Lephas stood a few feet away, chatting with Lori and Faye.
When Faye spotted Raxx, her eyes lit up. Without a second thought, she abandoned her conversation and ran towards him and leapt up into his arms.
Raxx schooled his expression as he fought against the happiness rising in his chest. He would never tire of seeing the princess’s enthusiasm for him. He kissed her firmly.
After Faye had finished peppering his face with kisses, Raxx released her and her body slid down his, arms still wrapped around him. She turned her face up.
“How did it go?”
“It seems the commander and I have been granted a pardon, provided you and your sister are willing to pledge allegiance to King Zelrus.”
“Absolutely.” Faye nodded.
“Was everything alright in there?” Lephas asked as he and Lori approached.
“Fine, just clarifying a few things,” Raxx replied.
The commander nodded, knowing better than to press for information when the shadow demon did not willingly provide it.
“I’m so relieved,” Lori sighed, leaning into Lephas’s chest and resting her head against him.
Raxx nodded in agreement and felt the princess’s arms tighten around him.
“What happens now?” Faye asked.
They all stood still and quiet for a moment before Lephas cleared his throat.
“I don’t know about any of you, but I could do with a drink.”
∞∞∞
Raxx took a sip from the flagon of ale, sighing contentedly as the smooth liquid slid down his throat. Faye, who was perched in his lap, reached out and pried the mug from his grip. She shot him a warm smile that made her eyes sparkle before raising it to her lips.
With his hands free, Raxx rested one palm high on the faerie’s thigh and used the other to smooth a thumb over the small of her back.
“Demon ale is surprisingly delicious.” Faye licked her lips.
Raxx nodded. “Banesteppe is not up to your usual standards, but at least the ale is one thing that is much better here than in Awrelwood.”
Faye leant in to press her lips against his. “There is definitely more than one thing.”
Tucked away in a dark corner of the Lady of Fortune, Raxx and Faye kissed one another, glad to have a moment to themselves.
They had joined Lephas and Lori in a celebratory drink to discuss what the plan was going forward. Raxx and Faye hadn’t even needed to discuss it, the thought of sleeping apart was now practically unthinkable to both of them. Faye had been concerned about splitting from her sister, but Lori had jumped at the offer to stay with the commander at his quarters.
Tabitha had eventually returned from her secretive meeting with King Zelrus. After a brief introduction, the witch had become distracted with interrogating Lori and Lephas, keen to know the dirty details of their unique love story.
The inn was busier than Raxx had seen it in a long while. It seemed the excitement of conquering a faerie invasion had spurred the witches into a celebration of sorts. The small room was bustling with all manner of strange demons and Faye’s eyes were wide as she took in the fascinating sights around her.
“Tabitha told me something pretty crazy earlier,” Raxx murmured, breaking away from Faye’s kiss.
“Yes?” The princess stroked her fingers through the hair at his nape, making his spine tingle.
“This.” The shadow demon gestured between them. “This thing between us. She called us soulmates.” Raxx held his breath as he waited for Faye’s response.
The faerie shrugged with a smile. “Well, yes. I’d think that was fairly obvious by now.”
Raxx frowned. Was he just a little slow on the uptake, or had everyone else worked this out before him? “You already knew?” he asked. “Did Tabitha tell you?”
