742
Beyond the window, Travelga’s night stretched wide. As the noise below suggested, the festival still raged in full force.
"Long live His Grace the Archduke!"
"Ooooo! Demigod of the North!"
Torches burned bright enough to rival midday. Music and cheers rose in overlapping waves, drunken revelry erupting in every direction. Farther off, the plaza near the church blazed especially bright, the sacred flame of the brazier roaring high into the night.
"You won’t have had a dull moment out here," Ian said, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
At its most generous, it was lively and vibrant. On any ordinary day, he would have called it utter chaos. The entire city writhed beneath the calm sea of stars, alive and restless.
"…No. I didn’t," Mev answered at last. Her voice remained slightly stiff.
Ian glanced sideways and tilted his chin toward the bottle resting on the windowsill. "I thought you left empty-handed. When did you pick that up?"
He kept his eyes on the bottle rather than her face.