Page 28 of A Match Made in Slumber

Kill’em stood up, stepped around the table and wrapped his large arms around me, drawing me against his chest with a slow, unyielding pressure.

“Forget about the other match,” he rumbled into my hair. “I had it destroyed.”

I stiffened, pulling back to stare up at him in disbelief. “You had it… what?”

“I asked Cholerius,” Keălhem explained, his expression serene. “He made me fill out three separate disposal dockets and sign a declaration of dangerous property. Then he took it to the communal Aetheric Dissolver of Magic. It’s long been unmade into raw energy.”

My mind overheated. “So that was what you whispered about when he came to the stall yesterday? I thought you were discussing a security issue.” I gaped at him, dumbfounded. “The Dissolver? Kill’em, are you mad? You-you’re a military commander. Shouldn’t you plan for every contingency? Every emergency retreat? I don’t know, calculate the odds? Why on earth would you destroy your only backup route?”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “This time, I don’t plan on using any retreat routes, Elian. And I’ve just calculated my odds. Your ninety-five percent is more than enough for me. Let’s just do it.”

I wanted to protest and argue my point further, but no one else seemed interested in listening to reason. Fern clapped his hands. “All right,” he said, looking around the table. “You heard the man.”

His words broke the tension that had kept everyone—excluding Settie—motionless. The chairs scraped as the group abandoned their seats. Fern grabbed and lit a garden lantern. Verity, assuming the role of an usher, marched towards the back door and opened it. Before I could voice another objection, I got swept along by the determined current of my friends’ actions.

The back garden seemed peaceful, veiled in the violet-grey twilight of the approaching eclipse.

Morrigen guided us into a tight circle on the lawn, gesturing to coordinate our positions. “Everyone gather round,” he instructed. “We should link hands to fortify the ambient spiritual energy and aid the enchantment. Keălhem, picture stable, happy thoughts.”

I resisted the urge to hide my face in my hands. “What scientific theory is this, precisely?” I muttered. “And how is it going to help?"

“I have not a single clue, to be honest.” Morrigen shrugged and choked out a nervous laugh. “Nonetheless, we should give it a try."

I couldn’t help but snort. If a positive aura was all we had going for us, I could only hope for the goddess’s favour.

“Before we proceed, does anyone have anything to say?” Beside me, Verity adjusted his posture—ever the barrister prepared to record a statement.

“I do,” Kill’em said without a second of hesitation. His voice was calm and clear. He looked down at me, completely unbothered by the audience. “Elian Reñyés, I love you.”

The garden went silent. Behind us, Fern cleared his throat and Settie began making that wet, sniffling sound again.

Hearing those words for the first time in my life—and in the shadow of a cosmic crisis—floored me. My heart did a violent, joyful somersault.

“I love you, too,” I whispered, squeezing his large hand. And I desperately hope I don't blow you into smithereens.

I pressed the friction strip into Kill’em’s palm. All he had to do now was strike the match to confirm his own magical intention and choice of realm.

“Elian, you’ve double-checked the strip?” Settie whispered from across the circle. “It’s brand-new, right?”

“Settie, please,” I groaned, a step away from fainting.

Kill’em took the teal match between his long fingers. He didn't hesitate. With a single, fluid stroke, he dragged the sparkly tip across the friction card.

The spark caught and the match ignited. It began to pulsate straight away with a deep, silvery-blue light. It radiated no heat; instead, a sudden, icy shockwave rolled over the grass, making the air around us distort like a desert mirage. A low, vibrating hum grew from the earth, sounding like an approaching tornado.

The light flared. Kill’em’s entire silhouette became illuminated—no, devoured—by its brilliance. At which point, his physical form began to… flicker. It started at the edges, spreading further and further until it turned him semi-translucent.

Settie shrieked. Somebody gasped. My heart ceased beating. Stiff with fear, I reached forwards, my fingers locking onto Kill’em’s disappearing flesh as if I could drag him back from the void.

Goddess, please. No. I’ll do anything if—

With an abrupt pop, the light snapped shut and the humming vanished. The garden stood still and dim under the waning moon.

I choked back a sob.

Kill’em still stood before me—his presence solid, though his knees gave a sudden wobble. For the first time since I’d known him, the unbreakable commander reeled backwards, seeking my shoulder for physical support. I caught him instantly, throwing my arms around his waist to anchor him.

“Are you all right?” I panted, pressure hammering against my temples. “Kill’em?”