She scoffs. “Oh really? Many have started to call her that. She only seems angry when one person uses the word.”
I shake my head. Arlet and Vann grow more aggravating by the day. “Vann should be healed by now, but he’s still having a problem with bleeding. I need him to help me organize the people tonight.”
When my gaze goes back to Estela, I am impressed. Her movements are sharp and precise. Pride is warm in my chest. It only sours when I think about Zlosa.
I continue toward Ulla’s normal spot and push my mate from my mind. The inside of the area is covered with the dank smell of fungi, but Ulla is at the back end, tinkering with a spell light.
“Ulla?” I call.
Her head snaps up. “King Teo! Svanna, I have been up to my elbows in dirt for an entire day. Come, see what we have been working on.”
We hurry over to find a small patch of dirt cut into rows with mushrooms and spell lights shining through crystals. There are small green buds just beginning to peak out of the dirt.
My eyes widen. “Are those plants?”
Ulla nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Yes, they are. After studying the light requirements, Estela had an idea to use the Ardorflame and the spell lights to mimic the sun's light on a smaller scale. These plants will grow faster, and we can still harvest the mushrooms around them without affecting their growth.”
Svanna reaches her hand down to the touch the streaming light and gasps. “It is very warm.” Ulla smiles brighter as Svanna sticks both of her hands into the rays and rubs her hands together.
The little garden looks out of place in this cave. The small green leaves are vibrant like viridescent crystals. In the face of more life, my soul expands to meet its call. To try harder to fight against that which would steal life. It reminds me that life is not dark and desolate.
The time of the Enduares will come again.
“I came to speak with you about the shroom lights around the city. Everything is seeming just a bit dimmer—Hopefully we will have the chill banished by nighttime. What can be done?”
She sits back on her heels and thinks for a few moments. “It must be the temperature. I will look at them and see if there is a warming song that can help speed up their recovery.”
“Excellent,” I say, just as my eyes drift off to the place where the Enduares are working on fighting. “You are doing good work.”
She notices my gaze and shoos me away. “Come back if you need anything else. Svanna, tell Iryth that I will come by later to keep her company while you are fighting.”
The lightness between us dissipates at the mention of the gravity of our infestation. Svanna nods, somber once more, and I cast one last stream of grateful words before we leave. My stomach is still unsettled, and I stop at the corner of the path to watch training now turned into sparring matching.
Estela stands at the corner of the ring, her features glowing in the low illumination while she waits for her turn. I turn to Svanna. “I will come soon.”
Her gaze travels between me and the ring, but she nods. “Take her to rest after. I will get you when it is time.”
I nod and make my way towards Estela, my heart beating fast. She must feel my presence because her eyes flicker in my direction. Her lips turn up in a small smile when she sees me, and the sight of it sends a jolt of electricity through my body.
We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other. Her eyes are a deep brown, flecked with gold in the glowing light, and they seem to search something in mine. The song between us is intuitive and devastating.
“Sire,” the hunter leading the training calls over. “Have you come to share news?” He looks as nervous as we all feel.
I look up. “Nothing quite like that, my friends. I would like to be my mate’s sparring partner.”
Estela is irate. I feel it through our bond. There's a hush that falls over the crowd as they watch us step into the ring. Estela gives me a quick nod before taking a stance and we begin. The first few moments are tentative. I am playing the monster, and she is trying to defend herself. Though she starts slightly off balance, she soon falls into a rhythm that feels almost natural. Our movements are quick and fluid, and I feel my blood pumping through my veins with each lunge and parry.
It's almost as if we're dancing, and I can't help but feel a sense of exhilaration coursing through me. I can tell that she's feeling it too, the way her eyes sparkle and the flush that spreads across her cheeks.
Then, she turns into the aggressor and flames light up inside of me, practically in the region just below my stomach.
My movements become more fluid, and a rush of excitement propels me on as we spar back and forth. Estela is quick and agile, her body moving like a weapon as she dodges my strikes and lands her own. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before, and I am completely consumed by the moment.
The heat between us is palpable, and I can see it in the way she moves. Her skin is slick with sweat, and I can smell the rich, heady scent of her arousal. It drives me wild, and I become more aggressive, pushing her harder and harder until we're both panting and sweating. Her fingernails scratch at me, and I luxuriate in the feel.
If I am hurt today, would she mourn for me? Would she come to my room as Arlet does for Vann and yell at me for being careless? If I died… would she feel the loss? Desperation seeps into our movements. If only I could know that we would both be tearing at each other’s throats tomorrow.
Finally, I make a move that catches her off guard, and I land a hard blow that sends her reeling backward. She lands on her back with a thud, and for a moment, I am worried that I have hurt her.