Tayan flicked the foam off his beer at her. ‘It’s me you’re supposed to be paying attention to tonight,’ he complained. ‘Seeing as Betsu and I leave tomorrow.’

‘That’s why we’re celebrating,’ Lilla told him with mock solemnity and Tayan flicked beer at him, too, but they smiled at each other with such mutual adoration that it made Xessa warm. She had long since outgrown her jealousy at sharing space in Tayan’s heart.

But tomorrow. Her childhood friend was leaving tomorrow, on a journey infinitely more dangerous than his meeting with the Zellih had been. She raised her cup to him in salute and together they downed the contents.

‘… you’ll be gone?’ Toxte was asking.

‘Three moons, perhaps,’ Tayan said, signing at the same time. ‘Depending on how fast we can move through their Empire. Thirty days in the Singing City to find someone senior enough we can negotiate with and get them to understand why it’s in everyone’s best interests they remain content with what they have. The Yaloh have reluctantly agreed to cede the portion of land that the Empire has already stolen in return for peace. And we can offer tithes of meat and gems, skins and obsidian.’

His body language was confident, even excited, though Lilla’s jaw was tense as he watched his husband. The warrior shifted closer until his thigh pressed against Tayan’s and the shaman broke off long enough to look up at him and rest his head on the taller man’s chest for a second. Lilla reached out and ran his finger along the pale yellow marriage cord resting on Tayan’s collarbones, its twin tied around his own throat. The cords were knotted with promises and some were hung with tiny charms that meant those promises were fulfilled. A life mapped out; a life shared.

The gesture was so strangely intimate that Xessa blushed and looked away, and was caught by the lovely planes of Toxte’s face as he watched her in turn, the broad sweep of his cheekbones and the heat of his expression. Toxte stroked her hair back from her cheek and refilled her cup, leaning close as he did. He smelt of sunlight and fresh sweat and smoke, the faint sweetness of honeyed beer.

A sudden twitch as the spirit-magic left his system and the beer slopped over the side of her cup. Xessa steadied his hand, her fingers lingering on his. When she looked up, Tayan was laughing at her again. She repeated the gesture from earlier and drank to hide a foolish grin. A knot loosened in her chest even as another tied in her gut. She was losing Tayan, for a while, but she knew with sudden certainty as her gaze returned, without volition, to Toxte, that she’d gained something – someone – else.