Page 15 of The Anointed's Paladin

A flash of silver caught my eye, and to my surprise, the maoferni appeared again, long enough to silently run a dagger through another ghostly eye socket. His blade must actually be bolstered, as the drisand’s face collapsed, its body sinking to the ground. Our eyes met, and if he was surprised to see me very much alive, he didn’t betray it. Was he alone? That was strange. They usually kept one or two wards around, at least.

Instead, he winked at me and swung himself into the branches overhead, disappearing once more. My face went red, my eyes still searching for him. I really should be angry, but instead, I couldn’t tear my mind away from his smile and the tender way he’d spoke to me.

A heavy claw swung at me, rudely ripping me from my reverie. I snarled, thrusting forward to deal another scorching blow. I glanced up to the branches, wondering if he was watching me. There were two more piles of ash on the ground now, but the maoferni must still be invisible.

Realising how to even this fight a bit, I grinned. I raised my sword, shouting the words to an espial illumination spell. It blinded my foes next to me. Andifit just happened to also disrupt invisibility… perhaps that was a bonus.

I dispatched three more as they struggled to adjust to the bright light. Drisands weren’t bad, as long as you didn’t let them pin you. I caught sight of him as I turned. He had gone up into the trees now that my spell had disrupted his stealth.

With a bow, I turned back to the battle, knocking a particularly big one off-balance. I was about to deal the killing blow when an arrow shot past me and into the creature’s eye. It keeled over. I turned again,and he was holding his bow, smirking. I gestured at the drisands’ back line, too far for me to reach but still launching missiles. Perhaps he could make himself more useful?

Instead, he kept shooting the creaturesjustbefore I killed them. He was a good shot, too—or insanely confident and lucky, as some of his arrows came very close to me. It was infuriating, having the satisfaction of the kill ripped away from me over and over. I snarled as another one fell.

I was sweating, panting, as I approached the last drisand. There was no way I was letting him have this one. My sword met barkskin, and the drisand crumpled. I grinned in triumph before I saw the dagger sticking out of its back. I huffed, scowling.

I wiped my sword and sheathed it, then picked up the dagger from the crumbled remains. The clearing was empty, save for the bodies.

“I think this is yours?” I asked, holding up the dagger.

But he was nowhere to be seen. I tucked the dagger away and examined the stab wound he’d left me. A lot of my healing had gone to my lungs. Fixing my skin was a bonus, one I couldn’t spare right now. There was a large scab in the spot he’d struck.

Usually, a little more attention before it healed fully would prevent a scar, but I traced my fingers over the scab, a thrill running through me. I’d been chasing that fantasy for a long time. Long, lonely nights spent picturing myself at the mercy of someone like him. His face popped into my head again, the words he’d murmured to me whispering in my ear.

“…a gallant knight come to my rescue.”

Like that was a perfectly normal thing to say to an enferni.

Like that was a perfectly normal thing for amaofernito say to a Paladin.

The words weren’t sincere, just flattery. Fawning—was that the word? Manipulating someone who could protect you.

Fuck, I might be dead in a week. No harm in enjoying it.

9

What. An. Idiot. (Kinda hot tho)

Kaine

Isat in the tree, twirling my knife in my hands as I watched the enferni bumble around below me. He seemed very lost. He glanced helplessly one way, took a step and then stopped, looking behind him.

He cursed, kicking a stump, and I grinned. It was kind of adorable, actually. Big, strong fire demon. Weakness? No sense of direction.

I leaned backwards, using the tip of my knife to try and dislodge something that was stuck in my teeth.

Could he be the ward I needed? I had seen the golden mark on his hand earlier and reacted without thinking— to thin the competition. Especially competition wearing religious garb. Healers like him usually licked the boots of Gods who commanded my eradication.

The thought warmed me; not of the Gods but the thought of licking. Enferni were verygood at licking things.

I eyed him again, admiring his tall frame. Kill or keep? I could shoot him now, but he was a healer, so it would require more than one bolt to take him down. Plus, he hadrushed in to help me earlier.

And Gods, he had almostmeltedwhen I flirted with him. The look he had given me left me no doubt I could have him eating out of my hand.

I pictured it, all six-foot-whatever of him kneeling in front of me, looking up with those doe-like eyes.

Please, sir, could I have some more?

Hmm.

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