Page 90 of Soul Forge

Sypher growled something that sounded like an insult, drawing a laugh from the shifter.

They’d landed outside a large village, though Elda had no idea which kingdom it belonged to. An ornate sign reading “Welcome to Grimgarde”swung from a decorated metal pole in the ground. Scrawled underneath in black paint, obviously a later addition, it read“Thieves will be hanged.” The entrance to the village was beyond a small bridge, crossing a clear stream that bubbled pleasantly. In contrast to the quaint surroundings, a monstrous wooden barricade bordered the entire place, its top decorated with spiked tips.

“Where are we?” Elda asked. “I’m not familiar with the villages out here.”

“Technically, this area is neutral. It’s bordered by Falkryn to the west, Saeryn to the south, and Eden to the northeast, but it belongs to none of them,” Gira replied.

“The shifters tried to claim it about ten years ago,” Sypher answered, sitting up slowly. “Horthan’s father sent a company of two hundred soldiers to take possession of the village. None of them made it home.”

“How?” Elda asked, staring up at the sign again.

“They have sturdy walls; Falkryn wasn’t prepared for the demons living in this area. The people of Grimgarde are mildly unhinged, and they have excellent wards,” Sypher replied.

“Wow,” the princess mumbled, looking back up at the sign. “So, they’re serious about hanging people then?”

“Definitely. Under no circumstances should any of you break the law here. I really don’t want to fight this village,” he warned.

“What’s their opinion on hungry vampires?” Julian asked.

Sypher shrugged. “There’s a brothel you could ask at.”

“Won’t Yani be upset with you biting strange women?” Elda baulked. “And is it right to use women forced into selling themselves?”

“These women aren’t forced,” the Soul Forge chuckled. “They practically run the village.”

“And vampires don’t do traditional marriages.” Julian winked, his grin widening at Elda’s horrified blush. Even Gira started laughing.

“Vampires aren’t monogamous,” Reiner explained quietly, scowling at the laughing men. Sypher mirrored her expression. “Some form a coven, with multiple life partners all in loving relationships with one another. Others, like Julian, pick one partner for life. But because of their food source, all vampires tend to stray from monogamy in order to survive. Especially now they don’t have a city to protect them.”

“I’m guessing your parents never told you about us?” Julian asked, wincing when Sypher elbowed him.

“My parents didn’t tell me much of anything,” she answered, heat still pooling in her cheeks. “I know that makes me seem naïve.”

“Nah, I’m a jerk for laughing. I forget that some people haven’t travelled the continent.” He laid a friendly hand on her shoulder. “Yani is my husband, but both of us are free to choose other partners. And there’s none of thatmarrying-for-powerbullshit the rest of Valerus is into. We love what we love.”

When Elda looked up at his face, she saw no mockery. His smile was friendly, the hand on her shoulder warm and comforting. She swallowed, realising that it was the first time anyone beyond Reiner and Sypher had apologised to her.

“Thank you for explaining,” she answered hoarsely.

“No problem.” He beamed, and that sly glint returned. “If you ever want to join my coven, there’s a spot open for you.”

“Let’s just go already,” she muttered, scowling and stomping away from his loud chortling. Reiner chuckled behind her, and Elda heard Julian grunt. A glance over her shoulder confirmed Sypher had smacked him in the back of the head.

When she turned to keep walking, she found Gira standing in her path.

“Perhaps it’s best to stay with Sypher for now,” he suggested. “The people in here are a special kind of friendly in that they’ll slit your throat if they don’t like the look of you.”

“Even if I’m a wielder?”

"Becauseyou’re a wielder. When Falkryn came to take their home, none of the wielders showed up. We didn’t know what was happening until it was too late. By the time we got here, they wouldn’t even let us help them with the aftermath.” He scratched his dark beard thoughtfully. “For some reason, they won’t cross Sypher.”

“Because I hated the wielders too,” the Soul Forge answered casually. His wings were gone, though he flexed his shoulders like they still felt heavy. “And I’ve helped them before.” He let his eyes rest on Elda, the fire in them flickering. “Don’t mention my demon blood, and don’ttell them who you are.”

“Should I take off my wedding ring?” she asked, looking down at the platinum circle around her finger. She’d grown used to it sitting there, and the thought of taking it off made her oddly unhappy.

“No,” Sypher decided. “The men will leave you be if I have a claim over you, but the second they think you’re unsupervised, you’re in trouble. Even as my wife, you’ll need to stay with me.”

Elda swallowed nervously. “Can’t we stay in the forest?”

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