At least it was curiosity shining in her eyes and not disgust. Or worse, fear.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” She scooped the night’s stew into her mouth to cover her own discomfort.
“I guess I could get rid of it with magic, but it reminds me of the value of temperance.” The words came out casually while my whole body tensed. I flexed my hands. I didn’t enjoy telling this tale. Only one other had ever heard it.
“Well, now I have to know. No one uses the word ‘temperance’ in a sentence without a fantastic story.” She smiled a wide grin, like we were sharing a secret.
I thought I could trust her. My bear knew that without a doubt the moment I set my teeth on her, but people and monsters were more than instinct and Fate. It was impossible not to want my mate to accept all of me before the werewolf village would test her resolve to see me as cute. I needed to know if she would bolt in fear in case my bear couldn’t resist Veretis’ call when we found the next relic. I fiddled with the strap on my dagger sheath.
“When I was just out of Trinity University, my classmates were determined to find the Eye of Souls—a blessed jewel our tutors told us had been missing for decades. I figured it resided in the keeping of the Queen of Souls. An excellent deduction, if I do say so myself.”
Evie smiled at my small joke.
“With enough of us, we were confident we could flatter, convince or barter with the witch to give it to us. Off we went on my very first adventure, only to find the Queen of Souls did not have the Eye. The King of Trinity had it all along and had been using it to make himself immortal for several generations by harvesting the student’s souls. He already had enough power to establish a city. The Eye ensured he kept it. Our adventure quickly turned into a quest—one the King’s guard did not take kindly to as we breached the castle.”
“Did you magic them into next week?” Her gaze lit up with excitement.
“I wasn’t a mage at that point,” I said in an even tone.
I don’t know what my face said that gave it away.
“But that’s why you became one?” she asked solemnly.
I only nodded. “A mathematics mage, to be exact. That was as far away from my bear’s feral instincts as I could get. I was wrong when I thought I was helping and shifted to confront the King and his guard. My bear only saw evil and destroyed. My classmates had never seen my bear. One of them gave me this.” I pointed at the scar. “They weren’t keen on stepping over the rolling heads, and shredded armor of those guards or the King’s dripping rib cage where he had kept the Eye. Immortality doesn’t do you much good if you’re not invulnerable as well. No one wants to spend eternity as a pile of mush.”
Evie’s eyes were as big as saucers and I braced myself for her to run screaming in the night. She frowned.
“What does a ribcage taste like?”
I blinked at her. “Is that a serious question?”
She hesitated. “Well, only if it’s good.”
“Immortals are not particularly tasty, no.”
“Nevermind then.” Evie slurped down her dinner and looked expectantly at me.
“Something else you wanted to say?” Did I want to hear it?
Evie looked me dead in the eye and, with complete seriousness, asked, “Is there more cake?”
I bellowed a laugh into the growing night, doubling over. “I didn’t know you would take murder so well, viper.”
“I’m working on going with this flow and those guys sounded like they deserved it. There were multiple times I wish I rained murder on my ex and he didn’t even steal my soul.”
I wasn’t so sure of that when pain clouded her eyes. I hugged her tight, longing to kiss her, share my relief, but our accord was too fragile, too right to break by blundering too far.
“Thanks for telling me,” she mumbled into my chest. “But I’m tired now.”
My bear could bellow and grumble all he wanted. We were both rewarded when Evie crawled straight into our bed roll, filling the blankets with her whiskey and orange scent. She leaned her negligible weight against me and sighed as I buried my face in the back of her neck. It was close enough to her being pinned beneath me I could fall asleep, wrapped up in her.
* * *
I wokewith a start but managed not to move a muscle. Danger froze me in place.
“Evie?”
My mind registered the question in what sounded like my voice. Every sense ratcheted up to high alert.
