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Severath

T hough the list was dwindling, Severath was sure he still loathed quite a lot of things. But as he walked along the streets of Heck with his tail wrapped around Ember’s hips, he couldn’t remember a single one.

“Are you ready to see our friends?”

And then one popped into his head, but he smiled because it wasn’t really all that bad. “Is that what they are?”

Ember squinted up at the moon. “Oh, probably. They seem to like us well enough.”

“Generous of them.”

She bumped him with her hip. “It’s true—we don’ t deserve it.”

“Well, one of us doesn’t.”

“Don’t you dare say which.”

Ember had her hair pinned up at the back of her head, and the brand on her neck caught the moonlight, just as silvery.

It was one of the things Severath knew he should loathe because it had hurt her, but when she wore it proudly it was easier to be the tiniest bit grateful that it had brought them together.

Though he was sure his soul would have found her no matter what as it was meant to bind to hers.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she murmured as she squeezed his elbow. “Unless you know of a place we can sneak into around here?”

Severath gave the street a quick glance, too busy to pull her into an alley and let her have her way with him until she was satisfied.

Plus the guard was already overly watchful of him now—he didn’t need to add public indecency to his record.

“If we leave early, I vow to appease your every command once we get home.”

“Oh, you’ll be doing that regardless,” she said with a little huff, and his cock twitched in response. “But we can’t stay out that late anyway—I have to be at the blacksmith’s at moonrise tomorrow.”

“I thought you were joking about that.”

She shook her head with a scrunched up grin. “Maybe I’ll love it. Won’t know unless I try. I mean, it worked with you.”

Severath chuckled deeply. Ember hadn’t found the working path she wanted to follow yet, but as long as she took him along, he would gladly find her a new apprenticeship to begin every single day.

“Oh, and we have tea with Elder Zaretha tomorrow too. Right around midmoon.”

“She has more chores for me to do, doesn’t she?” The week before, Severath had replaced a few squeaking floorboards in her kitchen and put up a new cupboard. She didn’t take kindly to his suggestion she consider having a few less cups instead.

Ember shrugged, but she was grinning. “She just likes company. And I’m dying to hear how the story about the ice dragon ends.”

“You must know she is making those tales up as she goes. I don’t believe she ever left Heck a day in her life.”

“Who cares! They’re exciting.” Ember rested her head on his arm and hugged him a little tighter. “And you have the kids tomorrow evening, don’t you?”

“For target practice, yes. I would appreciate if you remained indoors until I’ve assessed the new ones’ skills. An errant arrow can be fatal.”

Ember sighed with fabricated annoyance. “If one of them shoots me, Balran can just use her magic and fix it right up.”

“Balran will not be there.”

“Well, wouldn’t you take me to her?”

Severath cocked his brow. “Hmm, I supposed I could…like this.” In one swift move, he scooped her up into his arms, and she squealed as passing demons gave them cu rious looks.

“Put me down, you monster,” she hissed playfully even as she wrapped an arm around his neck.

He only squeezed her tighter.

Ember cradled the side of his face, and he felt her finger stroke along the new cloth wrapping for his missing eye, tracing over the embroidered arrow in flight. “You really don’t have to carry me the rest of the way to the greenhouse,” she said, smiling in that way she reserved just for him.

Severath had always thought himself good for only a few things—taking orders, commanding a squadron, drawing a bowstring—but he liked his new purpose best of all: carrying around Ember. “Perhaps I don’t have to, but if you give me the choice, I won’t be letting you go.”