Page 32

Severin

A bar fight in an orc pub is nothing new. Orcs are quick to anger and quick to forgive, and brawling is an accepted part of their culture.

Yet that’s not what’s happening here.

Meloria and her stooges started this fight, all to threaten my betrothed.

How dare they? How dare they threaten Hannah? I’ve led wars and felt less rage than fills me now, especially because I can’t touch Meloria, since she’s one of the contestants in the bride trials.

Without her to stoke it along, the bar fight dies down rapidly, more’s the pity. Punching Meloria’s minion wasn’t particularly satisfying, the whelp too green to offer a good fight.

Soon she stands before me, wearing a glamour, but the malicious sparkle in her eye makes it clear she knows I know it’s her. “Poor Severin. Did something almost happen to your little human pet?”

“Get out, Meloria. You’re not welcome here.”

“Funny.” She taps a finger to her chin as if deep in thought. “I heard this was an orc pub.” Her eyes slide past me to where Thorvinn stands. “I didn’t think orcs liked you very much.”

“Whatever I feel for him, I like you even less.” The orc bares his tusks, and his hand drifts down to where he’d be wearing a sword if he were in Faerie. Even if he can’t carry such obvious weapons here, knowing orcs, he has at least one formidable knife on his person. “Get out.”

She sneers one final time before spinning and marching for the door, her minion scurrying after her.

I release my shadows from around Hannah and her friends, my eyes raking over her, searching for injuries. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you!” She throws her arms around me.

Is this fake? Is it, as she said earlier, “putting on a show”? Goddess, it doesn’t feel fake. And my worry for her was real.

I freeze, holding her to me. I was worried about her, worried about someone other than myself. Have I ever felt that before? I don’t think so. What does it mean? I always thought the finer feelings in life were not for the likes of me. But if I’m no longer a villain…

Hannah snuggles her face into my neck.

I stroke a hand down her back, and the movement’s more about comfort than seduction. Who even am I right now? I hold her until she stirs and pushes away with another thank you before turning to see if everyone’s okay.

My eyes scan the crowd. No one’s seriously injured, but I wave over one of my healers. “Heal everyone involved. Don’t let the humans realize what you’re doing.”

“Yes, My King.” He works his way through the crowd, brushing his hands against shoulders and elbows in little pulses of magic.

“I apologize that this came into your pub,” I say to Thorvinn. The words don’t come easily. I never apologize. But if I’m truly to be reformed, I need to start acting like it.

“It’s because of me,” Hannah says. “Sorry.”

“Hell. It’s not an orc pub without a brawl.” Thorvinn jabs a finger toward me. “You can make it right by buying a round.”

I nod.

Thorvinn vaults over the bar and roars, “Next round’s on King Severin!”

The entire pub cheers and surges toward him, people smiling at me and calling out thanks.

What an odd feeling. I’ve never been cheered before. I think I like it. This “good guy” thing might be a little addicting. And it’s all because of Hannah.

When she looks at me like she does now, as if I’m worthy of her regard, she spins the hand of my rusty moral compass, swinging it toward true north, turning me toward good.

And I don’t even hate it.

The next morning, Varyn finds me watching over Hannah’s cottage.

“I knew you’d be here.” He casts a simple illusion, hiding himself from human sight as he settles onto the tree branch beside me. “Why exactly are you here, perched in this tree like some giant raptor?”

I grunt. “I’m protecting Hannah.”

“You hired people for that.” He points toward Luna, who’s just stepped out from behind the cottage after doing another walk of the perimeter. “If they’re not competent, hire someone else.”

“They’re competent, but Meloria’s relentless.

She’ll stop at nothing to win the bride trials.

She attacked at the pub yesterday evening and again here at the cottage in the middle of the night.

” I used my shadows to keep Meloria from reaching the cottage, while Luna, in her werewolf form, fought off the minion.

“Go get some rest,” he says. “I’ll watch over Hannah today.”

“Thank you.” I clap him on the shoulder and launch from the tree. But I head toward town instead of the palace, off to find Shadow.

I flew Hannah home last night and refused her inebriated invitation to come in, offering her a date tonight to make up for it .

And make up for it, I shall. I’m going to give her the best date of her life, prove once and for all that our attraction to one another, no matter how it began, is something real.

When she looked at me with those big brown eyes and told me she trusted me, it unlocked something within me, a place I’ve held guarded for my entire life. No one’s ever trusted me before, never looked at me with such faith in my actions and character.

Hannah makes me want to be the man she already thinks I am. A good man. One worthy of her trust.

Seduction is no longer enough. I want to earn her adoration.

And I want far more than adoration from my enchanting little witch. I need her to agree to be with me—fully in my life and in my bed—for our year of marriage.

Sunlight warms my face, streams across the tops of the trees until they blaze green and alive. Earth has brought me to life too, bathed me in the light of Hannah’s smile.

Ferndale Falls comes into view. The town I will make anew. I no longer act for myself—though I will, of course, also reap the rewards—I do it for her. Hannah loves this town, and I will do anything to make her happy.

When I land on the town green, some of the tulips are resting, rooted in their beds, but the remainder race up to me. They bob and weave, their little root feet clumsy, their leaf arms flapping more than usual.

“Have you been in the cider?” My lips quirk. “Was it the pixies?”

Flower heads nod all around me, and a few spin in place, clearly still having fun .

“Go and sleep it off.” I wave them toward their flower beds. “You need to eat.”

The tipsy tulips stagger away, settling into the dirt in uneven lines, little heads drooping as they immediately fall asleep.

I find the werepanther standing in line outside Slice of Life, which is still the only breakfast café in town. Goddess, this only proves how much we need a bakery.

“Severin.” He grins his wide cat sith grin. “I was going to look for you right after breakfast. I have good news.”

My heart skips with hope. There’s only one thing I’ve continuously ordered him to do…

“I found a brownie who’s willing to come to Earth to open a bakery.”

Yes! Thank the goddess. “Perfect. Bring them to town today. Tell them I’ll pay them double if they’ll make dinner for two this evening.”

Then I fly straight for the palace to find the royal seamstresses. I have a special job for them.

It really will be the most excellent date.