Page 31 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

“All of that could be hunted, foraged, or created. So it’s not a worry,” he replies simply. He waits for me to lead the way into the forest so that he can follow close behind me. “Do you think the Astreldi were able to build our strongholds in a day? No, it took many generations of hard work before we were as notorious as the dark elves.”

It’s a shame that his kind was wiped out by the dark elves. I wonder how different Protheka would be if the dark elves were the ones who got eliminated during that ancient war. Maybe humans wouldn’t suffer as much as they do now.

Or maybe, we’d be slaves to the Astreldi as we are to everyone else on this planet. Who knows?

“I’m sure there were a lot of you working together,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. I place my hands firmly against my body, hoping to heat them up from the cold. When nighttime comes, I don’t know what we’re going to do. “And you have wings. You can fly. Creating a civilization must have been easy for you.”

“Easy in some ways, difficult in others. Of course, we have the physical ability to create structures with ease, but the Astreldi were notoriously stubborn. It would take us many days to agree on something before we would act on it. We were arrogant. We never liked compromise with others as it was a sign of weakness.”

“So you didn’t want to compromise with the dark elves?” I ask. Xeros tilts his head as his wings flutter slightly. “That was an awful decision.”

“I believe I know that, Evangeline,” he says brusquely.

“Sorry. I was being a bit blunt with my words.” Closing my eyes, I rub at the side of my face and sigh. “It’s been a while since I’ve last eaten anything, so my head feels a bit strange. Foggy, in a way.”

“That’s easily fixed. I can find us a creature to feast on.” Xeros starts surveying the surroundings again. He has small ears on either side of his head, but they tremble slightly. I wonder how good his hearing skills are. “Forgive me if I don’t know which animals are the best tasting.”

“I hardly know, either. I was never much of a hunter to begin with,” I admit, rubbing my hands together for warmth. “And we should find some shelter, too. Before nightfall. It gets extremely cold in the mountains.”

“Are you scared, Evangeline?” Xeros asks out of the blue, which catches me off guard.

“What?”

“Are you scared of being with me?”

I swallow hard, contemplating his question. I mean, isn’t it obvious? I’m horrified by my circumstances. Not too long ago, I was nearly taken advantage of. Then an ancient creature comes to rip out Kraven’s organs from out of his body. And that same creature wants to stay by my side and protect me.

Anyone with some common sense would be fucking terrified.

“I am scared, yes.” I press my lips into a thin line, aware of how the heat rises to my ears with the way he’s staring at me. “I’m scared by the fact that we have no idea what the night holds for us. I’m scared that we’ll get attacked again, or we might get taken by surprise. I’m afraid that there might not be enough food for both of us, so we might go hungry. We might die because of the cold.”

I take a deep breath. Just saying those things out loud made my heart start racing in my chest. So many things could go wrong.

Xeros nods. He doesn’t respond with anger, frustration, or resentment. Instead, he brings me a calm peace that alleviates my nerves. I don’t understand why he has this sort of effect on me. His appearance should do the exact opposite.

Maybe he’s right. Maybe we’re connected in ways that I can’t understand, all because of that ritual I did.

“I understand your concerns, Evangeline, and I will do everything to make sure you feel safe with me. That’s my duty.”

I shake my head. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You could fly away with those big wings of yours and never look back.”

“Yes, I could, but I don’t want to. You are important to me,” he replies.

And for the first time since I’ve set eyes on him, my heart flutters. Turning away, I start to walk towards the trees. I want to forage. I want to take my mind off the emotions that Xeros so easily stirs up in me.

Behind me, I hear the crunch of his footsteps against the snow. The passing breeze cools down my burning cheeks and I try to focus on the positives of the situation, of which there are few and far between.

At the very least, I have Xeros, with his imposing and calming presence. The moment he notices something shuffling through the nearby bushes, he thrusts forward through the trees and captures it with ease.

My stomach grumbles at the sight. And a newfound heat pool between my legs. I’ve never been protected like this before, and I can’t deny how intoxicating it feels. I want his comfort.

Gods, the herbs might still be messing with my head, but this monster is filling me with a strange desire.

14

XEROS

As I lead her back to the cavern I awoke from, nightfall comes and she’s shivering constantly. I want to protect her, but most importantly, I want to show her how important she is. Because she means everything to me.

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