Chapter 10 #3
Once I was done with the last of the batake, Vergis blew into our room like a thundercloud looking to strike some lightning. He narrowed his eyes at me.
“Recharging the magical twink, huh?”
I took a bite from another of those sweet vinné. “Good food nourishes the soul and the mind.”
Vergis rolled his eyes. “Oh my fucking god. When did you turn into a fortune cookie?”
Inkiri clicked. “My mate is quite sweet.” He licked my neck. “Yes, cookie flavored.”
Lissir chuckled. “Careful. If Nokim hears, he’ll want to taste Rory to compare him to all the cookie recipes he’s been trying. He’ll want to come up with a Rory-flavored recipe.”
Inkiri growl-purred. “My mate prefers me tasting him, no one else.”
“I did not need that mental image.” Vergis glared at me. “Your fault.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I know what you’re doing.”
Vergis cocked his head. “And what’s that, Princess?”
I pointed another vinné at him. “You are trying to get me to pee with fear. Now, full disclosure, I’m not saying I won’t pee a little later today when we go do the thing, but I’m no longer susceptible to you, Vergis.
We got high together and cuddled in a hammock.
That inoculated me. I’m immune to you now. ”
Vergis shifted gears so fast I coughed, the bite of vinné almost sticking in my throat. He went from glaring to sneering and showing his teeth, and he scratched the floor with the claws of his left foot; not hard enough to score the stone, but enough to make an eerie noise.
“Sweet thing, is all well?” Inkiri said, stroking my back.
Lissir huffed and handed me a glass of flower tea. The friendship bracelet dangled from his wrist. “Stop this, Vergis. I will ask your hangu father for embarrassing childhood tales.”
Vergis stopped and narrowed his eyes at Lissir, who easily held his gaze.
“I’m fine,” I said and took a drink.
“See? Tough little twink.” Vergis sat down across from us.
Inkiri rubbed my back while turning to Vergis. “Kinnek is well?”
Vergis shrugged. “Yeah. He’s coming too.”
I cleared my throat. “We’re really doing it. Today.” I felt stressed, so I took the small bowl of something that looked a lot like disset jelly Lissir was holding out to me. A quick spoonful told me it was a lot like fruity yogurt, just more yummy. I ate more of it.
Lissir straightened. “Actually, Hove suggested tonight. Or rather, your mate did, Rory.”
“Huh?”
Inkiri clicked and reached for my wrist to rub his thumb over the inside of it. “You don’t see as well as we do in the dark, sadir. And if you don’t, then neither do the human mages. They will be at a disadvantage.”
Vergis nodded. “Makes sense. Some might have night vision goggles, but I have death vision, so I’d say we win.” He took one of the sweet vinné himself and crunched down on it as if death vision was an appetizing thought.
Well, oookay. Vergis had clearly decided the humans would make a nice target for his foul mood.
I wasn’t going to argue. Those mages had been the ones responsible for the apocalypse.
Sure, I’d been there, and they’d used me, but they were the guilty ones, the ones who had wanted to hurt other people.
I exhaled slowly. Framing it like that was still new to me.
I’d felt guilty for so long, but after everything the land had shown me of the past, after what Kinnek had taught me about magic, I knew two things.
The first was that I had been an ass to wish anyone dead to begin with, but the second was that my wish alone would never have done anything.
“You also have good aim to go with your death vision,” I mumbled.
“Look at you, Princess. First you demolish that fancy rich-people resort during our rescue mission, and now you’re endorsing murder. You’re becoming more likable by the day.”
Inkiri grunted. “Rory has always been likable, Vergis.”
“He said more likable, which just indicates increasing fondness. He’s saying your mate started out as sweet as a…raspberry, and he’s only getting sweeter.” Lissir beamed, never faltering when Vergis attempted to glare him down.
“Yes, boundless fondness.” Inkiri bent to lick my neck. That made me miss my scarf, even though I’d never worn those much, not before turning trophy mate to my horned husband, at least.
I put my hand on my neck and leaned into that role. “You’re embarrassing me.”
Vergis groaned. “We’re leaving soon, so you can’t fuck.”
Lissir clicked his tongue. “Pleasure play can be fast without forgoing the satisfaction of it.” He leaned back. “It’s sad that you don’t know that, Vergis. Even Nokim knows. From what some of the makers say, Nokim knows very well.”
Okay, Lissir was back on his mission to get those two together.
Vergis frowned, Inkiri chuckled, and I tried to ignore the anxiety bubbling in my belly.
We were going to cut the monsters off from Earth for good soon.
That meant that all the Raikengana who helped with that might be in danger.
I’d have to do my best—my best magic—to make sure that didn’t happen, and I’d have to get the land to help me with that too.
It would be fine. It had to be. A love story always had a happy ending, didn’t it?