Skies! How long had it been since I’d smiled like this? Decades at least.
Izzy held out her hand, as if to shake. “Well, that was certainly one hell of an interview, I’d like to formally offer you the position of fourth man in my harem.” Her playful grin made me smile even wider.
I took her hand, so small in mine, and shook it… while also passing her the soap.
“I hear the salary is shit, but the benefits are to die for,” I responded.
Her eyes went wide and she laughed. “Did you…? Was that… a joke?” She lost herself to laughter and my spirits lifted at the sight of her mirth. “Who knew you had a sense of humor?” she added once she’d regained her composure then began soaping herself up as I rinsed.
“You… make me smile… and want to jest… which I haven’t done in a long time,” I admitted, voice quiet, somber.
Izzy turned to me and cocked her head. Then her expression turned hard. “This damned world,” she muttered. “It takes so much from so many. It’s time to change all of that.”
I smiled again.
“If anyone can, it’s you.”
She stood a little taller.
“Hell yeah!” Her smile returned, and she leaned in to kiss my arm, her lips roughly level with where my biceps met my shoulder. “Thank you.”
We finished our quick shower and toweled off, dressing again before making our way back into the bedroom. Myel was still out of it, but Rook was awake.
“I felt that,” he accused both of us, but then he smiled and shook his head. Addressing Izzy, he added, “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Then to me, “I’m glad you’ve loosened up a bit.”
“And…” Izzy emphasized the word by raising a finger, “nothing bad happened.” She turned to me with a grin. “Curse officially lifted!”
It hadn’t really been a curse, but I appreciated the sentiment.
Then a knock sounded on the door, and before anyone could reply Safir entered looking grim.
“Good, you’re up,” he addressed Izzy, tone formal. “Get dressed, there’s been word from the capital.”
Fuck.
“Valnea forced a meeting of the crown council,” Safir continued. “They’ve formally proclaimed her queen. She’s coming, but she won’t be alone. She doesn’t just want her daughter back. She’s declared all-out war on Veilblood Academy… onyou.”
And there it was.
“Lhorine and Svokol are gathering others from the campus for a meeting. You’ll be required,” the shifter finished.
“Well fuck, that didn’t last long,” Izzy said with a heavy sigh. Then she looked up at me and must have seen the scowl on my features. “Oh no you don’t,” she said slapping my arm. “Don’t you dare go thinking that somehow sex with me caused this to happen, you know damned well it was going to happen anyway.”
That was true, and I hadn’t really been thinking I’d caused this, or that it had happened “while I’d been distracted.” No, I was concerned because I knew what Valnea was capable of. In some ways, it would have been better if the woman had flown off the handle and come down here to face Izzy herself. Izzy could have defeated her, like she’d bested Saldrea. But Valnea, despite how mentally unstable she was, also wasn’t stupid. She was taking her time with this, marshaling all her forces to crush Izzy and our little upstart rebellion. That’s what worried me.
“Sex with the dragon caused this?” Rook asked, confused. “I missed something.”
Safir shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“I’m fine, Perfection,” I whispered to Izzy. “I know this wasn’t me.”
“Did you just call mePerfection?” she breathed, blushing.
I had, and I hadn’t even realized it. Yet that was exactly how I thought of her.
“You big softy,” she whispered, then leaned over to kiss my arm again. After that she straightened. “Time to get to work.”
IZZY
