Wait.Grimarrhad sent Skald down for them? That was why Skald had suddenly showed up the way he had, raging and searching for Kesst, with a band of oh-so-helpful witnesses?
But when Kesst twisted to frown up at Grimarr, he didn’t look even slightly repentant, shrugging his broad shoulder. “We had no time,” he said. “Skald was sure to recall the strength of Kesst’s galdr at any breath, and we could not dare show this for what it is. Not whilst my father yet lives.”
Not while his father yet lived. It was the most open Grimarr had ever been about this yet, and the most he’d ever admitted about Kesst’s gift, too — and Kesst found his disbelief rising as Grimarr continued. “And I yet had other plans in place around this, ach? You ken my father should always have taken this blow with such ease? You ken Skald was not already slower than he ought to have been? And the rest of his orcs, too?”
Wait.Wait. Kesst’s stilted thoughts were now flicking back, back, to where Kaugir had been very conveniently, very conspicuously, up in the Ash-Kai rooms with his hangers-on, supposedly enjoying an elaborate meal…
“Youdruggedthem?” Kesst demanded at him, with genuine rising amusement. “With what? Mushrooms?”
Grimarr’s pursed mouth suggested that this was indeed the case, and Kesst felt himself bark a giddy, merry laugh, his head shaking as his eyes met Eft’s. “I need to take you on a proper tour of this place,” he informed him. “One of Grim’s scouts has this whole room full of mushrooms, over in Bautul hell. Which is almost as bad as Ka-esh hell, but not quite. Especially once you’ve eaten a mushroom or two.”
Eft grinned back at him, his eyes dancing with warmth, his hand flaring more sparks of heat into Kesst’s skin. “I’d love a proper tour with you,” he said softly, tugging Kesst’s bared, sticky body a little closer — but then frowning as he glanced back up toward Grimarr again. “Is there anything else you need, then? Are we settled?”
Grimarr huffed a wry laugh, clearly knowing when he was dismissed, and he brought his fist to his chest, briefly bowing toward them both. “Ach, we are settled, Chief Healer,” he said. “I thank you both for your great help in this, my brothers.”
Kesst felt his face and ears heating, his hand quickly waving it away, while against him Eft snorted, and shook his head. “You can thank us by dealing with your foul father next,” he replied flatly. “And by leaving us the hell alone for a few days. No new raids, no bloody obnoxious orcs I need to keep awake,nothing.”
To Kesst’s relief, Grimarr was clever enough not to argue with this, and finally took his leave. And Kesst found himself swallowing hard as he met Eft’s eyes, searched his face, inhaled his stunning scent, now with all those new shades ofhimembedded so deep within it.
“You really — didn’t,” Kesst stammered, “need to do that. That payment — that was yours. You should have still — taken the coin. Not wasted it on — onme.”
But the stubbornness was already here, flooding Eft’s scent with strength and purpose. “Not wasted,” he said firmly. “You deserve some freedom from all this mess. Some peace. Maybe some time to come to terms with it all, too.”
Kesst’s head was shaking, his lips pressing tightly together, his eyes already prickling with heat. “I don’t deserve any of that, Eft,” he croaked. “I don’t. I was still complicit. Iwasa greedy, ruined —”
But Eft’s head was shaking too, and his fingers came up to brush a twitch of magic into Kesst’s lips. “No,” he said, so certain. “You don’t talk about my mate that way. You’refallegur, Kesst.Stórglæsilegur. Quick. Clever. Brave. Generous. The most innocent orc in this mountain.Ég elska þig.”
Kesst’s breath had hitched, his eyes widening on Eft’s face. Had he really, really just called him hismate, surely he hadn’t meant that, hadn’t meant that entire earlier conversation with Grimarr either, because —
Eft had clearly caught himself, grimacing, and Kesst could feel him drawing in a deep breath. “I mean,” he continued, his voice lowering, “if you would welcome it, Kesst, I — I would be truly honoured to call you my mate. But you might want more time to consider it, with all you’ve been through, and I’m more than happy to wait, until whenever you’re —”
But Kesst’s body was already shivering, flailing up, his own hand fluttering to cover Eft’s mouth. “Yes,” he gulped. “Yes, Eft, gods yes. But you might regret it, you might finally realize what a high-maintenance disaster I am, you will never get rid of me, and I — I —”
And he was weeping, damn it, full-on weeping, the sobs escaping in thick ugly gasps. Eft wanted to make him his mate, he couldn’t truly want that, now surely he would change his mind, he had to…
“Good,” came Eft’s reply, sounding rather choked too — and when Kesst desperately focused his wet eyes on Eft again, he was fervently nodding, his big warm hands stroking up Kesst’s heaving chest, until they found his face. Cradling it, as if he were something prized, something precious.
“Good,” Eft said again, his bright eyes fixed on Kesst’s. “Then I want to swear a vow to you, Kesst of Clan Ash-Kai. I swear to give you my fealty, and my favour, and my protection, and whatever the hell else you want from me. Anything you want.”
Anything you want. Those were again Kesst’s words, and now Eft was here just saying them, swearing them, vowing them. Like it was nothing, everything, like he really, really wanted this, he couldn’t really want this, but he’d said it, how had he just said it? Said that, toKesst?
Kesst couldn’t stop staring, and weeping, and wildly shaking his head against Eft’s still-cradling hands — but Eft, the stubborn menace, hadn’t even slightly faltered, his eyes watching, his lip jutting out. Waiting. Waiting.
He wanted Kesst — to say it. To swear it. Finish it. And Kesst couldn’t, he couldn’t, he —
“Then I pledge you my troth, Efterar of Clan Ash-Kai,” his voice whispered. “I grant you my favour, and my sword, and my fealty. I shall keep you safe, and fed, and filled, so long as I am able, and so long as you shall wish.”
It was the traditional Ash-Kai pledge, the one he’d known all his life, the one he’d woven into so many of his tales. And now he’d said it, he’d truly, truly said it, and he’d meant it. And Eft was staring back at him, staring like he’d been stunned, like it was the most powerful tale Kesst had ever told. And maybe it was, it was, his magic surging and soaring, pouring out his heart.
“And the mortal basked and worshipped at the angel’s feet, for all the rest of his days,” he breathed. “Where beneath the angel’s many blessings, he grew fat and content and whole again. And in return for the angel’s benevolent healing, the mortal offered him all the earthly delights he could afford. Good meat, and rest, and comfort, and pleasures beyond his wildest imaginings. And together, they built a new home, and found great peace.”
The words rang and spun between them, hovering with astonishing strength, holding them both rapt within it. And there wasn’t even room to wonder if it had all been pure selfish indulgence, because Kesst believed it, he believed it so deeply he was fully lost in it, lost in Eft’s shifting, beautiful eyes. In the way Eft’s magic suddenly swerved to life, and flooded back into the full length of him. Surging and soaring into Kesst’s skin, into his flesh, into his heart and his bones. Remaking him in this, from this, from the ashes of his sins. Mating him. Healing him.
And when Eft’s shaking arms finally pulled Kesst close, pulled him beneath, and once again filled him with that last missing piece, Kesst knew it for certain, forever changed.
He was innocent, and he was whole.
EPILOGUE
