46. ACHERON
“Alright, bottom two with the least points gets kicked out of the running. Got it?” Ash announced.
“Got it,” they all responded with determination on their faces. The angels did this every year the Ephemeral Eclipse rolled around. A round robin of carnival games to top off the night and this year, they had two new competitors, Sofreya and Camrine.
The onslaught began. A flurry of baseballs went flying down range. The poor games attendant looked utterly terrified as he squished himself into a corner.
“HEY!” Nemy shouted over the maelstrom.
Camrine laughed. He’d accidentally knocked one of Nemy’s balls out of the air when it was bound to land into the one-hundred-point barrel.
Nemy wasn’t having a bar of it. She dived for Camrine’s stash of baseballs and started tossing them into her own barrels instead.
“That’s cheating!” Camrine baulked.
And so the baseball-stealing melee ensued.
Sofreya didn’t hesitate, diving straight for Ash’s stash and skilfully tossing them into the barrels several metres ahead. “Take that, asshole!”
“Oh no you don’t.” Ash shoved her aside, pushing her back and making a barricade with his wings so she couldn’t get back to her stash.
“This is so unfair!” Eros cried as Deymos covered his baseballs in shadows so no one could get to them.
“All’s fair in love and war.” Deymos chuckled darkly.
“Don’t you dare use the L-word in vain, Deymy!” Eros tried to shove Deymos aside but failed.
Nemy and Cam were still going toe to toe.
Sofreya, ever the sneaky assassin, took the opportunity to swoop in on Deymos’s and Eros’s stash of baseballs. She feverishly tossed them into her own barrels like a fully-automatic machine gun.
Ash bent over in laughter as Deymos and Eros stood gobsmacked, unable to stop her. “Looks like you’ve been trumped, lads.” Ash crossed his arms across his chest.
“Hey, I thought you were our brother, or perhaps that was before you decided to sleep with the enemy,” Deymos smirked.
“What did you say earlier, Deymos? All is fair in love and war?” Sofreya jibed. She leaned back against the counter of the stall with her arms crossed.
Sofreya was a freaking smart-ass, and it took every ounce of willpower to not whisk her away and steal kisses from her underneath the stars.
“Touché.” Deymos bowed his head.
“You two are out.” The games attendant pointed to Eros and Deymos. Both groaned and complained as Cam was handed a bright green plush frog hat, deeming him the winner of this round.
“To the rifles!” Nemy declared. She was pissed. Probably because Cam had beaten her. They all ran to the game stand, picking up toy rifles. It felt like they were children again, laughing wholeheartedly without a care in the world. This was how Ash wanted to spend the rest of his days. Filled with laughter and filled with love. He’d gone so long without it.
The remaining contenders lined up against the stall, ready to shoot down some metal ducks a metre ahead.
Ash watched as Sofreya lugged the rifle into her shoulder and loaded the weapon with finesse. His throat suddenly ran dry.
Damn.And that’s not even a real gun.
Sofreya popped a hip and faced him. “Yippy-ki-yay, motherfucker,” she smirked.
Ash had no idea what she was saying, but he was one hundred per cent into it. The way her unbound purple hair glowed and glinted in the starlight had him distracted. The way her bare midriff begged to be touched filled all his senses. Ash couldn’t even form any words as the group started firing away without him.
Shit.
Ash came to, pulling his toy gun into his shoulder and started firing with precision. But Sofreya was fast. She was also a really good shot. Damnit, he’d have to work for this.
From the corner of his eye, Ash could see Camrine groaning as Nemy stole every single duck he was aiming for.
Ash leaned into his rifle, taking shot after shot. Sofreya was keeping up without breaking a sweat and damn, if that wasn’t the biggest turn on.
“Struggling to keep up, Starlight?” Ash taunted.
“Never. There’s one thing you never have to worry about, Ash”—she shot down a duck with precision—“and that’s me trying to keep up with you,” Sofreya said lowly, just for him to hear.
And by the Fates, did that send Ash’s mind spiralling into the depths of a trash-filled gutter.
She shot down a few more ducks as Ash just stared at her. A hunger so violent throbbing through him.
“Time!” the games attendant called. The ducks that swam across the board of the stall stopped. The attendant tallied up the score and pulled down a large heart-shaped plush. He looked like he was going to give it to Ash but at the last minute diverted his path and handed the plush to Sofreya instead.
“Woo!” Sofreya held the heart-shaped plush above her head in triumph, sticking her tongue out at Ash.
Ash crossed his arms and shook his head. She was so frustratingly precious that it almost killed him.
“As the winner of this trial of bravery and tenacity, I’d like to bestow my winnings upon . . .” Sofreya stepped closer to him, her proximity like gravity pulling him closer to her. She grinned. “Eros.” Ash’s heart sunk.
She quickly turned on her heel and handed the heart-shaped plush to Eros, who appropriately squealed.
I didn’t want the stupid plush anyway.
Eros crushed Sophie into a hug, and she patted him away. The Fae parts of him wanted to snarl and snatch her away.
Before Ash could quip, a letter puffed into existence before him. The entire group stopped their merriment.
Ash whipped it out of the air and unfurled the note.
Soon. The trials will begin.
–A
“What is it, boss?” Deymos asked.
“Our official notice period,” Ash said calmly, handing the scroll around to the group. “The Hrabrost Trials.” Ash looked at Sofreya.
“Do I get to come watch these trials?” Sofreya beamed.
Ash laughed. “I’ll make sure you have front-row seats.”
Every year, the Tienthan had to undergo retesting to ensure that they had the power, skill, tenacity and most of all courage, to continue their job. It was almost thirteen years ago that Ash had his first trial. The one that earned him his wings. He hoped this year wouldn’t be as bloody.
“When does it start?”
“We won’t know until the trial starts.” Ash took the scroll from Eros and made it disappear. “It could be a day or a week. They like to keep us on our toes to emulate the battlespace.”
“I’ll be there.” Sofreya smiled.
Ash felt those words in his soul. She’d be there for him, through the nightmares. Through his trials. Perhaps through it all. By the Fates, he hoped it was through it all.