“The absence of logic in your game is truly astounding.”
“Having only four sectors of twenty-eight days in a year is astounding. How fast is this planet spinning, anyway?”
“Pretty fast, probably. But also, we have twelve sectors of twenty-eight and three season cycles in a year. Prim, Mid, and Finel. We’re in Mid now, which hosts the most illustrious Spring and the more mild Summer. Winter is gonna be frigid. Was…this information not reflected in your game?”
It was not.
That makes so much more sense, though.
In…some ways, at any rate.
This planet must be pretty wibbly wobbly to get the seasons to cycle like that over the course of a full year-long sun rotation.
I murmur, “Maybe I should spend some time at Slate’s when he’s teaching the kids…”
A rumble starts low in Samson’s chest as he opens the gate to the chicken coop, letting me dart in before the hens bolt out. “I’ll teach you,” he says.
“You don’t have to do everything for me. I can rely on someone else every once in a while.”
“You did that this morning. I hated it.”
“But—”
“No buts.” He presents the basket. “Eggs.”
Pouting, I do as I’m told, and Samson makes me the best broccoli spinach bake I’ve ever had.
Chapter 22
♥♥♥♥♥
We’re off to see the city, the wonderful city of…fake relationships?
I have never been pampered before, yet I can find no other word for how Samson has been treating me since Slate and I opened up access to the Mystic Forest.
Immediately following that event, he began preparations for our trip into Amecrest. Which involved ordering the pink lemonade dress from Ines. He insisted that standing out was a bad idea, and no one would be in farmer’s wear. He insisted that he pay for the dress. He insisted that there would be plenty of things I’d want to buy in the city, so I should keep my savings.
He’s been doing a lot of insisting lately.
I’m not certain how I feel about it.
“Come here,” he says when I leave my bedroom for the first time in my new pink lemonade dress, and my legs are abiding before I register the words, so maybe I’m not entirely miffed in the face of Samson taking authority. The moment I’m arm’s length away from him, he lifts a headband that perfectly matches the dress and slips it into my hair. “Perfect.” His smile fuels the heat in my cheeks. “Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so?” I do a mental check of what I have: my hygiene bag, which graciously only takes up one slot in my inventory; adifferentbeautiful dress, which Samson also bought, for tomorrow; my pjs; my sword. “Are you sure it’s safe to bring my void bag?”
“Yup. Void bags are soul-linked. Only you can access the contents of your bag unless it binds with someone else, and if it gets lost, you should be able to track it down. It’s a verycomplicated and convenient magic. Most know not to mess with anyone who has been granted ancient blessings.”
I chew my lip. “Are yousurewe should spend a night in the city? You say it’s not entirely too far to walk from here. We could do a round trip in a day. Save the money on an inn.”
“The night markets are interesting. I think you’ll enjoy them.”
There arenight marketsin the plans now?
I make a mental note not to appear invested inanythingavailable at the stalls. This crazy beautiful man is adamant about spoiling me to no end, and it absolutely does not bode well that I saw him make sure he had an entire empty bag in his supplies when he sorted them in the living room last night.
His arms fold. “It’s not the safest to travel open distances at night. Even if monsterdensdon’t usually open up in this area, monsters still wander after dark. It’s better not to chance it.”
“How come there aren’t any monsters that wander around here after dark?”
