I hear a shout inside the hut. Definitely Vann.
“I would say to ignore him, but he’s the whole reason this one woke up from his nap,” she says. Her braid is almost completely fallen out, and she yawns while I sway back and forth.
Little Sama’s fists curl up in my tunic. I look down at him, “Your king tells you to sleep so that your mother may rest too.”
He stares at me, perfectly contented to be held in the arms of a man many considered dangerous. Children are the best part of life.
“You look like a father. May the stones bless you and your mate to have children soon,” she says.
I look back up at Iryth and think of the conversation Estela and I just had. She is so broken. Would she even want a child when Mikal is gone? My brokenness made me long for a family, but what if hers has left her without sufficient space in her heart?
I do not know the answers. I only know that we had our first moments of her not pushing me away. It is enough.
Sama smacks his lips sleepily and his eyelids start to droop. “Iryth, I will take care of Lord Vann. Let me hold Sama while you sleep.”
She smiles, thanks me, and turns on her heel without thinking twice.
When I knock gently, I’m surprised to find a human open the door with a shock of red hair.
“Arlet,” I say, shocked. She looks furious. “What are you—”
“If he calls me firelocks one more time, I will personally shove a hammer up his ass.” Then she looks at the drowsy child in my arms, her lips pinch together. She points back into the house. When she speaks again, it is a whisper shout, “I helped bring that ungrateful bastard here, and he repays me by biting me. Why do I try?” Then she marches past me, muttering something furiously under her breath.
Vann calls from his sitting room, “Ignore Firelocks. She’s just mad.”
Arlet reverses course and storms back into the house. “My name is Arlet, asshole. And stop yelling, there is a baby.” Then she storms away once more.
When I walk in, I find him stretched out, covered in bandages. His face is pale, but he lives.
“You bit her.Are you mated? Because biting a woman is rarely platonic,” I say, absentmindedly stroking Sama’s hair. “If there is something between you, tell me now. We are planning to use Arlet to help make our case with the elves.”
He attempts to swallow the bitter taste in his mouth. “A bite doesn’t mean a matehood. Both our crystals are silent.”
I take a seat in front of him, looking at the healing materials which are scattered on the ground. “Do you wish to mate her? It would be unwise to court her just to get into her bed. These humans are not like us.”
He growls. “I know that, Teo. Not everyone is delighted at being mated to a weak race.”
“That is a very old idea,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I’ve just returned from being with Estela, I am in no mood to dance around words.”
He purses his lips, then grabs the blanket covering his bandaged top to display his neck. “Does this look like a mated man?”
I blink, debating whether or not I should point out that my mating mark has not yet started to glow either. The stone will always sing first. I decide against it, as he is not in a place to see reason. “I am glad to see you are well,” I say.
He shrugs, and it's then that I see his red eyes. “I am as well as to be expected.”
I nod. “Dyrn’s death weighs heavily on my soul.”
He nods, then gestures to some scrolls on the side of his sofa. “I have been reviewing your research on these cold ones. Their fangs are sharp, and their magic is like ice.”
I nod. “While I was speaking with Estela, I had a thought. I believe they are the same creatures that attacked Estela in the woods.”
Vann leans forward. “The one that nearly killed her?”
I nod. That night was unpleasant. It had been a long time since I needed to use my magic in such a way. “They can be killed, but it is not an easy feat. We will need to adjust the hunter training Svanna has been overseeing.”
Vann nods. “What do you have in mind?”
“We need to attack soon, tomorrow, perhaps,” I say.