Death and the other joined a group of survivors outside the walls of the burning town, inching away slowly and satisfied that Quinn wouldn’t be able to find them.

  I would’ve gone back in there to slaughter the Cum Master and give the kill to Vera, a pity that Snow commanded me to leave the fight for another day… but make no mistake, I remember the deal of our duel… until one of us falls, Cum Master, that is the promise.

  The weather was getting frosty fast, a chill in the wind that even made Death rub his shivering hands together and blow on them for warmth. Snow was cuddled up to him, squeezing him to warm up her arms; Vera was in her black ribbons, unbothered.

  A warmly welcoming trader with a bushy white beard came with a sack filled with supplies. “Looks like ye’ve got some ash on the bottom of ye cape lad, looks like you lost the sleeves o’ yer clothing from that dragon attack.”

  “My arms are fine,” Death snarled. “Do not belittle me.”

  “Not belittlin’ at all, survivin’ a dragon attack ain’t an easy task. I was outside when I saw it, got some warm soup in a barrel if yer stomachs rumblin’ fierce.”

  “I killed the dragon,” Snow said quietly. “I saved the town.”

  “I bet you did, missy,” the trader joked. “Bet that dragon took one look at you and filled the sky wit’ a cloud o’ brown an’ green.”

  Vera agreed to the offer of soup, as did Snow, Death gave a nod and asked if two was possible, the trader agreed.

  “Hmph, I wouldn’t be a very kind man if I let that there woman endure this cold in rags like them. Here you go feller, you put some o’ this soft stuff under yer cloak to warm your neck, keep yourself toasty and keep your arms warm, free o’ charge, I reckon this’ll fit the girl nice and snug, sheep were fluffy like clouds this year. I’ve got one for that one too if she wants one.”

  Vera declined.

  Snow stood joyously and put on the winter clothing, squealing with joy and giving the trader a handshake as a thank you.

  “Plenty of gratitude, trader, now stop leaning on my cart before you flip it over, you fat oaf.”

  “Huh? Your cart?”

  Death pointed to a frozen corpse sitting at the front. The trader shook him, and he fell off, stiff and lifeless. “Don’t think the cold was what got him, burns on his face and arms. He travelled alone, I lay claim to the cart, I can take him with me when I have the strength and bury him when I have the chance if you’d like.”

  The trader looked warily at the children and their mothers. He picked the body up and put it in the back of the cart, covering it with black sheets and sacks of potatoes. “That will be fine,” he said. “And I will stay off your cart, young land, I have been having quite the heavy meals as of late.”

  “Hm, ‘twas only a jest, your kindness towards me and these two idiots is appreciated, but we need nothing more once we have our bowls of soup.”

  The trader called out for his friends to bring four bowls, he gave them all to Death. “I’m glad to be of service.” He shook Death’s hand. “Safe travels when you take the cart, my friend.”

  Aye, and a good sleep to you, kind sire.”

  Vera waited for the man to leave. “Since when are you so nice and welcoming to strangers, huh? The fuck has gotten into you?”

  Snow took her seat next to death and plopped cubes of cheese and slices of ham into their wooden bowls. “Since I saw Snow using the distraction of conversation to take some supplies from some of those carts over there.”

  “I’m good with my hands,” Snow reminded. “Cheese, ham, got some salt too… there you go, these meals won’t be bland now.”

  “Delectable,” Death said, slowly slurping soup. “Mm, this is not cuisine I would have at my castle, but it warms my throat.”

  “I’d let you warm my throat,” Snow teased. “With your clothes cleaned from that lake, and that wool around your neck, I think you should let me warm you up… even in front of everyone.”

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  “Do not get aroused while I am eating, Snow, now is the time for me to recharge for whatever comes next.”

  “How did you fight him off so well with no magic and no real gifts?” Vera asked.

  “Ah, you mean the Cum Master? Well, understanding the mind of your opponent is half the battle. I won because he was sloppy, his intentions and skills were obvious and simple—well, I would’ve won, defying my order and intervening in the battle was the final part of my plan, I knew based on your behaviour it’s what you’d do, I just expected you to stab his neck, not his side.”

  “I’m sorry,” she squealed. “Do you forgive me?”

  “Of course he does,” Snow answered. “We’re all alive and I took down a dragon, he’s proud of us… come on Death, say you’re proud of us.”

  “Is that a command?”

  “No,” she whispered teasingly. “But say it.”

  “Given the circumstances, the two of you did fairly well, I am proud that you weren’t entirely useless.”

  Snow and Vera both hid their smiles, masking their excitement with loud slurps from a wooden spoon.

  “So, what’s fuckin’ next?” Vera coughed. “Where to? Didn’t get much of a direction from searching for the cambions.”

  “There’s so many possibilities, so many paths: Kill Cum Master, I incapacitate him, you will kill him, his gift is a detriment; find the cambions, kill them too; Snow mentioned a woman named Bianca, as did Cum Master, I will kill her too; get my trophy back by eliminate the Valan bloodline, ensure they never have any children; seek out and dispatch Killian Entrail, his physical ability would make a fine addition to my power; another path that could entertain would be finding this mother dragon and slaughtering them all so I can gain the strength of the mighty beasts; which to do first? I think I shall sleep on it.”

  They joined a campfire with the other travellers. Death pulled a fallen log and rolled it close. He sat on it with a girl’s head on each shoulder. They are using me as a cushion. I suppose I will allow this, only because I cannot be bothered to talk.

  Death listened to the tales of speakers for a long while, a story of how one of the talker’s sons was a great knight who died in the recent dragon attacks whilst saving a family.

  Acting heroic will only get you killed, Death thought. I find that tale rather embarrassing, I wouldn’t want that to be me.

  “Aren’t you tired?” Snow whispered. “These clothes are comfy. You can use my thighs as a place to rest your head.”

  “I am a conqueror, Snow,” he yawned. “—actually, maybe it is for the best, these weak bones of mine are aching from the battle.”

  After ten seconds of Snow rubbing his hair and caressing his face while he rested his head, the mighty conqueror began to snore like an overworked peasant, but thankfully the crackling fire masked it for the others around them.

  Vera limped to the other side and rested her head on Snow’s other thigh, looking up at her like a puppy. “What, you want me to play with your hair too?” Snow teased. “Fine, but if you bite me, I will wake Death, he’ll throw you into a tree.”

  “You saved me,” Vera whimpered. “You gave Death the order to save me, to heal me, I have never seen a healer perform what he did the way he did it.”

  “Well, he’s quite greedy when he drains powers, but he can give them to others too—haven’t seen him do it willingly except to heal my silly self when a rock bonked me on the noggin. I love him, even when he is mean, and I always will.”

  “Why?”

  Snow gave a gentle smile as she rubbed Death’s cheek. “I just always will,” she whispered. “I heard tales of the man trapped, a man who granted wishes, it was the word trapped that made me feel pain at the thought of someone desperate to be saved… the linking of our souls was an accident, as I told you, and I will admit that he does make me feel very… strange…”

  “You mean aroused,” Vera teased.

  “Yeah,” she answered truthfully. “But when I saw him in that tomb something just clicked inside of me the second I saw his face. I want to give him everything he wants, be that person he can rely on when he needs it, be that person he throws himself into when he needs a rest… look at him, scowling even in his sleep, an adorable man, I would do anything for him.”

  “Don’t misinterpret my words… I would do anything for him too. I’ve always been a cynic, always been difficult, guilty until proven innocent, the whole thing… When I heard those knocks on my door my instinct was to cut both your throats and return to that man on my bed, fucking him until he was dust. Just like you described, when I saw his face, something just clicked inside of me that made me fight that urge so fucking hard, like fate whispered into my ear and told me this was my chance to be better. I saw how he fought against Quinn, I’ve never seen someone fight like him, especially without strength or gifts. I don’t know why destiny lead you to me, a girl who couldn’t even hold her own against a guy who controls water, but I must be alive for something, right?”

  Snow put on a deep voice and mimicked Death. “You act on emotional impulses, you are rash, flawed—” She burst out into a giggle, as did Vera. “—I’m kidding.”

  “I want to serve you,” Vera whispered. “Really serve, not this crap I’ve been doing where I follow you around, I want to be the best for you two of you, a faithful follower, and the next time there is a fight like that, I want to die for you.”

  “Get some rest,” Snow said, playing with Vera’s ears. “I accept your service, but you will not die.”