I stuck to his side, my hand firmly in his as we strolled toward the hustle and bustle. It took effort not to bound ahead, my curiosity stealing back the abundance of restless energy I’d thought that mind-altering orgasm had wiped out of me, but I managed to keep to the leisurely pace. My anxiety in crowds outweighed the impulsiveness in this instance, and I didn’t want to get lost. It would be easy to do. As Cair loved to point out, I was shorter than a lot of monsters, even at my perfectly average human height. It was a bit of a hazard when combined with my tendency to wander off whenever something caught my attention—like the stalls upon stalls of really cool stuff now in my direct line of sight.

I squeezed my mate’s hand tighter, just to be safe.

Cair paused to glamor his wings before we started weaving through the crowd. We were mated, so he wasn’t going against any customs by displaying them—especially in the Fae realm—but I knew he’d want to protect the crystalline panes from accidental grazes. He was traditional and firm in his beliefs that certain acts between mates were sacred, and I was unapologetically giddy about it. People could look all they pleased, but touching was a privilege for him and me alone.

I’d never pegged myself as the possessive type, but when it came to Cair, there was always room for another ‘first.’

“You are happy,” Cair observed, mildly amused as he could no doubt sense my exact feelings on the matter, and all I could do was smile up at him.

“How could I not be?”

As a whole, the market was… well, a market. Loud and generally overwhelming, but our unhurried pace allowed me to get my bearings, to adapt to the environment that usually sent me into a tailspin. The brightness of life, the fizz of enchantments, and the delicious smells made the inevitable headache worthwhile. I felt a buzz under my skin as we browsed each vendor’s wares. My fingers brushed expensive fabrics, I inhaled exotic perfumes, and my tastebuds sampled foods I’d never known existed. As Cair had said, there would definitely be a delay. It would take a while to scour every square inch of the place, to pop into every shop and experience all Briargate had to offer, but we had time.

Finding my dad could wait another day or two.