After the waiter left, I excused myself. “Um, I’ll be back in a minute.”

He nodded to the side. “Of course.”

I nearly jumped out of my seat and hurried to the bathroom. Thankfully it was all one big room with cream tile and soothing maroon walls. In a snap, my armour was slotted in my Items Bag and my spare clothes were sitting on the marble counter next to the sink. I took a second to wash my hands, arms, and face then I patted my body down with my towel before I put it back in my Items Bag. Since blundering through Feng Jungle, the extra things I kept in my Items Bag had grown, including a full first aid kit and rope.

I quickly put my clothes on and buckled my hip satchel on. Jeans and a pale green t-shirt were a far cry from fine-dining attire, but these were some of the new clothes in my closet. I quickly smoothed out my ponytail with a brush and nodded at the mirror. At least I looked suitable for a civilized conversation.

Feeling like I was ready for battle, I walked back to the table.

Kesstel gazed out the window with his hands motionless on the table, completely oblivious of all the stares covertly shot his way. The apathetic gleam was back, making his eyes look like blue topaz jewels instead of the eyes of a person. Yet again I was struck with how separated he was from the world around him.

I hesitated. He wouldn’t react violently if I broke his concentration, would he? I had a feeling that he wouldn’t hurt me, even though I didn’t know where that confidence came from, but I doubted the owners would appreciate it if he broke something by mistake. Then again, I guessed that was a risk that all store owners faced in Eden.

Before I could decide, Kesstel turned his head towards me and his face softened into an almost smile.

I slid into my seat. “Sorry that took a while.”

He shook his head. “Not at all. You could have taken even more time. I did ambush you, after all, as soon as you came out of the Gate.”

I bobbed my head and fidgeted with my glass of water, feeling the cool condensation on the outside of the smooth surface. I couldn’t help but want to convert it into mist, but I shouldn’t do that in public. I didn’t have a problem with it in front of Kesstel since he already knew, but there was more than him inside this public space.

I glanced up at him. “I have to ask, is there really a reason to celebrate not working for Councilman Wilks anymore? The job couldn’t have been that bad.”

Kesstel flexed his hand and a domed barrier that covered just our table appeared around us, just like the first time we seriously talked. “I find it more comfortable talking without prying ears, don’t you? It doesn’t restrict movement, just noise.”

I nodded, appreciating the silence that settled over us. No more silverware clicking or accidentally overhearing other people talking. And knowing that someone wouldn’t overhear me was reassuring. If I said something stupid, at least Kesstel was the only one that would know.

He nodded. “It’s not that it was a bad job, I did learn a lot about the inner workings of the Hunter society and hierarchy. But does anyone really want to be strapped to the same routine over and over again for seven years? Miss Wilks is your typical wealthy young miss. Endless shopping and parties with excessive glamour and loud music. Once a week I’d escort herinto the Gate and kill a monster for her, to fill her Hunter requirements.” He reached out and picked up his glass, twisting it between his hands.

I did do the same things everyday, but I didn’t have the time to think it was boring. “That sounds like a cushy job that anyone else would kill for,” I muttered and took a drink.

His lips thinned into a tight smile. “I would have gladly traded. It was boring, and being shown off like a pet was annoying. In my youth, I spent a lot of time at balls and parties, though none of them were loud and dark like the ones that Miss Wilks likes to dance at. But it never bored me because I had a mission — to improve my connections and establish my place in the minds of the gentry around me. A far cry from standing along a wall, turning down dance requests and keeping men from getting too handsy on my ward. Or holding yet another shopping back and walking up and down the same street again.” He motioned to the restaurant. “I’d rather spend the day in Gate Vale, feeling my blood pumping with the kill, and then relaxing in a place like this or at my home.”

I had to admit, I was on the same boat as him.

The waiter approached our table with a large black tray full of food platters on his shoulder. He was obviously oblivious to the barrier around us as he opened a stand and set the tray down, then started to arrange the food on our table. The smell of pastas, sauces, cheese, shrimp, and garlic bread filled my nose and sent my stomach in a hungry roll. The young man disappeared for a second and came back with a clear glass pitcher. He filled our drinks. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”

Kesstel shook his head.

The waiter disappeared like the wind.

I stared at all the food. My stomach was so empty, I knew it was going to start roaring at any second. God, how long has it been since I’d seen this much food on a table in front of me? Every single plate was a culinary masterpiece. I peeked up at Kesstel, my brow wrinkled. He’s the one who ordered most of the food. Would he get mad if I sampled all the dishes? I was dying to taste everything.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I found that he was watching me with his piercing blue eyes. He was relaxed and an almost smile touching his hard mouth, as if he was enjoying watching me agonize. “What are you waiting for? Eat.”

He picked up the serving spoon and scooped a large helping of food onto my plate. It wasn’t just the Chicken Alfredo that I ordered. He added something from every dish onto my plate until it was piled high with food.

I couldn’t help but pause. A small smile curled my lips. He was feeding me again. Seriously, what was his obsession with feeding me? It was so … silly.

Well, I guess that solved the food problem. Next came eating gracefully. I couldn’t seem to figure out where to put my hands or how to chew without looking like a starving cow. I’d never really thought about eating before. Sure, I knew proper dining etiquette and stuff, but it all seemed to be subpar now that I was sitting across from this guy. As delicious as the food was, I could barely taste half of it because I was overly conscientious.

He didn’t seem to have the trouble I did, his movements as smooth as ever. All the while, his attention was on me.

For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why.

I took a bite, savoring the taste of perfectly cooked shrimp, and tried to think of something to say.

“Do you have any family?” he suddenly asked.

I blinked and looked up at him. “Ah, yes. I have a little sister who lives with my aunt and uncle. My mom is a Sleeper, so my aunt has been raising us for the last six years.” I paused, the news of my mother’s condition still too fresh to want to talk about it more.

He paused. “No father?” He picked up another serving platter and pushed more food onto my plate before he added more to his own.

I took another bite, delighted by the crust on the parmesan chicken. “He was one of the first generation Hunters. He died in the Gate ten years ago. I was eight and my sister was five at the time. My mom held our family together, but, well, there’s no cure against the Sleeper disease yet.” I picked at the food on my plate, feeling a little more relaxed. Even though it still pricked my heart, it was a subject I could talk about to anyone because it was all common knowledge.

“She sounds like a strong woman,” he commented, watching me with clear eyes.

I smiled. “She is — was.” I couldn’t help but start to ramble about my family. I didn’t know how long I went on before I realized that I totally dominated the conversation. I bit my fork and glanced at Kesstel. “Did you have any family?”

What if he was married? He had talked about how his parents were engaged as children. Was it the same with him? He looked like he was in his early twenties, but how long had he actually been alive?

Kesstel’s expression softened, the likes of which I'd never seen before I couldn’t breathe and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his face either, as the food in my mouth turned to dust. Who was he thinking about to make that expression?

His face was gentle, but there was a lingering pain in his voice. “You already know that my father was a prominent Duke in Kathar. He was stern but fair, and our lands were very successful under his care. My mother was a gentle woman, as beautiful inside as she was out.” A smile flashed across his face as the vibrancy in his eyes faded out like he was looking at something far away. “But that didn’t mean she was a push over. She couldn’t be, raising three boys. Even my father bowed in submission when she was mad.”

It was fun, listening to him talk about his world. It brought up thoughts of kings, knights, and princesses. And it sounded like our mothers had something in common, but I would bet that Kesstel took after his father in temperament. “So you had two brothers? Were they younger or older?” I took another bite, enjoying the sound of his voice.

“Both younger. A couple of hot heads. They had good hearts, but they gave my parents the run around. And created a lot of extra work for me,” he grumbled but there was love in his tone.

I smiled, recalling the love I had for my sister. I felt like that sometimes too. “What kind of work? What did your family do?”

Nostalgia was heavy in his gaze. “My world was a lot smaller than Earth, as I said. The land mass consisted of about the same size of your Americas. Most of it was controlled by one country. My country. Ten generations ago the emperor had a set of boy twins. They were both outstanding and loved each other, so the oldest became the reigning emperor, while the younger became the empire’s sword and shield. And thus the Noblé Duchy was created.

“We assisted in running the empire and smoothing over disturbances before they reached the emperor’s table. We also managed about a third of the empire’s land, including a few gold and silver mines. Since the beginning, my family’s line has always been close to the royals. In fact, every four or so generations a princess would marry into my family and one of our daughters would marry a lesser prince. Not only did it keep relationships tight, but the Noblé line had a pact of allegiance with the ruling house. My ancestors saved the royal family from extinction several times and built them back up to glory.” There was a lot of pride in his voice.

I smiled and scooped more food into my mouth.

“More?” he asked. I nodded, thinking he was asking about his story. He must have thought I meant food because he put more food on my plate. I couldn’t help but stare at it, seriously doubting that it could be eaten.

While I was still agonizing over the portion on my plate, Kesstel started to talk again. “While my mother ruled the household, my father and I ran the businesses and intelligence. My brothers were training to be my cousin, the crown prince’s personal aid and bodyguard.” He paused. “We were unprepared when the Gates appeared.”

“Did your family become Hunters too?” I went to take another bite but found there was finally nothing on my plate. It wasn’t just my plate, the entire table was empty of food. When did that happen? I seriously couldn't believe we ate it all!

The thought had just come to my mind when two servers appeared at our table. One quickly removed all the empty plates. The other set down two huge bowls in the middle of the table. One was a brownie sundae. The other was a fruit tart.

I gaped at them. A brownie! Oh my holiness awesomeness, it was a brownie! And ice cream, and whipped cream, and all the heavenly goodness that came with it. I could barely take my eyes off that to gape at the fruit tart, in all of it’s colorful glory. The crust looked perfectly flakey, the peaches and strawberries could have passed for gems. It was a work of art! But still, that brownie…

Kesstel held out a long spoon.

I reached for it, but paused just before my finger touched the metal. Wasn’t this just too much?

He leaned forward and pushed the spoon into my hand. Then he leaned back and took a scoop of the fruit tart. “Yes, they were all Hunters. My brothers and father were melee. My mother was a very strong mage. In my world, there was a third class, a magical knight type. I belonged in that class.”

I didn’t think that was possible before the System took over my life. But now I was an odd in-between too.

“We were never able to get a handle on the Gates. My uncle, the emperor, was killed when one of the first Gates opened in the palace garden. My cousin, the crown prince, was visiting my castle at the time and became the only surviving royal left. We tried our best, but he was still a teenager, and no one knew what we were doing. Even my father. We never thought we’d face extinction.” He took a slow drink. “Lack of advanced technology and communication led to the government folding and unorganized panic, until it was each town desperately fighting for their own survival. It only took my world five years to collapse. By then, only my youngest brother was alive, but he died in the next world.”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. How awful would that be to watch your family die, then to see your world be erased? All for the sake of a monster planet to feed and grow.

Kesstel opened his mouth then frowned. A threatening presence entered my area of awareness and I paused. We looked over at the same time.

Bethany Wilks charged across the room, her blonde curls and breasts just as big and bouncy as the last time I saw them. She stopped at our table, inside the bubble that Kesstel had cast. “There you are, Kesstel, I’ve been looking everywhere since you disappeared.” She playfully glared at Kesstel.

He looked up at her with a blank expression.

She looked at me, her mouth twisting. “What are you doing here?” Behind that beautiful face was a look that I knew very well. Disdain. It was clear that she’d judged me and found me lacking.

I guess that would merit another round of assassins, huh?