Page 24 of Where Exorcists Cannot Lie

“And the rage demon? What was that about?”

Inuel snorted. “A crazy coincidence, would you believe it? I came to a gambling den in an official capacity. Just to give a warning to a dream demon, who was sending erotic nightmares to a whole street, on a bet. Minor stuff, a Type-One offence. I’d hoped to be done in a flash. But before I even put a foot in the door properly, some bastard with a guilty conscience flipped out and blasted me with a grudge curse. Must’ve thought I’d come looking for him. He fucked me up pretty bad. Still, I managed to hit him back with a temporary power bind. I hope Xendra sent someone to clean up that mess afterwards. I didn’t fare too clever, so I got myself to the closest sanctuarium. And it happened to be the one you walked into two days later. I thought I’d lost my mind and you were a hallucination at first.”

“Gods, Inuel.” I laughed. “If you told me all this in any other place in the world, I would never believe you, you know? Not a word of it.”

“Well, all I can say is that I’m grateful fate offered me this chance,” Inuel said, his grey eyes alight with emotion. I had to admit such an incandescent glow looked very fetching on him.

Something gnawed at me. Little wheels in my mind began turning, pushing a slot inside my brain just right. “Damn. Wait a moment.” I gasped and lifted my index finger in the air, a sudden realisation dawning on me. “You know what? Now that I think about it, I'm not sure our meeting here was simply luck. I left Ghadarra after Xen ordered me into a sanctuarium. She sent me a magicgram. I thought it weird at the time, but in my haste, I paid it no mind. I mean, come on. A bloody magicgram? I bet despatching it cleaned her out of spiritual energy for a couple of days. My retreat was overdue, but it wasn't urgent enough to justify bringing out the big guns like that. And secondly, she named Noyau specifically. If she hadn’t, I might have as well gone to Hiran. It’s a similar distance away, just up north.” I shook my head. “That little vixen.”

Inuel smiled. “I knew I liked her for a reason. She must’ve contacted you as soon as she’d heard about my altercation with the miccorah. Xendra knew I would head straight here, since it was only a three-hour ride for me. Like I said, Taz, she’s a good friend to you.”

I nodded, my chest swelling with a feeling of fondness and gratitude.

“Taz, you remember that house in the Southern Quadrant in Ghadarra? The big one, with an Elven-style garden and blue window shutters? You always said you wanted to live there.”

“Yes?” I said, confused at the sudden change of topic.

“I bought it.” Inuel studied me with an intense expression. “For you. For us. If you want me, that is.”

I pressed my palm to my sternum. “Tell me again.” I squeezed my eyes shut and waited to see if he would get it right.

The next moment, I heard Inuel get to his feet, walk over and crouch down beside me. His hand grasped mine. “I love you, Little Mage.”

He bloody did get it right.

“A-and you want me for always?” I cracked open my right eye.

“For always.”

When I finally opened the left one, his gaze held mine without blinking.

“And I best you at cards?”

Inuel kissed my knuckles and sighed. “No, darling. But if you really want me to lie, I gladly take the pain as punishment for my—”

I leaned down and kissed him, my hands wrapping around his neck.

Without stopping devouring my mouth, he transferred me from the chair into his arms and stood.

My heart felt so full, as if it were close to bursting. I began to get dizzy—from all the news and what it meant for the future, from Inuel’s body heat and the kiss—just about everything.

When we broke apart, he wouldn’t put me down.

I said, “I love you, too, by the way. For always. But from now on, you’d better behave. You’re an Exorcist now, Inuel Morhh. No more funny business.” I smoothed a tiny crease from his silk robe.

“I would never.” he flashed me a toothy grin.

I squinted at him. “You really did a five-year training in thirteen months?”

Inuel nodded.

“Bloody hell. Which Academy did you attend?

“The one in Sadaryn.”

“Huh? Me, too.” I grinned and poked his chest with my finger. “Who taught you Practical Rites?”

“Master Yataná.”

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