Page 42 of Monsters in the Museum

Chapter thirteen

The smell of burning hair filled Xander’s nose as he ducked under a gout of flame so narrowly that it singed off one of his curls.

“Kronos’s cock,” he swore, turning the duck into a lunge and driving his Xiphos into the creature’s chest.

He nearly dropped his sword, the metal handle heating impossibly quickly under his palm as the blade connected with the fiery beast before him. Gritting his teeth, he held on as the monster before him dissolved from a misshapen figure of lava to a puddle of fitfully bubbling magma at his feet.

“Xander!”

Before he could heed the warning, a flash of Light so bright it nearly blinded him filled his vision, forcing him to close his eyes. As he blinked them open again, he whipped around, only to find another patch of lava behind him.

Standing a few meters away was Aediene, her glittering spear pointed directly at where the attacking Shadow had been just seconds before. She had saved his life again, for well past the dozenth time.

Aediene had insisted he stop keeping track, pointing out he had saved her nearly as many times. After their wedding, though, she had demanded they not keep score on such things.

Now, she lowered her spear, letting the sauroter rest in the sand at her side and leaning on it as she panted. Adam took the moment to look around the beach, finding it empty except for the two of them. The lava creatures, born of the Shadow, who had been climbing out of the ocean and terrorizing the nearby fishing village, were vanquished. All that was left of them were two dozen steaming pools of lava, beginning to turn black at the edges as they cooled in the evening air.

Xander sighed in relief. “I didn’t think they would ever stop coming.”

“Are you implying that the two of us couldn’t take out an entire army of the Shadow?” Aediene asked, putting one hand on her hip and cocking her head defiantly. Her tone was teasing, but the lightness was undercut by the handful of small holes charred in her peplos and the shallow cut on her upper arm.

In truth, the two of them shouldn’t have been sent to handle this incursion by themselves, but the Eteria was spread thin these days. While the Commander tried to ration their numbers carefully against the Shadow’s attacks, Aediene was loathe to let even the smallest village fend for themselves against the Shadow. Of course, Xander would not let her go alone, so they rode off on missions as a pair when no other forces could be spared.

Xander picked his way around the lava carefully, knowing even the barest touch from them would likely scorch through the leather of his sandals. As he approached, Aediene pulled off her helmet and tucked it under her arm.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

She smiled at him, bright despite the exhaustion written into the lines of her face. “You can thank me by rubbing my feet when we get home.”

Xander snorted, but he knew he would do so gladly, even if she hadn’t saved his life.

“Then we better hurry,” he said, “It’s several hours ride home, and we won’t have the light for much longer.”

Indeed, the sun was already low in the sky, the air cooler than it had been in the height of the afternoon.

Aediene turned and led them up the beach to the copse of olive trees where they had left their horses. They had tried to keep them a decent distance from the combat, as their mounts tended to object to the disruptive bursts of Light used by Warriors and Defenders.

As they reached the small grove, a pained groan ripped from Aediene’s lips. As Xander stepped up beside her, he saw why.

There was only one horse. Aediene’s had pulled itself free and fled while they fought, leaving only Xander’s piebald mare. She flicked her ears and tossed her head, as if saying she was not responsible for her partner’s bad behavior.

“Where do you think he went?” Aediene asked of her own gelding.

“Probably ran toward home. He knows the way,” Xander pointed out. This was not the first time her horse had gone on a solo expedition. He normally turned up at the Sanctuary a day or two later, none the worse for wear.

Aediene sighed heavily, and Xander didn’t miss the way her shoulders slumped. “I guess I’m in for a long walk.”

“Nonsense,” Xander argued. “We’ll ride double.”

He approached his own mare, untying her halter from the branch. He gestured to Aediene to mount, and with a grateful look, she swung up onto its back. Xander followed quickly behind her.

As he reached around her to gather the reins, Aediene leaned back into his chest. He nudged the horse backward and set their steps back toward the Sanctuary.

They hadn’t been riding for very long when Aediene’s weight started resting on him more heavily. He tightened his arms around her, glancing over her shoulder to find her eyelids fluttering.

As she slowly drifted into a doze, Xander slowed the horse’s pace, trying not to jostle Aediene. Especially at the Sanctuary, Aediene avoided showing her exhaustion to the other Warriors, clearly trying to bolster their morale with her own confidence.

Out here alone, though, Xander got to see the cracks in the façade, forming under the immense pressure of the growing Shadow. Despite his concern for his wife, a bit of warmth still unfurled in his chest at the fact that he was the one who got to see beneath her gleaming armor. They had been married for several short years by now, and he still found himself staring at Aediene as she slept, wanting to hold onto every single moment he had with her.