Her smile stiffens for a beat before she recovers. “That’s why I brought it.”
I almost laugh.Yeah, sure it is.She might fool the others, but not me.
We finally start making our way to the center where Anatha and Beleth are sitting. Before them is the well—the very center of the village.
A simple wooden frame hangs above it with rusted metal buckets used for drawing the water. It doesn’t look special, but it’s the very reason the Recreants have been able to stand against the Death Horde for as long as they have—unlike the other hordes who were forced to join them due to their lack of water.
“Who’s the blonde MILF?” Jess asks as we get closer.
I turn to see who she’s referring to and choke. “Ah, that’s Ronin’s mom!”
Her grin turns wicked as she side-eyes me. “Well, that explains why Ronin…” Stopping mid-sentence, she winces awkwardly as Anatha waves us over. “They can hear us, can’t they?”
“Yep.” I grab her elbow, pulling her forward.
She raises her voice, making sure they hear the next part. “Of course Ms. Beleth is the most respectable type of MILF. Not like those slutty ones.”
“I thought your goal in life was to be a slutty MILF?” I tease.
She pinches me so hard I yelp. “Please help me not look like a jackass in front of the parents.”
“Why are you so nervous?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been good with parents.”
We’re almost to the blanket when Beleth calls out, “I don’t know what a MILF is, but I think the slutty one would be fun.”
“Beleth!” Anatha sighs, swatting her arm.
Beleth rubs the spot and huffs. “What? I’m a MILF, I can do whatever I want!”
Anatha shakes her head and pats the blanket. “You must be Jess. I’m Anatha, and this is Beleth.”
“It is so nice to meet the both of you!” Jess exclaims, then turns to Beleth. “I am really sorry about the MILF comment.”
“Don’t apologize, dear. You’ll find most demons have no sense of humor, but we are not them.” Beleth slings an arm around Jess’ shoulder. “We’re happy you’re here. It’s been such a blessing getting to meet Ronin’s friends.”
Jess beams and I can’t help smiling too. I knew she didn’t have to worry about meeting the parents. Everyone loves her.
The crowd quiets as Quenric approaches the platform in front of the well and clears his throat. “Here we go,” Graven mutters from behind us. “Same story every haul.”
Jess spins around. “Oh, you’re still here?” She plays it off like she just noticed him, but I know she saw Sable settling onto his lap the moment they sat on the bench behind us.
He sighs, barely glancing at her. “Not by choice. I just take my job seriously.”
Quenric’s voice cuts in, pulling my attention to the front while he adjusts his glasses. “Tonight we honor the Haul, and the hands that made it. With every return, we gather what the young need most—grain for their growth, meat for their strength, cloth and bone for their first weapons.”
“Don’t forget the strange mortal undergarments!” someone shouts. I laugh at the scattered whistles that earned.
Quenric ignores them. “There was a time when these tables stayed empty. Our young went to sleep hungry more nights than fed. We scraped by on what little the realm offers. But not anymore.” He gestures to the stacked crates behind us. “Now we build with tools we never knew existed, heal with herbs we’ve never heard of. But we must remember where we came from, so we never slip back to those times.
He glances to the front row. “Tonight we enjoy what we’ve earned. Celebrate your hard work. Eat what calls to you. Drink until the ground tilts. Claim whatever company meets your eye.”
A demon near the front shouts, “Or whatever company opens their legs first.”
Gross.
Quenric shakes his head. “Laugh all you want, but remember this haul won’t last forever. If we get greedy, we’ll rot out like the elders.” The crowd quiets down. Demons look at one another, exchanging worried glances, but he doesn’t seem to notice because he goes on.
