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CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR

Ryker

When I set her down, a pretty flush tinged her cheeks as she blinked at me from under long lashes. “What are you doing out here?” I asked her.

“Hunting; what are you doing out here?”

“Farley’s brought word that Val returned. Where’s the rest of the hunting party?”

“They’re heading back to the encampment with the two deer and three buxon we killed. When I sensed you, I told them to go ahead without me. It’s just you three?”

“And me,” Farley interjected.

“And you, of course,” Ellery assured him. “But no one else from the encampment?”

“We can’t spare anyone else with all the building going on,” I said.

“I’ll join you then.”

She slid her hand easily into mine and fell into step beside me as we resumed our trek through the forest.

“Why are you being so quiet?” she asked Farley after a few minutes had passed.

“Your boyfriend’s a dick,” Farley muttered.

Ellery glanced at me. “What did you do?”

“He doesn’t enjoy hearing about Ianto’s sex life since he doesn’t have one. I simply reminded him that even if he can’t see it anymore, he still has a dick; it’s just his entire personality now.”

“Fuck off,” Farley muttered.

“Do you think it’s necessary to torment a poltergeist?” Ellery asked.

“It’s not my fault he can’t handle the truth.”

“How about we all agree to be nice to each other.”

I didn’t think a poltergeist could be nice, and while the floating asshole pissed me off, I also enjoyed getting back at him on occasion, but that wasn’t what Ellery wanted to hear. “I can play nice if he can.”

Farley’s barely distinguishable features scrunched up as he gave me the finger and floated along. Ellery shot me a disapproving look.

“What?” I asked. “I said I could play nice, and he shouldn’t say shit if he can’t take getting it in return.”

“He’s dead.”

“That’s no excuse.”

She rolled her eyes before shifting her attention to Farley. “Have you found any other encampments?”

“Just the one that’s pretty far away.” Farley fell back to float beside her again. “We can keep an eye out, but things have been pretty peaceful there, and I think they’ll be safe for a bit.”

“The coming winter will scare many amsirah in the towns away from joining us, even if they’re frightened of what will happen to them out there. Coming here, to the unknown and the elements, is a scary prospect,” Ellery said.

“Some of them probably don’t like your boyfriend either. He’s not very likable.”

My eyebrows shot up at being called unlikeable by this floating pile of giant asshole, but I bit my tongue when Ellery squeezed my hand. I hadn’t known any poltergeist could have their feelings hurt, but my words had bothered Farley… or he was playing it up to get sympathy from Ellery.

Something he seemed to prove as she patted the air behind him in a comforting way and whispered reassuring words. Farley smirked at me while stretching like a cat getting back rubs. He couldn’t feel her touch, but he basked in her attention.

I scowled at the annoying fucker but didn’t say anything. His actions irritated me, but it bothered me more that he kept referring to me as her boyfriend.

We were so much more than boyfriend and girlfriend, but if there was a term for us, it would have to be that one. I’d always planned to make Ellery my wife when there was peace.

However, that could be years from now, and while I hated admitting it, peace might never happen. Was that a chance I was willing to take with us?