AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Within minutes, we passed through the city gates, and I looked over at the damaged wall from the outside. From that angle, it looked mostly repaired, the new stone a different shade of red-orange than the blocks making up the rest of the wall. A hundred paces away from the wall stood a new stone column capped with a spryke box. The twisted metal and crumbled stone of the old one lay in a gnarled heap nearby.
I ignored the heap and looked for the glow of the beautiful creature. It had been a while since I'd seen a spryke.
Pausing for a moment, I admired the vibrant purple and white ball of energy. The creature almost looked spiky, with bright bits jutting every which way as it seemed to thrum with a deep energy.
I slipped my ring off to examine their bright korra. Just as last time, there were barely any traces of body essence amidst the vibrant spirit and mind essences … but this one's feelings of contentment and purpose were evident in the calm swirls of their korra … so different from the confused fury of the one in Gleyma.
Heaving a sigh, I slipped my ring back on, and urged Jax forward to catch up with Jaiel.
As the stone walls of Dragon's Peak shrank in the distances, the road led into a narrow ravine of brightly striated red, orange, and purple rock. It was beautiful!
Honestly, everything in and around the village was.
"That place gets emptier each time I visit," Jaiel said, voice somber.
Had I ever heard him somber like that?
An uneasy feeling settled into my stomach, and despite myself, I urged Jax forward until we were even with Jaiel.
"You okay?" I asked. "Tavern not go as well as you'd hoped?"
"Ha. You wish, Princess."
"Good," I said, ignoring the twinge in my chest. "So your charisma is replenished and ready for the mission?"
He shrugged, and I gritted my teeth.
What was this? He'd never been short of words before … and if this area was as dangerous as Liam hinted at, we needed to communicate. There was only one reason he'd be so angsty …
"Wait. You didn't really answer me. It's an easy yes or no question, Jaiel. Did you or didn't you replenish your charisma?"
He chuckled softly and urged his fleiral forward. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Princess. I'll be fine. Just enjoy the view! I'm guessing this is the first time seeing a ravine like this?"
Worry my pretty little — I ground my teeth together and urged Jax forward again. "Your eyes, Jaiel. Let me see them."
I'd been so focused on the Harlsteds and Liam that I hadn't even looked! The prince's shoulders tightened but he turned to face me.
My stomach sank as traces of dark shadows moved along the edges of his eyes.
"You idiot!" I spat, ignoring the slight pang of relief in my chest.
He shook his head, then turned away. "It's fine. I've dealt with it before, and this time is no different. So long as the monster doesn't get too agitated, we should have a few days before it becomes a real problem."
I shook my head. "Why didn't you take care of it last night like you were supposed to?"
"There was no one to take care of it with!" he snapped. "You saw the village. With the population dwindling, there was no one left to help me."
No one? That wasn't completely true.
"Well — you could have asked … me." I swallowed the lump forming in my throat at the thought and tried to ignore the flutterwings dancing in my chest as I pushed the words out. "Depending on what you said, I might have said yes. I may not look it, but I've had my fair share of one-night stands. And I've heard the 'No-Kissing Prince' is good at that kind of thing."
He turned, eyes narrowed as he looked me up and down.
"I'm serious," I said, lifting my chin. "A quick, meaningless romp wouldn't have been out of the question."
His eyes met mine, some emotion I couldn't place flitting inside those blue depths. "Really, Princess? You're okay being a — oh, what did you call it earlier?" He paused, then held up a finger. "Ah yes, another notch on my bedpost?"
My chest twisted, but I ignored it and glared back. "Not when you say it like that, asshole." Sighing deeply, I directed my gaze forward and tried again. "I'm just saying that I too have needs, and if it would help the mission, I'm not against it. Besides, from what I've heard … a tryst with you wouldn't be that much of a sacrifice. It would be purely physical, of course, and I've always wondered what a pierced cock felt like."
