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We felt it. It was now in the air between us. A tension cloaked in inextricable embarrassment. Yet, none of us had any true recollection of this past life, which did not prevent the consequences of those past actions from affecting the present moment. It was frustrating.

Suddenly, Dovah grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.

He gazed deeply into my eyes before kissing me passionately.

It was an imperious, ravenous kiss, reaching into my lower abdomen.

My desire exploded suddenly in my veins, and he sensed it in the way I pressed my body against his.

Now, it only took Dovah’s touch or kiss me to turn me into a primitive, hungry entity.

His tongue wrapped feverishly around mine, as if he were trying to possess me completely, starting with my mouth.

When Paivrin coughed to call us to order—and to remind us that he was there, waiting for us—Dovah put an end to our sensual exchange with a disgruntled growl.

I noticed his eyes again; he was no longer trying to hide his nature now that I knew the truth.

“You are mine.”

He spoke in a possessive voice with a wild accent, but I also heard a warning, or perhaps a visceral fear, hidden behind those words. Was he afraid that I’d betray him again? Why had I done it the first time? What really happened? I found it hard to believe I’d given in so easily.

As soon as I was close enough to him, Paivrin pointed his staff at me, and a luminous ball burst in front of my face.

I was so dazzled that it took me some time to regain my normal vision.

He started muttering words that I couldn’t understand, but which sounded like the language Dovah sometimes used, like when he saved me from a creature of the Abyss.

Suddenly, I felt like I was on fire. An intense heat enveloped my body, starting from my feet and moving up to my waist. It wasn’t unpleasant, but if the temperature continued to rise, I wouldn’t be able to tolerate it much longer.

“Close your eyes and tell me what you feel,” Paivrin invited me.

“A vibrant warmth, as if my whole body were quivering from within,” I replied in a whisper, my eyes closed.

I let myself be overcome by the sensation. It was as if I were quickly growing accustomed to this strange fire capable of raising my own temperature—I could feel it. I could have undressed without suffering from the ambient cold.

“You see, Dovah, her magic is there, very much there!” Paivrin then exclaimed excitedly to his brother. “I was right!”

My husband grumbled a response that made Paivrin laugh.

“You like archery, don’t you, Lady Ashana? Or may I just call you Ashana?”

“Yes.”

Since this was an answer that could apply to both questions, I hastened to clarify:

“And you can call me by my first name without using a title, because after all, we are now part of the same family.”

Not to mention the fact that he was a creator god at the origin of the world, and I could hardly see myself refusing him this favour. Paivrin, visibly delighted, nodded.

“Now, imagine you’re holding a bow made of fire, and arrows also made of flame as well,” he continues. “Picture them in your mind and imbue them with your will.”

I did as best I could.

“Try again,” he encouraged me.

“Maybe ...” Dovah tried to intervene.

“No,” his brother cut him off curtly. “Go ahead, Ashana. You’re almost there!”

I reiterated. I imagined the most beautiful bow I’d ever seen, a bow that only I could handle. It was the colour of the flames that sometimes danced in Dovah’s eyes, and it crackled between my fingers without hurting me. With my free hand, I conjured up an arrow, also made of fire.

“Ashana!” Dovah exclaimed.

From the inflection of his voice, I could tell he was impressed, but also surprised. First, I heard the crackling. Then, with my heart beating far too fast, I slowly opened my eyes. My body began to tremble with shock. I was holding a bow of fire, ready to shoot a flaming arrow.

“What am I ... What am I doing?” I stammered, not daring to bat an eyelash.

Magic. I was using magic, or witchcraft. I didn’t quite know the difference.

“Shoot!” encouraged Dovah, suddenly much more enthusiastic.

“Don’t shoot!” Paivrin ordered me at the same time, in a panic.

Not knowing what decision to make, my reflex was to release the arrow, which flew directly towards ... a complete stranger. The stranger remained unfazed and, with a wave of his hand, he extinguished my arrow, causing a spray of water to appear. He was very tall, blond, and wore round glasses.

“Are you all having fun?” inquired the stranger irritably.

Dovah clicked his tongue loudly against the roof of his mouth, and it seemed as if he was disappointed that my arrow hadn’t hit the mark.

Kynnen appeared in turn from behind the bespectacled blond man, scratching his head in a sheepish gesture.

“He wanted to see Dovah’s wife for himself,” he explained.

“And so you let him come,” retorted the interested party coldly.

Kynnen gave him a puppy dog look.

“He insisted. A lot. He’s the strongest of us, what do you want me to do?”

I took a closer look at the newcomer. If I’m not mistaken, this is the famous Tylbis . He approached, taking care to ignore the dark look my dear husband was giving him.

“My name is Tylbis,” he announced, planting himself in front of me.

I fought hard against the urge to back away. Up close, he was even more impressive and ... immense! I had to crane my neck to adjust my gaze to meet his. Incidentally, his eyes were a stunning blue. Very intense. I was speechless. My reaction made him smile full of smugness.

“So, it’s you,” he declared.

“Me?”

“The first wife.”

Just as he grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger to examine my face, Dovah sent a burst of flames at him. Tylbis barely had time to extinguish them with his own power.

“Do. Not. Touch. My. Wife,” scolded my husband, joining us in long strides. “Never. Understand?”

“If that’s all it takes to send you into a state of rage, I’ll oppose your union and postpone it for a decade,” the man I assumed to be the sapphire dragon coldly replied.

Dovah’s eyes had become reptilian, and in their fascinating colour, flames burned.

“You don’t touch her. It’s a simple concept, isn’t it?” retorted Dovah, placing me behind him.

“I wasn’t touching her, I was examining her.”

“Yeah, right.”

“From my point of view, it looked more like provocation,” interjected Kynnen.

When all eyes converged on him, he raised his hands in surrender.

“It was only my humble opinion,” he then muttered.

Morgana was at his side, wagging her tail weakly, probably just as puzzled as I was about the content of this conversation between Patriarchs.

“I need to read her soul,” Tylbis insisted, crossing his muscular arms against his equally athletic chest.

Dovah imitated his gesture, baring his teeth.

“Well, do it from a safe distance.”

Tylbis raised a mocking eyebrow.

“I may be the most powerful of us all, but I also have my limits.”

Paivrin, who had remained silent until then, took a step forward and struck the ground with his staff.

Immediately, a tree sprang up from the ground, as if it were growing at an accelerated rate, to encase Dovah entirely within its bark.

An expression of surprise flashed across his face before he disappeared.

He was both a prisoner of the tree and completely concealed by it. I was frightened.

“Thank you,” said Tylbis, before stepping forward again to grasp my chin. “Look me in the eyes, first wife.”

Although their colour was unsettling—I’d never seen such a blue!—I tried to hold his gaze.

“Is Dovah alright?” I asked, directing the question to Paivrin.

“Yes. He’s just ... not happy.”

I could hear his smile clearly even if I couldn’t see it. Tylbis bowed further and something happened in his eyes. The blue of his eyes seemed to move, like the waves of an ocean suddenly stirred by a storm.

“This is her. This is the first wife.”

The way he said it, you’d have thought he wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out. He took his time walking away from me and sighed as he did.

“You know what that means, Paivrin, don’t you?”

These were the last words he spoke before setting off in the direction of the house. The jade dragon didn’t respond. What was the meaning of this? Why were they trying so hard to keep me in the dark?

I turned to Kynnen. He looked at me for a moment before answering:

“Let the ordeal of Dovah begin ... again,” he said mournfully as the other brother released my husband.

With an evil smile on his lips, Dovah drew his huge sword.

“I’m going to kill him.”

“No,” objected Paivrin, shaking his head.

“Bad idea,” agreed Kynnen.

My husband let out a roar that would scare away a whole flock of birds that lived in Gulan’s tall trees. They flew off at once, chirping.

“I’ve just remembered that he’s always had feelings for MY wife!” he shouted angrily.

My head jerked back. What?! Kynnen gave me a worried look. Apparently, this was information that should not have been brought to my attention. His reaction and that of Paivrin confirmed this hypothesis.

“You’re really such a fool!” snapped the youngest Patriarch. “Tylbis had a wife of his own and he loved her deeply. Stop that.”

Paivrin, for his part, opted for a momentary silence.

“It wasn’t with him that I ...” I began, feeling nauseous.

I brought a hand to my throat, as if this simple gesture could calm my unease.

“No!” they all cried out in unison.

My relief was so visible that Kynnen responded with a sympathetic smile.

“If Tylbis stays here, Ashana and I will leave. Starting tonight.”

“Don’t be so stubborn!” said Paivrin, annoyed.

But Dovah would hear none of it. We went home to prepare for our hasty departure. With a bit of luck, we’d reach Tarnton before nightfall ...

Just as I was about to mount my mare, a voice sounded behind my back.

“You haven’t changed much, really.”