The morning alarm in my System went off at 8am.

The first thing I was aware of was the feeling of a man’s arms around my body. I couldn’t help but frown at the disorienting feeling. Even though this was my bed, it didn’t feel like it because I was pressed against Kesstel’s bare chest.

I shifted, trying to get out of his hold.

His muscles instantly tightened, resisting my movements. Then he opened his arms and let me sit up. His eyes cracked open lazily. “Good morning.”

I sat up and adjusted my large pajama shirt that had slipped to show my left shoulder. “Good morning.” Even though we weren’t on an intimate level, just waking up in the same bed was enough to blow my mind. Morning light streamed through the open divider curtain, perfectly illuminating the scene. My face was hot as I looked away, and my finger drummed against my knee, trying to relieve the awkward energy bubbling in me.

The corner of Kesstel’s lips curled in amusement. He reached out and brushed my hair behind my ear. I jumped and nearly shot to my feet. He grabbed my arm to keep me from hitting my head on the low ceiling. A full smile spread across his face as he patted my head like I was a puppy before he stood up and stretched, his pajama pants riding low on his hips.

My face went up in flames at the sight of the perfect male body that I’d been snuggled against all night long. With a quick movement, I swiped the curtain closed. From the other side of the divider, I could hear Kesstel chuckle under his breath. Stupid him.

While I waited for my heart to slow down, I changed into my dark gray under armor.

On the other side of the curtain, I could hear the sounds of Kesstel moving around and getting ready for the day. Not long after, the door to the camper opened. “I’ll be waiting outside,” he said, then the door shut.

I peeked out of the curtain at the empty camper. How many women would love to be in this position with Kesstel? And I was too embarrassed to look at him properly. I didn’t have trouble last night when he grabbed me and lay down to sleep. It was just seeing him in the morning light that changed things. I was so lame.

After using the bathroom, I put on my black leather armor. As soon as I was done strapping my hip satchel on, there was a faint glowing oval at my chest level. The circlet, Her Supremacy, appeared in the light.

Instinctively, I reached out and caught it as the light faded and gravity took hold. I held the circlet and turned it this way and that. It had changed. Some of the intricate twisted metal had been removed and the misty gem that rested between the brows was smaller. It was still beautiful, but just a little plainer.

I thought you’d be more comfortable with something more simple, Goddess explained.

“Oh,” I said slowly. It was true that I didn’t like to stick out, but … “Can you change it back? I appreciate you thinking about me, but this is an important symbol of your people. It’s looked the same since it was made, and it should stay that way.”

Yes. I couldn’t see her, but I could feel her warm approval in that one word.

The circlet glowed again and changed back to its original version.

I took a deep breath and put it on. I shouldn’t be nervous putting on a crown. But it felt so official putting it on that I couldn’t help it.

As soon as it touched me, the rest of my armor started to glow. I looked down in surprise as the design changed. Before, my armor had been dark colors and more low-key in appearance, functional and somewhat feminine. It stayed the same shape, but a silver design that matched the circlet appeared over the wide section down my sides, on the rims of my boots and arm bracers, and on the triangular half-skirt around my hips. Other silver accents appeared on the chest armor and shoulder guards.

“Cool,” I muttered and examined my new armor. “Maverick is going to flip. I bet I go through another round of him trying to weasel out who the maker is.”

You could just tell him you made it yourself, Goddess suggested.

I laughed. “Yeah, no. No one in their right mind would believe that.” Finally ready, I exited the camper.

Unlike all the other campers, ours — for one — wasn’t even in the camper circle, but a little ways away from the camp. And two, our camper faced out toward the ruined houses and dead golf course. Not only was the sight of the camp blocked by our camper, but even the noise was cut off because of the barrier Kesstel had placed around our unit.

Kesstel sat on one of two chairs set up facing the dead golf course, holding a couple plates with easy to go breakfast food. His eyes locked on me, a frown on his brow. “Ah, that’s what I felt,” he said as he examined my armor. He stood up and walked over to me. After passing me a plate, he reached up and ghosted his fingers over the circlet without actually touching it. “It looks very pretty on you.”

I shifted the plate in my hands. “Normally I don’t wear this kind of thing, but it’s important to Goddess.”

Kesstel slipped his hand down the hair of my ponytail. “You should. It looks great on you. The whole armor does. My mother used to wear a circlet a bit like this sometimes. The way she’d twist her hair up and around it was beautiful. If I could, I’d show you how, but I have no talent with women’s hair.”

I smiled, appreciating the thought. “Sounds pretty.”

We sat down on the chairs and started to eat, the sun getting hotter with each bite. In the daylight, the pathetic state of the city around us was blatantly in our face. “Not the best of views,” I muttered and took another bite of my blueberry muffin. If I was alone, I’d fill my stomach with just enough to hold on till lunch. But Kesstel was all about high calorie meals. ‘You need energy to burn energy,’ is what he liked to say to me. The (silly) health nut.

“Agreed.” He rested his empty plate on his knees and glanced at me. “Almost ready?”

I nodded and shoved the last bite in my mouth. Then I took his plate and threw both of ours away. “Oh, I wanted to ask if you had any empty slots in your Items Bag?”

He looked at me in interest. “You’ve picked up that many — what did you call it? — Drop Items in the last couple days?”

I nodded. “Mine is so full I had to stop picking them up.” There were some valuable items I wasn’t about to bring with me. I tried to sort my Bag and throw out the useless stuff, but there were some things I just couldn’t gage.

“We haven’t been collecting items this whole time, so I have a lot of extra slots.” Kesstel’s blue and steel breastplate appeared in his hand and he started to put it on.

I stepped up and helped him buckle it on. Everyone else, including me, was in full armor, and this man still walked around in just pants and simple — but top quality — knee and shin guards, and a long-sleeved tunic with a breastplate, arm bracers, and gloves. Then again, his bare skin was stronger than any armor he could put on.

Once that was done, I transferred eighty percent of my drop items over. I could have given him all of them, but I felt bad using him as a pack horse. I wouldn’t have ever given him that much if I knew how many more items I’d get in the future.

“It seems like everyone is ready,” Kesstel said and slipped his gloves on. “Tyson is pounding on the barrier now.”

Because of the effectiveness of Kesstel’s barrier, I couldn’t hear a thing. I’d never wanted to try, but now I wondered if I was strong enough to break it?

I looked toward the broken buildings, wondering. I could feel the barrier between here and there, but I couldn’t see it since I didn't own it. Curious, I threw my kindjal at the distance with everything that I had. The kindjal shot like a blur twenty feet before it suddenly stopped. I couldn’t hear it, but I felt a crack as my kindjal stabbed into the barrier. It was just an inch deep, and not enough to actually break the barrier, but I felt a wave of pride in that. I was catching up to Kesstel.

He looked at me and lifted a brow in question. “Is there a problem?”

I shook my head and retrieved my kindjal back into my Items Bag. “Just curious.”

He hummed under his breath then waved his hand and vanished the whole camper.

On the other side, Tyson stood with his arms folded, looking impatient. Behind him, the rest of the expedition Hunters were talking to leaders, obviously getting instructions. His mouth moved, but we still couldn’t hear what he was saying.

The barrier disappeared and the noise of the crowd finally reached our ears. The last of the campers were being put away, leaving a large crowd in a dusty field.

“That’s not fair,” Tyson said and waltzed up to us. “You get a quiet little lover’s retreat, and I’m stuck listening to every snoring train all night.”

“You have your own camper,” Kesstel commented.

“But it’s not soundproof,” Tyson complained. “With my hearing? I might as well be in the same room.” He shuddered. “Eh, the thought just grosses me out. We’re both Melee Hunters. Why can you make soundproof barriers and I can’t?”

I frowned at Tyson. Considering the fact that Kesstel was even talking to him, it was telling enough. Still, this flashy guy was beyond me. I didn’t know what to say around him. “We should go.”

The rest of the expedition Hunters were gathering around Blood Sword and the rest of the S Leaders. Tyson walked over to stand with them, but Kesstel stayed with me. When we joined the group, the surrounding Hunters slightly edged away with uncertain looks. Not all the looks were at Kesstel, I was getting my fair share of odd expressions. I’d done too many weird things; I was starting to make an impression on them. Whatever it was, as long as I wasn’t a punching bag, I could handle that. Given the wary stares, even though my aura was hidden, they didn’t look ready to test me.

When Blood Sword saw that everyone was here, he cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention. “Good morning,” he called out. “I know that we have scoured the whole city already. But because we didn’t find the Portal, we’re going to go back over it again.” He ignored the dozens of exasperated sighs and glanced at me through the crowd. “Hopefully it won’t take long for us to find it. We’ve already been through the city once, so most of the monsters have been slain. All that’s left are the ones that have spawned overnight.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Penny shifting to whisper to Mark at her side. They stood on the edge of the crowd in the back, slightly away from everyone. On the other side of Mark, President Price stood in full armor. His square face looked like he was sucking on a sour lemon despite the fact that the arm that was cut off was healed as if it never happened. He glanced at me out of the corner of his narrow eyes, obviously visualizing my death.

In a flash, Kesstel turned and swung his arm out. A long dagger covered in his blue magic shot like a shooting star at President Price. Penny and Mark stiffened as the dagger went past them, the magic around the blade leaving scratches on their chest plates even though it didn’t actually touch them.

Price didn’t have a chance to dodge the attack. Last night was repeated all over again as Price screamed in pain while the bottom half of his arm dropped to the ground. He clutched his bleeding limb and bent over, groaning and panting his distress.

The rest of the Hunters all gasped and jumped back, trying to get out of the way of an angry S god.

Kesstel didn’t look angry, actually. His form was quite casual as he stood there and gazed at Price apathetically.

Penny and Mark looked down at Price, obviously wondering what they should do.

Even I was a little confused at the attack. I glanced up at Kesstel’s face, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. Normally we were on the same page, but he also didn’t normally cut off the same person’s arm twice in a row.

Jonavon stepped out of the crowd and hurried up to Price. “Kesstel, what is this?” he asked as he reached his golden glowing fingers out to heal the man.

“I wouldn’t waste your magic,” Kesstel advised. “Every time I see that arm, I’m going to cut it off.”

Jonovan paused and gaped at Kesstel.

Price turned his head, a look of horror, pain, and disbelief on his face.

The rest of the Hunters muttered in surprise and backed up even farther. None of them wanted to get tangled up with a person that an S god had condemned. That one sentence was enough to ruin at least half of Price’s connections, as soon as word got back to Eden.

Blood Sword jumped over the group of Hunters and landed beside Kesstel and me. “Noble! What is the meaning of this?” Angry veins were popping on his forehead, but he still managed to keep his voice somewhat reasonable.

Kesstel shrugged. “His hand offended me. So he doesn’t need it anymore.” He made his logic sound like it was normal. “He should be grateful I didn’t kill him.”

I lowered my face and worked hard to keep the smile off my face. I shouldn’t smile in this situation, but Kesstel’s caring for me was touching. After all, he was being this unruly just for me.

Blood Sword sputtered in disbelief. “We are on a dangerous mission. We’ve already lost twenty of the best Hunters in North America. We need every able body we can get. Without his arm — his sword arm — he’s as good as dead.”

Price’s face paled even more. Sweat beaded on his broad forehead and dripped to the dry ground. He turned his head and stared at Kesstel with wide, desperate eyes. “M-mister No—”

Kesstel folded his arms and tilted his head, leveling Blood Sword with a look, and spoke as if Price didn’t say anything at all. “That’s not my problem. He’s welcome to grow it back as often as he wants, but every time I see it, I’m going to take it off. I was already taking the Guilds into consideration by not killing him. Any more is his good or bad luck.”

I bit my lips to hide the smile and shifted a little closer to Kesstel. He really did listen to me last night.

Jonavan glanced at Kesstel, then reached out. A golden light encircled the bleeding stump on Price’s arm. The bleeding stopped and color started to come back to Price’s face. But his arm didn’t grow back.

The pain was going away, but Price was still staring at his severed limb with an appalled expression.

Mila Fortin stepped forward. “This is unreasonable,” she said.

Kesstel cut his gaze her way.

Healer Laurel grabbed Mila’s arm and pulled her back. “Don’t get involved,” the healer said softly, though I could still hear her over the mutterings of the crowd. “It’s not worth it. The people that offend Noble usually don’t live that long. He was already being considerate to not flat out kill him.”

Miranda, at their side, paled. She glanced at Price as if finally realizing that could be her someday.

Mila’s husband, Logan, frowned in amazement. “Just how strong is he, that he can behave like this, unchecked?” His already severe face tightened as he looked at Kesstel.

“Strong enough to do whatever he wants,” Healer Laurel muttered. Apparently she and the other Eden Hunters were still smarting from Kesstel’s berserk rampage that happened just last week. “No one can stop him. Except that girl at his side.”

All the S Hunters focused on me like I was a wondrous, mythical creature.

I sighed. Seriously, they were blowing it way out of proportion. Kesstel only listened to me when he wanted to. All the other times he usually just steamrolled right over top of me. I looked at Blood Sword. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

*****