*Alec*

The night was cool, but Ember was burning up in my arms. I couldn’t believe the state I had found her in and wondered just how many drinks she had consumed. At the moment, she was bellowing the out-of-tune chorus to a singularly filthy pub song, drawing curious glances from villagers as they passed us on their way to the carnival.

“Where did you even learn that song?” I asked, hoping that my amusement wasn’t showing on my face.

“Drunken ...