Three days past and their journey continued to be light and happy. Everyone got along and moods stayed more on the playful side. There were two snowball fights when they got high enough into the mountains, both started by Tess. Matt grumbled about it, hating the cold, but he still joined in after being hit with several, and had fun in spite of himself. Even Vivyka was laughing and becoming more at ease with him.

Vivyka spent most of her time with Korin, though. The ranger sparred with her every night while dinner was being made. And she developed a sudden interest in nature, spending a lot of her time asking him questions and listening to him explain things while they traveled. Though everyone knew that it wasn’t herbs or animals she was interested in. Korin acted as if he didn’t know, but he did. He knew what he was doing. He kept his distance and let her drift closer to him, like waiting for a wild animal to get close enough before trying to pet it.

On the evening before they reached Snowy Pine, Matt was sitting in his tent. Sera had left to see if Ayden wanted any help with dinner. He stayed where he was, enjoying the rare time alone, but it didn’t last long, it never did. He was starting to forget what it was like to be by himself. It was Tess who entered. She sat down beside him, but said nothing. He waited.

When he finally pulled out his silver case, she took it from him before he could get a cigarette. He watched curiously as she traced the intricate hellhound engraving on the cover with a finger. After a moment, she opened it and took out all of the cigarettes inside. She lifted another case; silver as well, filled it, closed the lid, and then handed it to him.

“I heard it was your birthday,” she explained. “Viv told me when we were in Brunya City. You don’t like cake and there wasn’t time for a party, but we got you a gift.” She nodded to it. “We thought a different picture was in order. That’s really why she was late when we were leaving. She was picking it up from the engravers. But don’t tell her I told you that.”

He looked down at the case, it was just as intricately engraved with swirling designs, but this one had a picture of a figure in a long flowing dress, surrounded by wings in the middle. He ran his fingers over it. “An angel,” he whispered.

“Not too girlie, is it?”

He laughed softly. “Not at all. I like it.”

“We thought it was more fitting.” She got to her knees, then wrapped her arms around him.

It felt a bit strange to hug her, so rarely did they touch each other in a way that wasn’t somehow violent. But it felt good. He realized in that moment how much he cared about her. Strange. Not too long ago he had planned to kill her, now she was his best friend.

She leaned back and patted his cheek fondly. “Happy birthday.”

He smiled affectionately at her. “Thank you.”

Tess got up just as Sera entered. They shared a smile before Tess left.

Sera sat in front of him and watched him stare at the case for a long moment. She frowned. “Have you ever been given presents before?”

He picked up his old case and shrugged. “Twice.”

“Who?”

My mother gave me a dagger when I was young. The other was from Viv.”

“What did she get you?”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Angel.”

She let it go and studied him. “You have an attachment to that.” She noted, looking at the old case.

He nodded and sighed. “I’ve had it since I was twelve. It was my mother’s. When I killed my father it fell out of his pocket,” he told her, forgetting that she had seen it in the memories the justice cleric showed her. “It’s just…”

“Family.”

“I guess so. I never realized I was attached to it until now. I don’t even know why. What am I holding on to?”

“It’s natural for people to want to cling to their parents,” she told him gently. “Even if they’re horrible people, part of us still feels that bond, however weak it may be, and wants to hold on to it.”

A memory played through his mind of his mother opening the case. She smiled when he handed her the lighter, then lit a cigarette and blew out some smoke. He took the case and lighter back and set them on the side table for her as she got up. She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair for a moment.

“I never felt any kind of connection to my father,” he said quietly. “I hated him. But my mother… she wasn’t horrible, not to me.”

“What do you mean?” Sera asked.

“I never felt alone until she died. When she was there, I knew I was adored. I was wanted. She never said a harsh word to me, never hurt me in anyway. I was her precious heir—that’s what she used to call me. Nothing I could do was wrong in her eyes.” He took a deep breath as he moved this thumb across the top of the old case.

“My father always told me I was nothing," he continued. "That I was just her puppet and all she had cared about was what I could do for her. He was right. I was there for her use just as much as he was. But it was more than that. I was part of her, I was her son and that meant a lot to her. She didn’t have a heart, but she cared about me—for lack of a better word—like she cared about herself. She was all that mattered, and so I mattered too. And I thought she was everything. She was perfect to me. No one could be greater than her.” He smiled a little. “But then she was killed, and I couldn’t understand why someone would take her from me, why anyone would want to kill her.” He huffed a small, humorless laugh and shook his head at himself. “You know, I still feel it. All these years later, even though I understand why, even after destroying her ghost myself. When I remember the day she died, I still feel that hate for your family. They’re still the people who took everything from me, who ruined my life, who left me with my abusive, bastard father. My mother never hurt me, they did. They took away every ounce of affection I had.”

Sera wiped away a few tears from her cheek but Matt didn’t see it, he didn’t take his gaze off the case, as if he were entranced by it. He never talked like this, but for some reason he had the need to say this out loud, mostly to himself. It felt good to say it. “It was different when she came back as a ghost. I wasn’t that little boy anymore and it felt like my childhood with her was just a dream. I didn’t think it at the time, but I wanted to go back. I missed her. I wanted to feel that wonder when I looked at her, to feel that connection, to not feel alone anymore. But I didn’t feel any of it. I…” He took another deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling ridiculous that his eyes stung. “Part of me still does,” he admitted, it was almost a whisper. “Part of me wants the dream back.” He clutched the cigarette case tighter in his hand. “But this is all I have.”

“It…” Sera began softly, but her voice was choked and she had to clear her throat before continuing. “It must have been hard for you to destroy her spirit.”

“No, actually. When my mother was alive she meant everything, and she was taken from me. The next time I felt any kind of connection to someone, they were taken from me too.”

“Vivyka,” she guessed.

“Yes,” he agreed. “Then there was Tess. When she was on that altar and I looked down at her, she stared back with those warm, caring eyes and I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t let her be taken. Suddenly I didn’t care about me at all, I just knew they’d have to kill me before they could take her from me.”

“I’ve felt the connection between you two,” she commented. “I’m glad you didn’t lose her, I’m glad that you can be friends now.”

He smiled and looked at the case Tess had given him. “Yeah, me too. And I can be friends with Viv now, sort of. Though, it’s different with her.”

“You dated her, there’s a lot of baggage there,” Sera said. “Tess on the other hand was pretty much just a friend from the beginning.”

He nodded. “She’s the first real friend I’ve ever had.”

“You can still use that one if you want,” Sera told him, motioning to the old cigarette case. “They would understand.”

He looked up at her to find her eyes glossy. He shook himself mentally and pushed away the memories and feelings. He put the old case in his bag, then looked at the engraved angel. It was a symbol of what he had now, a symbol of friendship, and also a reminder of someone who loved him: his friends and his angel. He wasn’t alone anymore. He smiled at the thought. “No, it’s time to let go of old things,” he said meaningfully and slipped the new case into his jacket pocket.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath then. “Well, I have a present for you too.”

“You’re more than I could ever want,” he said earnestly. “You never need to give me anything.”

She grinned. “Well, too bad,” she said and held out a dark leather wristband.

He and took it from her and looked curiously at the tiger carved into it.

“When I first met you I had a conversation with Tess. I said that you were like a lost kitten,” she explained and giggled when he glared at her. “But she said you were more like a deadly tiger. Now I see that you’re both. You’re strong and powerful, but also tender and playful. It’s a symbol of all the best things in you.” She took it and put it on his right wrist where he had once worn a different wristband to cover his birthmark. “I asked Ayden to make it, he’s good at carving things,” she said, lifting her own wrist to show him her bracelet with little wooden charms on it—eleven different kinds of flowers.

“Thank you.” He moved his hands to hold her face and pulled her close to kissed her. She instantly melted into him. “My angel,” he whispered tenderly as he wrapped her in his arms and held her close.

He didn’t know what to say. He felt unbelievably touched and overwhelmed by the gifts and by the genuine affection behind them. It made him think about how much these people meant to him, how much they all helped him be a better person; not just Sera, but Tess and Ayden, Vivyka, Cael, and even Gavin.

He remembered Cael talking about the importance of family and friends. Matt was starting to understand his words.

—————

Dinner had come and gone by the time they joined the others around the fire. Ayden handed them some food that he saved, and Matt thanked him and Vivyka for the gifts to which they both just smiled.

Feigning interest in something off to the side, Sera was able to pull Vivyka away from the group. She asked her about the birthday gift she had given Matt when they had been together. His feelings had made her curious and she wondered what it was that he had liked so much. But Vivyka’s answer was the same as his, except hers was accompanied by a rare blush.

Sera was left to feel frustrated and to wonder why people always thought she shouldn’t know such things. Looking so sweet and innocent seriously had its drawbacks. Even though she tried to use it to her advantage a moment later when she gave her best innocent smile to Matt.

He didn’t buy it and told her so with his look. He glanced at Vivyka and raised a brow; she fought a grin at the shared memory and shook her head very slightly, letting him know she didn’t tell her anything.

Sera crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

Meanwhile, Korin grabbed a wooden flute out of his bag. “Do you mind?” he asked and everyone shook their heads. “I will play a song that my people have to celebrate the passing of another year.”

The song was slow, beautiful, and sounded somehow spiritual. When he was finished, Vivyka asked for another. He obliged happily, and ended up playing several more.

Sera watched Korin play, and Vivyka gaze wonderingly at him. She couldn’t help smiling at them. She knew Korin had fallen for Vivyka almost immediately, and she didn’t need her empathic ability to know what he was feeling for her. His eyes were very honest, and he let all of his feelings show there. He was also a very patient man with a good heart. She felt Vivyka’s attraction to him, but hoped she would see that he was worth more than one of her usual one-night-stands.

When the flute was put away, Matt went to sit next to Korin. He whispered something to him and the ranger nodded. Korin closed his eyes for a long moment and then got up and walked several feet away. He crouched down and put his hand flat against the ground, then concentrated and raised his hand up very slowly. As he did so, a small green shoot emerged from the snow. Under his guidance, it grew larger and then split into three, each one bloomed into a yellow flower.

When he felt they were the right size, he picked them and then handed one to Matt, who nodded his thanks and returned to Sera’s side, offering it her. She beamed at him, then kissed him sweetly.

Korin handed one to Tess and the last to Vivyka as he sat beside her. “You did not want one, did you?” he asked Ayden.

“No, thanks.”

Tess laughed. “He likes flowers more than I do.”

“Because he’s the girl and you’re the guy.” Sera said, smiling when Ayden stuck his tongue out at her.

“How did you do that?” Vivyka asked Korin. Cael didn’t like to mess with nature unless he had to, so she had never really seen what a ranger could do.

“I speak to nature,” Korin explained. “I ask and nature gives.”

“But you didn’t say anything.”

“I speak through my spirit, not my body.”

“Can anyone learn to do it?” she wanted to know.

“Yes. We are all connected to everything through our spirits—to the trees, to the animals, to each other. Our spirits are all part of nature.” He said, his voice filled with a deep respect. “It is just a matter of quieting the mind enough to hear, to communicate.”

“But it takes an amazing amount of patience,” Sera added. “That’s why rangers are almost never human, because it’s not generally in a human’s nature to be so still. It’s natural for elves. Korin is an exceptional person, especially being able to do things like that when he’s still so young.”

“How old are you?” Vivyka wondered.

“Twenty-four,” he answered. “You?”

“Twenty. So, what else can you do?”

“A fair amount, but nature is as it should be. It should not be used frivolously. It is a balance. I try to never use anything that cannot be put back to its natural state. One should not take what is not needed. Tonight is a rare exception,” he said, nodding to her flower.

“Can I see just one more thing?” she asked. “Please?”

He smiled indulgently. “As you wish.” He focused on the flower that she held in her hand for a moment, his face looking very peaceful, and his body very still. Then the flower slowly began to move, it grew taller until it was level with her face. It moved as if it were a snake so that it could brush its delicate pedals across her cheek in a tender caress, and back again before returning to its original size and stilling.

Vivyka held his gaze for a long time, seeming lost in his eyes. “That’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“You are beautiful,” he breathed.

She smiled and actually blushed as she looked down at the flower in her hand.

“You should learn to do that Ayd,” Tess said. “You could be the first ever mage ranger—what? You could do it.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Tess, between you, arcane magic, and the little bit of reading I get to do these days, I don’t have the time,” he told her. “Or the energy. Besides, if I did that than I wouldn’t be able to focus as much on other things,” he said meaningfully and slid his hand to her stomach.

Her breath caught and she bit her lip. “Stop that or we’re going to bed right now,” she threatened with a grin.

He smiled and whispered. “You’re insatiable.”

She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “And you love it.”

“Very true,” he agreed, holding her close and kissing her cheek.

“How does touching your stomach turn you on?” Matt wanted to know.

“Shock spell,” Tess answered.

“You really are masochistic,” Matt said, looking amused. Sadistic

Ayden frowned. “She is not, and I would never hurt her.”

Matt smirked and twitched a brow. “Even if she asked for it?”

“Yes,” Ayden replied a little flustered by the question. “Not that she would.”

Matt chuckled. “Okay, then how are you shocking and not hurting?”

“By controlling the level of the spell. I don’t put too much mana into it,” Ayden explained. “So it doesn’t hurt at all.”

Sera smiled. “Just a nice tingly feeling?”

Tess grinned. “Nice is an understatement.”

“You think up ways to use your magic for sexual purposes?” Matt asked with a grin.

“Not sexual, just…”

Tess turned her head enough to raise a brow at him.

“Okay, yes,” Ayden admitted. “But it doesn’t work like that. It takes a lot of focus to restrain the full power of a spell.”

“Yeah, but you can still do it when you—”

He actually put a hand over her mouth. “Tess,” he complained, blushing at whatever she was about to say.

Matt smirked. “When you do what?”

“None of your business,” Ayden told him.

“I know,” Vivyka put in. “No wonder you said you weren’t missing out by not being with Brex,” she told Tess. “Of course Brex can do it during regular sex.” She smiled and shivered at the memory. “Not that I should use the word regular and Brex in the same sentence.”

Tess smiled, too. “Ayd just started doing it a couple nights ago actually.”

“Damn Ayden,” Vivyka said, “maybe I’m going for the wrong type of guys.”

“Well you can’t have him, he’s mine,” Tess told her playfully.

“Okay, let it go now.” Sera said, coming to Ayden’s rescue as he was feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed.

“But I wanna know what his secret is,” Vivyka pressed. “If it’s not magic, then what?”

Tess pet Ayden, whose face was now buried in the shoulder of her fur coat. “He just reads a lot,” she answered, “and loves me a lot.”

“There’s how-to books on that?” Matt asked, amused by the thought. “As if you can’t figure it out on your own?”

Tess smiled. “I think there’s more than you know.”

“Haven’t seen the books,” Matt told her, “but I’ve seen it all in person.”

Vivyka nodded in agreement. “Except for that,” she said quietly enough for Matt not to hear, but Sera did and decided she would get Vivyka to tell her later, or she would just have to borrow some books from Ayden.

Tess turned so she was facing Ayden then, making him move and look at her. “Sorry,” she told him. “But I don’t know why you’re so embarrassed by it, everyone has sex, goober.”

“It’s private,” he mumbled.

Hearing the real upset in his voice, she softened more and touched his cheek. “Sorry,” she said again, then held him close and ran her fingers through his short curls.

Korin suddenly stood and announced, “There are trolls coming.”

“How do you know?” Vivyka wondered as they all got up.

“Noka,” he answered, but before he had time to explain any further, they saw the huge ugly beasts coming down the road.

The trolls were near eight feet tall, or would have been if they weren’t hunched over slightly. They had eyes that looked like dark pits, and a head full of long matted black hair. They were wide and fat, their pale gray bodies covered with rags and animal pelts.

Flowers cast aside, they moved away from the fire, into the opening, except for Vivyka who stayed where she was. Sera went with Matt and he put her protectively behind him.

“Now here’s a birthday present for you, Matt,” Tess said.

“I thought people generally ordered dancing girls for celebrations, not trolls,” he mused.

She cocked her head to the side, studying them. “Could be girls.”

“Not quite my type.”

She pulled the daggers out of her boots. “Well let’s ask them for a dance at least.”

He unsheathed his sword. “It’d be rude not to.”

“Maybe we should get them warmed up first,” Ayden suggested with a smile as he shot a few fireballs. Fire exploded at their feet, causing them to grunt and jump back.

Suddenly an arrow flew past them and landed in one of the trolls’ chests. “I believe I found a quicker way into their hearts,” Korin joined in.

“True,” Ayden said as the troll next to it yelled in rage. “But I think you made that one jealous.”

Korin nodded. “Perhaps a bear hug would cheer it up,” he said, and a second later, a huge brown bear came out of the trees and attacked.

The three other trolls hurried toward the group, their heavy footsteps pounding into the ground with each step.

“Time to get to the point I think,” Tess said, raising her daggers and sprinting ahead to meet them.

One saw Vivyka and veered off toward her. She backed away, almost falling as it came closer. She turned and ran into the forest. The troll pursued.

Korin ran after her, dropping his bow near one of the tents and pulling his sword as he went. The bear followed him.

Ayden turned around and threw a hand out toward Sera, surrounding her with the box version of his shield spell. The air shimmered blue for a second, then faded. Matt gave him a quick look of thanks, then stepped up to join the fight.

When Ayden was within range, he put his hand out in front of him, when he opened his fist and invisible energy ball flew from his palm and hit a troll. The impact sent it back a step. It growled and came at him. Ayden threw a fireball. It howled as part of its pelts caught fire, but pat it out, it kept coming.

Matt kicked the mace out of another troll’s hand and kicked again into its stomach. He noticed the troll that was only a few feet from Ayden. “Tess. Ayden,” he said, ducking a massive fist as his troll swung at him.

She didn’t bother looking as she flipped out of the way of her troll’s mace. “He’s fine,” she said confidently.

Matt glanced back to check on the mage. When the troll was near enough, Ayden put both arms out, almost touching its huge chest. Energy crackled from his hands into the beast. After a momentary spasm, the monster fell back and landed hard on the ground. He cast lightning while his troll was still down. The white-blue bolt struck its head with a loud crack and the troll went limp.

Meanwhile, Matt’s diverted attention got him punched. He grunted with the blow and stumbled but remained standing. He slashed back with his sword and connected with its arm, slicing a deep gash. He let his body spin with the force, then thrust his blade into the trolls gut when he came back around. He kicked as he pulled his weapon out and then stabbed again. The troll fell to the ground with a loud thud. Seconds later Tess’ troll joined it.

Matt scanned the area and then returned to Sera. He reached out for her, but this hand hit a hard surface and the air glowed blue.

“Here,” Ayden said. He walked through the shield, held her hand, and pulled her out.

Matt nodded to him. “Thanks.” He pulled Sera close and accepted her healing kiss.

“You were amazing, Ayden,” Sera said after a moment. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen you in a real fight.”

Tess grinned as got to him and slid her arms around his waist. “Told you he’s great,” she said proudly.

“Yes, and you’re all very punny too,” Sera added with a chuckle, then noticed Matt looking towards the woods where Vivyka had gone. “Korin’s got her. She’ll be okay.”

Matt frowned. “He’s not that good of a fighter.”

“Yes he is,” Tess said. “He fought a troll when he took his sister to the university, remember?”

“And he’s got the bear with him,” Ayden pointed out.

—————

Icy air burned her lungs in Vivyka’s lungs as she ran, making it difficult to breathe. The moonlight scarcely filtered down through the canopy of the thick pine forest. She could hardly see, but she heard the troll’s loud foot falls getting closer. She was quick, even as she narrowly avoided trees, but it had longer legs and knew the area. She glanced back over her shoulder to see how far it was. That was a mistake—some underbrush caught her foot and she fell forward.

It was to her within seconds. The monster grabbed her arm with its huge gray hand and hoisted her up. She kicked its fat belly, but it didn’t seem to notice. It threw her into a tree, then swung at her. She ducked and its fist slammed into the trunk, causing snow to fall, landing heavily on them both. She was momentarily pushed down by the weight, but the troll grabbed her and swung again. She instinctively blocked, then heard the crack as the powerful blow broke her arm.

Still, after moment of struggling, she managed to get away. She tried to run but its mace hit her leg and she collapsed into a small pool of silvery moonlight. She held her knee with her good arm and squeezed her eyes shut as she cried out.

A few seconds later she heard the troll grunt behind her, then the sound of a bear’s growl, and finally a loud thud as something heavy hit the ground. She didn’t look. She stayed where she was, curled into a ball, crying at the excruciating pain.

Then she heard her name. Suddenly, hands touched her and she felt a tingling warmth flow into her, pouring through her entire body. Slowly, the pain melted away, though she was still sore and now exhausted.

Someone pulled her into their arms. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly up at Korin. “Thanks,” she breathed.

“I am sorry I was not faster in getting to you.” He helped her to sit on her own. “Are you okay?” he asked, caressing some hair out of her face.

She nodded as she pulled off her bloody gloves, then wiped her tears away and took a deep breath.

“Scary,” he said.

She nodded. “Very. But I’m okay, really.”

“You are strong.”

She nodded again.

There was a grunt behind her. She cried out softly in fear and spun to see the source. A huge brown bear was a few feet from her. Startled, she moved back, pushing into Korin.

“It is okay,” he told her with a soothing hand on her arm. “This is the bear I told you about.”

It moved forward and she stayed very still, terrified as the huge beast smelled her. Suddenly, he licked the side of her face with a large, rough tongue. “Ugh!” She moaned and wiped her cheek, but she couldn’t help her soft chuckle. The bear nuzzled its head into her chest then. Thankfully Korin was behind her, otherwise she would have been knocked over.

With a trembling hand she pet the bear’s coarse fur. It gave a soft roar and nudged her gently. “Does he have a name?” she asked.

“I call him Noka,” Korin said. “That is just the Nakohan word for friend.”

“Oh,” she murmured, understanding now how he knew the trolls were coming. “Hi Noka,” she said as she continued to stroke the bear’s head.

“He likes you,” Korin told her.

She smiled. “Thanks for helping me,” she told the bear. Noka gave her one more kiss and then ran off, disappearing into the forest. She wiped her cheek again and turned to Korin. “Thanks for coming after me.”

He nodded and smiled at her. His eyes were so warm and gentle, it caused something stirred inside her. She kept getting that feeling, especially when he looked at her like that. The other thing she felt for him was much more familiar—desire. Neither feeling was like the way she felt about Matt. It felt like Korin had an ability to reach into her and touch some raw place. He made her ache, and yet, drew her in. All she knew for sure was that she wanted him. But he hadn’t made any moves yet and continued to ignore her subtle attempts. She decided it was time to make a move herself.

She leaned closer to kiss him, but he leaned back a few inches. She frowned, hurt by his rejection.

“What I desire from you I do not think you are ready to give,” he murmered.

She moved her hand to his face, attempting to pull him closer, but he didn’t come. “I am,” she murmured suggestively.

He took her hand away and then placed a tender kiss in her palm. It made that ache in her chest grow. “What I want is your heart, you already have mine.”

She scoffed. “Well, that’s not something I give away.”

He smiled softly, knowingly. “I am patient.”

“You’ll waste your time.”

“You could never be a waste of time.”

She frowned again; she didn’t know what to make of him. She wished he wouldn’t make her feel so confused. She looked at his lips, they looked so soft, so full, and she yearned to feel them. “Just kiss me,” she coaxed quietly.

He looked into her eyes for a long moment, looking a little torn. She didn’t think he would do it at first, but then he slid a hand around hold her neck, his thumb resting on her cheek, and pulled her slowly to him. His lips pressed against hers in the sweetest kiss. He was strong and sure, yet his touch was so incredibly tender. Her lips parted beneath his and warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with magic as he deepened the kiss.

She felt the familiar need stir of desire, but there was more, it was also in her chest, in her very core. She returned her hand to his face, then into his hair, holding him to her, mimicking his gentleness and melting at his touch. His kiss was so different from any she had ever known. She felt some excitement and wonder, as if this was her first kiss.

After a minute, he pulled away. She met his gaze and suddenly realized what that look was in his eyes. It was the look that Matt and Sera gave each other, the same as Ayden and Tess. And it scared her. She abruptly took her hand away and looked down.

“Come,” he said softly. She couldn’t tell anything by his tone, whether he was disappointed or not. “We should get back to the others.” He helped her up, then let her go and led the way in silence.

When they got back, Matt, who was standing while though everyone else was sitting, scowled at Korin. “Took you long enough.”

Vivyka frowned and was about to tell him to mind his own business, but then realized he had been worried about her. “Thanks. I’m okay.”

“You’re bleeding,” he said, looking at her leg.

“Was,” she corrected.

“Why?”

“Because of the troll obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “But Korin healed me.”

He just flicked his cigarette into the fire and sat down beside Sera.

She smiled, though he didn’t see it. It was nice that he cared.