Page 121 of Demon of the Dead

“We were rather busy,” Mattias said, wry.

“With your tongue down our throats,” Klemens said, sourly.

Sound had a funny way of carrying down here in this cavernous space. He hadn’t spoken loudly, but Brigida let out a sound and clapped a hand over her mouth in reaction.

Klemens muttered a curse, gaze slanting up toward the stairs.

“Now you’ve done it,” Náli said, fighting a grin. “You’ve scandalized your prospective lady.”

“His what?” Brigida exclaimed.

“Not to mention,” Náli continued. “If you remember correctly, you were the one who kissed me, sir.”

Klemens scowled, cheeks pinking. “Better to get it bloody over with,” he muttered. “Since you were screaming and swooning.”

“No,” Náli said, “I think you were overcome with passion.” He swayed forward, lips puckered up in an exaggerated kissy face, hands grasping, laughing when Klemens made a face and dodged him.

“Náli,” Mattias said, his serious tone sobering. “You should go up and reassure the house.”

The tremors that had stirred everyone to panic must have been the mountain’s last, great shudder as it relinquished the power stored inside it. It would still be a fire mountain, yes, as it had always been, but a much less volatile one.

Náli nodded. Then a thought occurred. He met Mattias’s gaze. “Yes. Except it’s we, now. We should go up.”

For the first time since the reign of the original Corpse Lord of the Fault Lands, the master of the dead had help.

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