“I don’t know what I want more, to sleep or to bathe… I’m so mucky it’s not even funny anymore, at this point the stench alone is enough to keep me awake…” I mumble, feeding the twins.

“Well, then you’ll love what’s coming next.” Crile smiles at me, taking Reina from my arms.

“Got some cleaning magic I can use?” I mock him lightly.

“Better…” He grins at me. I hear Reina burp. “There we go.” Crile handles the baby so gently I’m stunned, it’s a new side of him I’ve never seen before…

“Whatever it is – I’m not sure I can handle any major surprises, just saying.” I pat Xander on the back.

“Don’t worry, you’ll like it, I promise.” He says to me, tucking Reina in. I hear Xander let out a tiny belch. “All good here.” I hand the baby over to my husband. Crile takes our son and rocks him to sleep.

“I’m kinda jealous of those two.” I say stretching, as I slip my robe back on. “And I was asleep for a week, how can I be so tired? What a pain.”

“You of all people should know that there is a difference between recovery and rest. Doesn’t look like they’ll need changing, for now.” Crile tells me, as he puts Xander to sleep, next to Reina in the cradle.

“Now then, Mrs. Shadowkill.” He says to me without looking. “It’s your turn.” Crile walks over to me, throws the blankets and the pillows away and picks me up in his arms.

“I don’t know what this is all about but I’m already liking it.” I say resting my head on his shoulder.

“Wait for it…” I hear his faint whisper, as I almost pass out in his arms. Crile puts me down on a wooden stool in our bathroom, slips the robe off me and puts me in the tub. The hot water feels so relaxing, I feel my body melting in the warmth… So nice.

“Is this what you were up to in here?” I ask, in a lazy mumble.

“Exactly. If you would, though.” I feel his hand on my shoulder. I look up at him and see my husband in his birthday suit, standing next to the marble tub. I manage to pull off a questioning expression on my face and hear the deep whisper.

“I’m only here to make sure you don’t drown.” He tells me, slipping into the water, right behind me, embracing me. I lean back and feel his chest. “This way you can sleep too. The kids should be good for about an hour or two.”

“Mmm, I could get used to this…” I reach for him, and feel the side of his prickly beard…

“I’m kind of hoping for that…” He tells my tired mind… A soothing calm, floods over me, as I feel Crile’s hands tightening around my waist, right before I drift off…

I hold Zarri above the water as she rests on my chest. I look out the door – no sign of a fuss. The kids are fast asleep, just like their mother. Good. I check on the fire place, under the bath – I hear tiny popping sounds with the flames rustling nicely. Perfect. That should last about an hour or so too. Just in case – I put some more wood close by, so I can add to the fire, to keep the marble tub and the water in it warm. I pull up the towel closer in, under my neck and lean back myself. I feel my body loosen up slowly. I didn’t realize how tense and aching I have been feeling these past five days… I turn my head to the left. No movement. I listen to my wife’s breathing. Nice and steady. Somehow, I feel nervous. This calm seems unreal to me. My body may be relaxed, but my mind is alert. I listen carefully. Waiting for something. Like what? Nothing? Anything? Something has to happen… It can’t be that we can be enjoying ourselves in such a peaceful manner… I tighten my arms around Breeze’s waist again and keep watch on the twins from a distance. I’m not used to feeling calm and happy. This new life feels almost fake. I soak there in the hot water, holding my wife, as she sleeps, watching our children and just wait for disaster to happen… I grin like a moron. Talk about paranoia. Guess that’s a given, when dealing with a reckless idiot long enough… It’s like a side-effect or backlash from using powerful magic… It makes me feel uneasy, this steady paced and morbidly boring life. Yet, at the same time – I feel excited. It’s all new and yet to be explored… Finally, my mind gives in and the warmth of the water prevails, together with the calmness of my sleeping Zarri…

A chill running through me snaps me out of it. Must’ve dozed off... I check on the kids – seems like all’s good. Breeze is steady too. It’s times like these I regret not bothering with fire magic… I slip my right arm out of the water, take the metal poker and try my best to quietly rough up the burned wood, making more room and carefully place a few more blocks of the firewood under the tub. I wait for bit and hear a tiny roar pick up. Good. I feel some parts of my body going numb, so I try to stretch a little, without waking Breeze up. So far so good. I switch out the arms and stretch again. I watch my wife… I could get used to this, huh? I’m sure I’m already used to this… I run my fingers softly across Zarri’s cheek and down her neck… My eyes stop and gorge the voluptuous breasts… I let out a quiet chuckle, as I remember Breeze telling me once before that a huge chest would only get in the way of fighting… It was so like her to say something like that… I always admired the nice curves on her body, not too much, nor too little… The ass was visible from any angle. I especially enjoy the side view of Zarri’s back, as no matter which way I look – the curve is clearly visible… She's strong but not muscular. I’ve seen women of all races that were built almost, if not more, as sturdy as some men. I like the plumpness Breeze put on while pregnant… She’s always been well put together. Lean would be the perfect word to describe her… A lean, mean, killing machine… With those extra few pounds, she put on, she seems cuddlier now. I giggle quietly. That look suits her well, somehow. Makes me want to take care of her more… Thanks to the pregnancy, Zarri’s chest has grown in size too. It’s a nice contrast to her usual slightly-bigger-than-my-palm sized breasts… I gently trace my fingertip between them… Breeze squirms and stretches, raising her arms over my shoulders. I put my hands on them and slide down to the sides.

“Did I wake you?” I whisper.

“Mmm…Naah…” I hear a lazy murmur. “How are the kids?” She asks. I open my mouth to answer and we hear a cry coming in from the bedroom. I shut my mouth and smile.

“There’s your answer.” I stretch as Breeze stands up to get out of the tub. The water cascades down her plumply curves… Rousing. “Need help?” I ask her.

“I think I can handle them this time.” She smiles at me, patting herself dry.

“Then I’ll take my time.” I tell her, stretching out to my full height in the water.

“There there, mommy’s here.” I walk up to the kids. I glance at the clock on the wall – two hours, on the dot. I see how that can get exhausting fast. I put the pillows back up into a fluffy throne and carefully take Xander first and place him down on the pillow.

“I know, hold on.” I make sure he won’t roll over and go back to the cradle to get Reina. Holding my daughter in my right arm, I sit down, pull up the pillows under the elbow and get to feeding her. As soon as I feel her suckling, I scoop Xander up with my left arm and make myself comfortable. One perk of having longer limbs. I can easily hold them both at the same time. I gently place Xander near me and he does the rest for me.

“Ouch.” I twitch as I feel my son pulling on the nipple… “You are your father’s son alright…” I giggle like a moron. I watch the twins as they gorge themselves. I see some of the milk drip from the conner of Xander’s mouth.

“Easy, you, don’t rush, there’s plenty more…” I feel strangely calm doing this. Most of my pregnancy I spent freaking out about how ill-suited I am to being a mother. Yet now, I can’t even come up with a single reason why I felt like that. Is this what you call a mother’s instinct? I smile softly at my little ones…

“All good there?” I hear my husband’s voice inside my mind.

“Nice and steady. He sure has an appetite.”

“I’m more than happy to take the credit for it.”

“You’re quite proud of yourself, aren’t you.” I glare at the bathroom’s wall. Laughter reaches me from the open door.

“Of course.” He tells me. I roll my eyes. Reina’s the first to finish her meal. She hasn’t even opened her eyes the whole time either. It’s been like this, since the first feeding. It’s like she waits for Xander. I move her onto the pillows next to me and take the wash cloth, to clean her up a bit.

“Baby girl…” I whisper, as she grabs my pinky with her tiny hand… So tiny, so weak… Only for now. I look at her brother. I swear his gulps are getting bigger each day. I clean him a bit on one side and wait for him to finish. I hear Reina fuss. Oh? I turn back to Xander and see his mouth wide open. I move him closer to me and wipe off the milk of his small face… He breathes deeply, almost as if exhausting himself from the meal. I put him down on the pillow nest and take Reina to the stand to change her. I’m in luck. This won’t take long. I work fast, as my motherly instincts tell me, the other one, won’t take long to follow… Reina opens her eyes and stares at me. Crile’s green gaze is watching my every move. It’s like I’m looking at a mini copy of him… I pick my girl up and nuzzle her puffy belly. A childly giggle fills the room. I give her a quick pat on the back too. Just to be safe. I hear a tiny belch and smile.

“Good girl.” I wrap her up and leave her in the cradle. I’m a step away from the bed when Xander lets out a shriek.

“Baby boy, I’m here, I’m here.” I tell my son, picking him up. I place him in the stand and get to work. It takes a bit of extra effort but I manage on my own. My baby’s giggle soothes my soul. I see a pair of the same sky-blue eyes smiling at me. I pick my boy up and nuzzle him on his round belly. He shrieks and laughs louder… I notice how clearly bigger he is from Reina.

“You’ll be just as strong as your father…” I smile and wrap him up, placing him next to his sleepy sister… To my surprise they are quick to drift off. I hover over them a moment longer and go back to the bathroom. I walk over to the basin and stare into my horrifying reflection in the mirror.

“When did I get so ugly?” I mumble washing my hands.

“What are you talking about?” Crile stops his scrubbing and stares at me. I take my toothbrush and not say anything.

“Zarri.” I hear the nagging note. I spit out and sigh loudly…

“I look horrible.” I mumble and get back to brushing. I hear Crile laugh.

“You’re perfectly fine. All you need is some food and sleep and you’ll be back to your menacing usual self in no time.” He says. I splash the water on my face and glare at my jokester of a husband. I want to say something but hold back.

“Let me.” I tell him, walking over to him with my hand out. He doesn’t fight it. Crile hands me the washcloth and I slip back into the water.

“It’s still warm.” I say, scrubbing his back.

“I added a bit more firewood. Since you didn’t need my help, I figured it’d be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste.”

“Good thinking, their fed and changed, so we have at least two hours, or so…” Claws? “What are those?” I trace the scars on his back.

“The claw marks on each side?”

“Mhm.” They seem old but I’m being careful still. I feel Crile twitch. He’s fighting a burst of laughter. I’m confused.

“Those are yours, Breeze…” I hear a nostalgic tone there. I wait. “From the last time we made love…”

“I don’t remember raking you…” I whisper…

“That’s cause we both were so tense we weren’t paying attention to anything and just kept going…”

“What about this one?” I trace the right shoulder…

“That’s the bite mark you gave me when you got a bit too excited while having your teeth in me, that you turned… Just for a moment… It happened so fast I thought I imagined it. If you had pressed down a bit harder there, you could have taken a chunk of my shoulder out.”

“I feel like I owe you an apology.” I hug him, placing my hands on his stomach.

“Naaah, they’re my trophies.” He gives me a quick kiss on the lips. “Switch?”

“Sure.” I stand up, step over him and sit back down in the tub, facing my husband.

“That was a nice angle.” He winks at me, as he takes my ankle and gently scrubs my leg, holding it above the water. I don’t say anything back. Just smile. I gaze to the window at the end of the bathroom and listen.

“Something on your mind?” Crile asks me, taking my other leg and pressing the foot against his chest…

“Do you remember when it was the last time it was so peaceful?”

“No. Because peaceful was never in our arsenal… Calm. Quiet. But not peaceful…”

I chuckle. “Thought so…” I look back at my husband. “Think I need a shave?” I ask him.

“You know, I am good with knives…” He grins at me…

“I’ll think about it…”

“Come here.” He tells me and I move over closer to him, stalking him on all fours. I see the hunger… He swallows, hard…

“Let me guess, this is a nice angle too?” I tease him, brushing my fingertips between my breasts.

“I’m sorry, you were saying something? I spaced out…” Crile puts both of his hands on my ass and pulls me to him. We clash, swooshing the water around us. I wonder down his stomach with my fingers, looking for it… I feel him cradle me, pulling himself closer. I wrap my legs around his waist. We kiss. Slow and unrushed. It’s almost like the time itself has stopped flowing… Nothing else matters anymore. Only him. Only Crile. Only us. Right here. Right now. We pick up speed. I feel him move inside of me. His grip around me tightens. I feel Crile get more and more possessive with each taste. Each brush of the tongue, each bite, each gulp of air.

“Breeze…” He moans my name and I pounce him. Sinking myself deeper into him. Gorging myself on his very life force. Water splashes around us. I ride him. Breasts bouncing, the hard, sore nipples brushing, almost painfully, against his hard chest, making me moan louder. Harder.

“Crile!” I scream out, breaking my nails into his back muscles, struggling to hold on… I grab his neck and pull myself to him, gasping for air. I feel Crile tensing and brace myself as he explodes deep inside of me. He groans growling and hugs me tighter. We look at each other, panting, smiling.

“What a hot mess you are.” He tells me, sinking his fingers into my hair, locking our lips. He takes the pin out and I feel my hair fall down.

“Don’t make fun of me just cause you’re all nice and clean…” I bite his lower lip.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m plenty dirty for the both of us…” He whispers, teasing the breasts. I giggle, roll over and snuggle up against his chest with my back.

“Hand me the damn thing, there.” Crile points to the floating washcloth by our feet. I pick it up with my leg, letting it hang off of it, and stretch the leg out, above our heads. The washcloth flops down making a tiny splash.

“Here.” I pick it up with two fingers and dangle it in the air.

“Show off.” Crile bites my ear, as he takes the cloth and runs it up and down across the inside of my arm.

“Was it not to your liking?” I ask quietly.

“It was.” He takes my other arm. I put the effort into stretching to my full height, with my chest purposely raised half above the water, so they get traced nicely by the water line…

“Now you’re simply asking for it…” I hear my husband’s low growl in my ear…

“I’m begging for it…” I tell him, kissing his neck… Crile runs the cloth down my arm, all the way down my side, towards the inside of my thigh… A quick moan escapes my lips… I feel the roughness of the fabric brush against me. He takes a breast and fondles it gently, kissing my shoulder, slowly moving up the neck…

“I ever tell you how much you drive me crazy?” A feint mumble...

“Sometimes…” I answer. Crile bites down on my neck. His prickly beard tickles me that time and I let out a laugh. “Looks like you could use a shave too…” I smile softly.

“Among other things.” He says, running the washcloth in short, gentle strokes across my chest and stomach. “Lean forward.” He tells me. I gather up my hair, bring it to the front and hug my knees.

“Is something the matter?” I ask.

“I don’t think I will ever get used to seeing your back covered in all these scars…”

“I look terrible, don’t I?

“Not at all. This just proves you a fighter and a winner…” I feel my husband’s lips land a kiss after kiss down my spine. “There. That should do it. Now the hair.”

“I’ll do it myself.” I turn to him.

“No, let me, I want to.” Crile stares at me and I turn around again. I feel his fingers, as they slide inside my hair, his fingertips gently massaging the skin. This is new…

“How does it feel? Am I pulling to hard?”

“No, it’s fine, it feels nice…” I answer, almost purring… “Very relaxing…”

“Do me next.”

“Deal.” I lean back just a little…

“Pull the chain, just a bit...” He tells me. I grab the handle of the metal chain and pull it slightly. Water cascades down the trench, pouring over us. Crile pulls my hand away from the metal handle and the downpour stops.

“Sooo rousing…” I hear a painful growl escape his lips.

“What is?”

“That…” He gazes down. I see the last traces of the soapy water rolling down my body.

“Let me try…” We switch and I end up straddling him again. I rub a bit of the thick liquid between my hands to make it foamy and sink my fingers into Crile’s hair. He closes his eyes and I begin massaging his scalp… I feel my heart race a moment. Am I nervous?

“How is it? I am too rough?”

“No, it’s great. Feels quite relaxing, just as you said…”

“I’m pulling the chain, now.” I whisper. Water washes over us, again. I watch the soapy water run down Crile’s neck, chest and stomach. I watch it race down his chiseled curves… I let go of the chain.

“You were right…” I whisper. “Very rousing…” I gaze at my husband, biting my lip… We kiss, I wrap myself around him and he stands up. I pull the chain again, just for a quick moment, letting the water wash over us one last time before getting out of the tub.

“Make yourself comfortable.” Crile tells me, setting me down.

“Are you not done with me yet?” I ask putting down a towel on the wooden stool.

“No.” He turns around, holding a straight razor, with a wet towel hanging down his shoulder.

“No.” I turn around, with the razor in my hand and a wet towel on my shoulder. “I want to do it now, while the kids are still asleep.” I pull up another stool, place it in front of Breeze and sit down.

“Mrs. Shadowkill, if you please.” I point to the area between my legs. She grins at me and places her foot on the wood. I smile too and rub the oil all over the leg, from the knee down. I take the razor and press the blade against the skin… I feel the tension rise. I hold my breath as I carefully slide the blade across the skin. After each stroke, I rinse the blade off in the bath on my left. We don’t say anything for a while. I hold my breath through the entire stroke. Somehow, having to drag the razor along the curves of Breeze’s leg, roused me… This is new and unexplored. It excites me… I press the wet towel against her leg, patting it lightly. I put the leg down, and wait a moment for Zarri to set the other one in place.

“Did we ever do something like this before?” She asks me after a few strokes.

“No.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” I hack the word out.

“How can you be so sure? It was so long ago?” Breeze questions my memory.

“I would have remembered something so nerve wrecking…” I look up at her, as I place her foot on my shoulder, tilting the head sideways again, and brushing the blade against the glistening skin…

“Did we ever bathe together before?”

“Maybe in a lake, or two…” I answer patting down the leg with the damp towel. “Closets we ever got was probably with you giving me a shave." I land a kiss on the knee and set the leg down. Breeze gets up, walks over to me and sits back down in my lap. Oh, the torture…

“Give me.” She holds her hand out. I put the razor in it. She places the blade on her thigh and gets a few splashes of the oil on her palm, rubs her hands together and spreads it all across my neck and half way down my face. My wife pats her hands down with the wet towel that’s back on my shoulder, takes the razor between her fingers and waits a moment. Breeze takes a breath and slides the blade down my jaw. I see the tension in her eyes. She takes a break, after a few strokes. Her hand trembling lightly.

“Told you…” I whisper.

“That you did.” She pulls herself together and continues. “Though, to be fair – this is way more dangerous than a leg. I can survive a few cuts on the leg. But one wrong move here and…” She rinses the blade again. “Do you know why most predators go for the throat?”

“Because it’s most vulnerable…”

“Exactly.” She nods, standing up and going around me. “Lean your head back a little, for me.” She tilts my head just a little and continues. “Did you know that cats are solitary creatures by nature?”

“Not really, but it would make sense, I guess…” I feel the blade pressing down on my skin and hold my breath…

“Because, wolves, for example, mate for life. The Alpha of the pack, selects a mate and they run the pack together. Cats, even after mating, usually separate, and the cubs leave the mother eventually.”

“How do you know all this?” I ask her in a whisper…

“Beast Druids learn things from their spirits…When I got my wolf form – it got a lot harder not to miss you…” Breeze tells me in a quiet whisper, walking over to the basin, looking for her hairpin. I hand it to her.

“Do you mind?” She looks at me, waving the razor between her fingers.

“What? I can’t watch? I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Get. Out.” She growls at me with a smile. “I’d rather you not see this."

“Fine.” I stand up, slap the wet towel around my waist and walk over to her. “Make it quick. That’s an order.”

“Yes, my lord...” She answers. I kiss her and leave the bathroom. I walk over to the kids, fast asleep still… Xander seems to be dreaming something interesting, he keeps fussing around with his tiny little arms and legs. Reina’s on the other hand, puffing away quietly. I put my finger in her tiny palm and she clutches it for a moment. I stand next to them in silence, watching over them… Breeze and the kids. They are my tiny happiness. The bathroom door opens and Zarri walks out.

“Why are you dressed?” I give her a puzzled look.

“Better question is – why aren’t you?” She comes over to me and I take her into my arms.

“What kind of a silly question is that?” I murmur into her ear and bite her neck gently. A loud knock on the door makes me tighten my arms around my wife. “Maybe if we stay quiet, they will go away…” Another thud.

“My lords?” The voice of the High Councilor reaches us.

“Can I kill him?” I ask. “Pretty please…”

“I wish…” Breeze giggles. Another thud, louder this time… It wakes up the twins. “Ok, now you can kill him.” Breeze glares at the doors and leans over the cradle. I, wearing nothing but the damn towel still, walk over the bedroom doors and open them both up in a dramatic burst.

“I hope you are satisfied – you woke up the heirs.” I tell the old man.

“My apologies.” The Councilor bows his head. “I’m afraid this is a somewhat of a pressing matter.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“The Elder, wishes to see the Queen…” I turn to Breeze. She has Xander on her shoulder and her other hand has been captured by Reina.

“Right. Then let’s get this over with.” She puts our son down and comes over to me. “We shall be at the temple in one hour. I’m sure the Elder can wait that long?” She gives the Councilor her hard stare. He nods his head and leaves. I shut the doors.

“You sure you want to do this now?”

“No but I have no choice anymore. The sooner we do this, the quicker I can put the damn fool in his place.” She takes Reina and carries her to the bed. I take Xander and follow them. Breeze makes herself comfortable in the pillow throne. Once she has Reina set up, I hand her Xander, and sit down next to them.

“I don’t think I could ever get tired of watching you like this…”

“As much as I enjoy it when you drool over me, don’t you need to get dressed?” She gives me a look. I look down at the towel.

“You don’t think this is an appropriate attire to wear to the Sky Temple?”

“Crile…” She rolls her blues at me. I laugh and go get dressed.

An hour later Breeze and I are at the Sky Temple, with the High Councilor and Glen right behind us as our escort. The marble dome never has any light inside of it, besides the glimmering sparks that resemble the night’s sky and the hole in the dome’s roof, right above the altar. Or, that’s at least what we call it. It’s simply a few giant, round slabs of marble, stacked on top of each other. In the middle of it – stands the Elder. The geezer has been alive for so long that no other tittle suits him. He turns around to face us.

“Ah! High Priestess! I am honored you chose to visit me here at the temple. I was ready to go the palace to see you.”

“We’d rather you didn’t.” Breeze speaks in her warrior mode. I feel a grin creep in on my face. This will be good. “Let’s not waste time with small talk. Tell us. What is it that you want with us.”

“Us? Oh, that’s right. My apologies. I keep forgetting…” He bows his head ever so slightly and stares at me. Yeah yeah, give it a rest… I hold his gaze. “It is so rare to see a…” He pauses on purpose.

“A King? You mean?” Breeze’s words cut the air. “You must be getting older, Elder, if you have forgotten that Wykren Stardust was once your King.”

“My apologies, High Priestess, it has been so long since we indeed, had a King… As you are aware, it has been a long-standing tradition that all rulers of Noxanda were the priestesses of the Temple and…”

“So?” Breeze cut’s in again. “Have you summoned us here only to complain about the new system that my mother has established centuries ago?”

“Of course not!” The Elder makes a grand gesture to disagree, yet he does not approach us. “I was simply concerned for the well-being of our King. Seeing, how they do not seem to last so long…” Bastard. I grip the hilt of my dagger.

“I am of perfect health, thank you for asking.”

“Yes, I can see that…”

“Get to the point.” Breeze does not let the old geezer finish. “If you want to know when your little Temple will be at the top of the food chain again, then I can tell you right now – never. Your days of ruling this land are over, Elder. I suggest you come into terms with that. The system my mother established is here to stay, whether you like it or not. The only reason why your precious little Temple is still standing is that the Royal Family allows it. However.” Breeze speaks louder, colder

“It will not be anything more than a choice. People will no longer be obligated to follow your teachings. If they wish to believe in a higher power, because it allows them to sleep better at night, then so be it. But your rein is over. You, Elder, are nothing more than a Relic and so is your Religion.” The face of the geezer reassembles itself into a displeased look as he opens his mouth to speak.

“You dare to defy the Heavens?”

“Yes, I do.” Breeze holds her ground.

“Fool! How can you stand there and insult the power of…”

“The ONLY power I believe in is the one I can grasp myself. Our people are not mindless sheep that you can take advantage off! Nor will I allow you to use the women of Noxanda to do your dirty bidding anymore! Do you honestly believe nobody ever realized what you were trying to do all this time? The reason why all of our previous rulers have been women only?" She glares at the Elder. The old man's faces slowly begins to lose the last of his composure...

"Your hopes of marrying our Priestesses off and your days of trying to take over the world are done! This land is now under our care! Its people are now our children! I swear upon my father’s memory that I will be the one to put you down should you do anything to harm our people!” Breeze’s voice roars across the Temple. Chills run down my spine. I feel my desire for her stir…

“I suggest you behave yourself and perhaps you might just live another millennium... Do not underestimate a parent’s rage.” Breeze glares at the Elder one more time and turns around. The Elder flares up his staff. A pack of Beasts and Assassins emerge from the shadows, surrounding the altar. Weapons and claws aimed at the Elder... Glen steps forward. The High Councilor dies on the inside.

“Your orders, my lords.” Glen speaks.

“Let him be.” Breeze walks away.

“He’ll die on his own.” I follow her out with the High Councilor right behind me. I do believe the old man was holding his breath this entire time. A few moments later Glen walks out of the temple too.

“Nice reaction time.” I praise the boy. He nods.

“What shall we do with the Elder?” The Councilor asks.

“Nothing. Keep him under surveillance. He lived for too long and thinks himself of a God. So, let him be one. People are smart enough to choose what they want to believe in.” I tell the man.

“Exactly.” Breeze seconds me.

“As you wish.” The Councilor bows and leaves us.

“I’m hungry now.” Zarri looks at me. I smile and give her my arm. She puts her hands around it.

“Let’s see what the kitchen has to offer. Glen.” I look at the boy. “Take the rest of the day off. You and your attack squad.”

“Thank you, my King.”

“How generous of you.” Breeze whispers.

“You can’t fool me. You’re exhausted. You haven’t fully recovered yet.”

“You noticed…”

“I know you inside and out, Breeze. Nothing slips past me…” I whisper to her.