Page 13 of The Holly King's Sacrifice

“I cannot tell you the nature of our test,” I say, wishing that I could tell her everything. “Nor can I inform you of the reward.”

“How do you expect me to succeed?”

“You will or you will not,” I say. “And in twelve days’ time, we shall know your fate.”

“What is ascension?” she asks.

I consider how I would even explain all of that to her—the small store of Elixir that we keep in the village, the nature of how we are bonded to one another…but I decide that, too, would be too much to share. If she returns to her people, she cannot know of our secrets, and all those who came before her have failed.

“You will learn in time,” I murmur.

Aspen’s shoulders sink as she realizes that I don’t intend on telling her anything else. Then I see her shiver, moving closer to the fire.

“Come here,” I say, “I will keep you warm.”

I put out an arm, and Aspen watches me for a moment before shuffling around the fire. She nestles into my embrace in her full coat, but she continues to shiver, her frail body shaking like a leaf.

“You will be warmer if you take off your coat,” I say. “My body heat is enough to sustain you.”

It is a barrier of safety between us, because I’m certain she can feel the chemistry between us as well as I. I noticed the subtle motions of her body while we were traveling; how she pressed herself more firmly into the cradle of my thighs, how she rested her head against my chest. But she does not have any reservations about shedding her coat, moving deeper into my embrace as her silver-blonde hair spills across my chest.

“Can I ask you more questions?” she says. “I know you can’t tell me about the trials, but there’s so much more I could learn.”

I nod against the crown of her head, ignoring the rush of pleasure that I feel at her scent. She smells of pine and chill winter air, with just a touch of sweetness. I recognize that scent as pleasure and desire, perhaps from our day’s ride.

I long for her after only a day; I wonder if humans have this effect on each of us who have been chosen for this task. I have been short with her as an attempt to keep her at bay, but she is fair indeed, and I do not wish to resist tonight.

“Tell me about the Convergence,” she says.

I hum in thought. “A harrowing tale, and one best told in a warm house, surrounded by one’s kin.”

“I’ve spent the past ten years in a warm house surrounded by my kin, and it hasn’t done me much good,” she mutters.

“In that case,” I say, “how much would you believe?”

“Depends on how well you tell it,” she says.

I chuckle and feel her nestle closer. Mycjora,Laka, grunts from where he’s settled in to graze on some hay left here by the last traveler, ignoring us entirely.

“What you know as the Celestial Convergence is in fact a single front for a much larger war,” I begin. “This war has been waged for centuries, and concerns control over a substance known as Elixir. This substance roils at the core of all planets, and without it, the planet will die.”

“That doesn’t sound very scientific,” she says.

“There is more to this universe than science,” I say. “I have traveled across many solar systems, and I’ve seen things that proved to be closer to magic than physics.”

“I was right, though—you’re all aliens, not monsters?”

“What is a the difference?” I ask.

“Well, I guess…” she trails off. “I don’t know. I guess I always thought of monsters as the things we tell stories about, that have always been here on Earth.”

“We have always been here,” I say. “The stories your people tell of giants, merfolk, and demons…some have a foundation in truth. That you shaped your religion and superstitions around those stories are no fault of ours.”

“Does that mean you’re evil?” she asks.

“Good and evil are subjective terms,” I murmur. “They depend on the values of you and your people. Only time can tell if our values align.”

“You can’t give me any hints?” she asks.

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