“Although it’s been a while since I’ve heard about any more horrors left behind by Crypt,” she grumbles, slipping into herboots before setting off in the easterly direction Halfton should be. “Come on. Gods, I hope Randy is still alive.”
“He is.”
“Wait, really? How do you know?”
If he died in these woods recently, his ghost probably would have gravitated to me by now.
But before I can say that, a bright light flashes in my peripheral vision—a transportation spell. Old training kicks in hard, and I tackle Kenzie out of the way before rolling to my feet despite the pain that zips up my right leg.
A microsecond later, my new knife is in my hands, the etherium blade at the throat of the caster who just appeared beside us.
“Wait!” Kenzie yelps, scrambling up from the snow. “Don’t hurt him!”
I blink when I realize that this guy has his only arm raised in surrender, his eyes wide as he holds perfectly still. He looks different enough that I almost didn’t recognize him, but the way that he carefully avoids showing too much of a reaction tips me off.
“Felix?” I frown.
Kenzie’s alarm suddenly makes sense, and I narrow my eyes at the caster.
As in,hercaster.
I fucking knew it.
I pull the knife away, but he’s still watching me in stunned silence. For the years I knew Felix in the Nether, he was always malnourished, painfully thin, and nearly devoid of color, just like everything else there. Now, although his skin still has a slight gray quality to it, his hair is darker, and his eyes are a vibrant hazel. His face is no longer gaunt, which makes him surprisingly good-looking. He’s filled out, still lean but much healthier.
Life in the mortal realm looks good on him.
Felix is still staring without giving away much expression. “You died.”
I shrug, because I’m not sure about the technicalities.
“But you’re back,” he says slowly, processing.
“So far.”
“How?”
I shrug again.
Felix scoffs, reaching up to rub the spot I almost cut into his neck. “Good to know you still really suck at conversing.” He turns his attention to Kenzie, spotting her torn clothes and immediately moving to her side. “Dirk found Randy, and they’re headed back to the stronghold. You look like you’ve been crying—are you all right? Did Maven scare you? Is that why you shifted?”
His careful composure has dropped away, and now he’s practically oozing worry and pure adoration, stroking his keeper’s cheek with stars in his eyes.
It’s so sappy that I gag, which earns a glare from the atypical caster.
Kenzie beams at him lovingly. “I thought she was another changeling, but it turns out she just has alotof explaining to do—but she’s back and I’m so fucking excited to see her take charge and make heads roll! I mean that metaphorically, but knowing her, it’s probably also kind of literally.”
She turns back to me, suddenly extra emotional again as her shifter emotions swing hard and fast.“Whatever absolutely wild, unhinged explanation there is for this, I'm just so happy you're back. Gods, I really,reallymissed you, monk.”
Emotion tries to cling to my throat, so I clear it and brush off more snow to avoid eye contact. “Missed you too, slut.”
Not that I have a recollection of it. But still. Six months without her? That would be awful.
“Don’t call my keeper a slut,” Felix huffs, putting his scarf on Kenzie.
“Aww,” Kenzie boops his nose when he falls into step beside us on the way to wherever we’re going. “Don’t worry, it’s our thing. Okay, May. I’m ready. Hit me with it. What’s the plan?”
“Get warm as soon as fucking possible.”
