“Place them wherever you choose,” he instructed me as he sat on the bench with his back to me.“These are for keeping up appearances, not something I care about.Use as many as you wish.I trust you.”
He didn’t have to say it.Thanks to Deidre, I knew that this–Karim letting me touch his hair–was an act of absolute trust and intimacy.I’d never been more thrilled to add beads to one’s hair.
I placed the ends of his hair on my lap, marveling at how half-dry they were already, and got to work.
Running my fingers through the inhumanly soft strands, my chest felt light.Being here with Karim, just the two of us wrapped in quiet intimacy as we did something ordinary for our daily routine, made me feel happy for the first time since the apocalypses.Actually, even before that.
What I felt was a type of happiness I couldn’t put into words.I felt serene, at peace.I felt… complete.As if all I needed was right here.Just like in those rare dreams when I was with the man of my dreams, a soul-deep connection pulsing between us.
Could it be that I had found him in real life?
– 23 –
Fish out of Water
We were walking through the streets of the Kingdom in complete silence: Karim, me, Deidre, Tisvali, and many other warriors.
The whole place was buzzing with life, like a field of flowers discovered by a swarm of bees.That was the result of nighttime having come in combination with tonight’s historic moment in Elvishpolitics.
As busy as everyone seemed to be, many still had time to send judgmental looks our way.News seemed to travel fast here, because this time Deidre and even the Prince were targeted, too.
No more keeping my head down–I ignored the bad looks and kept my eyes on Karim’s powerful back and gold-decorated hair.To hell with those who thought pure blood was everything.He’d madethese alliance talks happen for the Kingdom’s sake, and I felt honored to stand beside him.
Deidre didn’t seem bothered either.She might actually be enjoying herself, given how she was saluting the nose-in-the-air passersby.
“Heya, Margris!You’ve got something in your eye?”Her use of English earned her the funniest confused looks from those who clearly didn’t understand a word.“Hey, Kastilin, something wrong?You look as if you just smelled your own fart.Or has your nose always been so scrunched-up?”
Deidre was relentless, which I suspected had to do with her unwillingness to be on guard duty tonight–as well as her nerves about tomorrow’s meeting with Karim.
I was on edge myself.When we reached the space with vine-made ladders leading to the surface, my hands began to shake slightly.
Last time I’d gone up there, I’d nearly died by the fangs of familiar monsters.And now I would be dealing with creatures I knew close to nothing about.Karim’s promise to protect me couldn’t keep my fear for his safety at bay.Deidre and Tisvali would be in danger, too.
“I love your hair decorations, Curly-Q.”She winked at me as she moved to stand at the head of our group.Deidre was in the company of several elves, all clad in short brown-green dresses and armed with bows and knives.
While placing some of his beads in my hair, Karim had explained that these warriors were to make first contact with the gargoyles and form joint security teams.Those would guard the borders to ensure nothing dangerous crossed into the Kingdom’s surface territory during the negotiations.
“See you later, Jasmine.”Deidre waved at me and got a hold of one of the ladders.
To Karim, she nodded instead of saying something witty.Trying to be on her best behavior before their meeting?
“Stay safe,” I called after her before she could disappear from view after the other warriors.“Good luck.”
She snickered at my words, pausing at the top of the ladder.“No amount of luck can save me from what awaits me tonight: adick.”She winked at me again.But once she glanced Karim’s way, she specified in a hurry, “I meant a dick of a partner, not the actual… thing, you know.”
She climbed out of sight immediately after.
I put a hand over my mouth to muffle a giggle.Fingers crossed that thedickwould have her back out there.
“Don’t wish me luck,” Tisvali said when it was his and his small group’s turn to go up.I’d learned they would guard the area around the meeting point.“You humans are so unknowing, thinking Nature’s will can be changed by someone wishing youluck.”
I smiled inwardly at what seemed to be his favorite phrase about humans.Should I suggest he switch things up a bit by using,You know nothing, Jon Snow?“Stay safe, Tisvali.”
He snorted but waved goodbye.Then he disappeared through the ceiling of greenery.I watched the last guards from his group ascend the ladders with inhuman agility.
That was when Karim whispered beside me, dead serious, “What doesdickmean?”
A whistling sound from above saved me from having to answer that.We’d just been signaled that the gargoyles had arrived.
