I began to talk.
I told him every gritty detail about what it was like growing up. For some reason, I told him things I’d never dared tell anyone else.
His silver eyes glimmered with understanding. He’d also walked through hell.
For hours, he carried me down a side of a mountain, and for hours, I told him what it was like growing up as the powerless royal heir of the mad queen.
He didn’t get angry.
Not once.
Instead, he stayed calm and nodded, tucking me tighter against his chest like he could squeeze the pain out of me.
“It’s all behind you,” he said as we got back to the war camp.
I was amazed that he’d learned so many terrible things about my past and hadn’t threatened to kill anyone. Not once. He was maturing.
I smiled at him as he tucked me gently into bed. “Thanks for not going on a homicidal rampage.”
He laughed awkwardly and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
“Move over,” Malum said as he pushed his oversized body into my bunk.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked as he fit himself into a space that was designed for a person half his size.
He was pressed flush against me.
“Let’s keep talking,” he whispered.
I couldn’t hide my smile. Even though we’d already been talking for hours, I hadn’t wanted our conversation to end.
“You should tell me about yourself this time,” I suggested. “What do you miss most about the devil realm?”
“The peace,” he said immediately.
He launched into a story about rolling hills and solitude. With his baritone voice, he should have been a storyteller. My toes curled.
He weaved a fairy tale.
I never wanted him to stop speaking.
I fell asleep with his warm body squished against mine, wild tales of ponies with bows and rolling hills dancing through my head.
The leader of the kings was slowly dropping his mask, and I was intrigued by the man it was revealing.
Flames danced in the air around us and cast a golden glow.
With my head tucked beneath his chin, I realized what he reminded me of.
Sunshine.
Chapter 41
Aran
BATTLE
Travail （noun）： a state of great suffering of body or mind.
DAY 29, HOUR 4
I woke up to sirens wailing.
Lights flashed.
I was convinced an apocalypse was happening, and we were all going to die.
Finally, my luck was turning around.
“The angels have returned from their scouting mission!” The alarm system blared over the room’s enchanted speaker system.
Never mind.
I grunted as a heavy, warm weight rolled off me.
Someone kissed my forehead gently. “You’re perfect,” they whispered in my ear.
I rubbed at my tired eyes.
They were gone.
The speakers continued relentlessly.
“The third ungodly infestation has been located, and RJE devices have been calibrated for coordinates.” Lights flashed. “All soldiers report to the cafeteria in .03 hours. Repeat. All soldiers report to the cafeteria in .03 hours. Reminder to move stealthily, quiet must be observed in open areas. Do not compromise the base.”
Whatever angel hit the preprogrammed emergency broadcast button was getting punched in the throat.
There was literally no need to rush into battle.
It was still dark out.
Men stumbled around the room, getting ready like there was a fire. The twins and the missing kings had returned sometime in the night.
My fingers froze together as ice crawled up my forearm.
The room was a flurry of activity as everyone in our legion panicked. Malum shouted something.
I blinked groggily as I rolled lazily out of bed.
“Let’s go.” Malum grabbed my arm as I pulled at the covers. His eyes were chips of steel.
I jolted as I remembered how he’d talked to me for hours.
“Wait, did we sleep together all night?” I flushed as I remembered the warm weight rolling off me.
Did he kiss my forehead this morning and tell me I was perfect? Had I imagined it?
“That’s not important right now,” he said in a clipped tone. “Get ready.” The warrior was back.
“It’s important to me,” I said as I got ready.
When I was dressed, Malum grasped my arm and pulled me out of the room, straight into a punishing blizzard.
What was with all the grabbing this morning? He held on to me like he was afraid he’d lose me.
Wind burned where it touched my exposed face.
The ground was iced over, and the pine trees were completely coated in white. Branches were frozen and made no noise.