AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And even though Asher wasn’t as muscular as us, his skills with a bow, wind magic, staff, or almost any other weapon I gave him was outstanding.
Other than knowing he was a quick learner, loved walnuts, cracked his knuckles a lot, and was book smart, I knew little about him.
However, I knew some of his dislikes.
Dead bodies made him nauseous, which was rough when our jobs required us to kill occasionally in order to protect the citizens of the kingdom. He despised the fact that there were no walnut trees where we lived as there was back home. And unlike Cash and myself, he hated chopping wood.
Upon reflection, I realized that he had a strong aversion to engaging in almost anything us men in the house typically enjoyed. I’m not sure if that’s why we never bonded closer than we had, or if it was the fact that he was quiet, spending a lot of his time alone.
“You don’t have to tell me the issue,” he said, tossing his towel aside. “I was just offering my help.”
“I appreciate that.”
He nodded slowly, the silence in the room louder than thunder, causing me to avert my eyes.
Understanding that not everyone’s personality was as outgoing as Cash’s or Cali’s, I knew I was eventually going to have to open up in order to form relationships with certain people. I released a puff of air, deciding to say something small and see where it went.
“Um, I’m having trouble figuring out what to get Ember for Flaik Luna and it’s driving me nuts.”
“That’s simple. Get her the triple stacker from Milo’s. She loves that sandwich.”
My mouth fell agape. “See, that was my first thought, but Zila said it wouldn’t be romantic.”
“No, but it would be filling.”
We both laughed before I decided to open up more.
“After talking with Cash, he thought it would be a good idea to get Ember to drop her shield and maybe I could get a small glimpse of that beautiful mind of hers. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as I planned, and now my best friend is out of town for the weekend picking apples and my other one bought out the whole damn market for Cinder.”
Asher furrowed his brow, probably wondering what the hell I was talking about. Maybe I opened up too much. I was starting to sound like Cinder with my rambling.
“Anyway, that’s what’s on my mind. Flaik Luna.”
Asher cracked his knuckles, his face pensive. “I know little about women, which is probably why I’m single after a three-year relationship. But I do know I always lose my shield on the portals. Have you tried taking Ember on one? Or maybe a few in a row?”
“I haven’t, but that’s a great idea. Thanks, Asher.”
With a smile, he appeared to be in a more relaxed state. “You’re welcome.”
I tossed the towel I had stressfully twisted but never used aside. “Are you ready to lose?”
He retrieved his staff, a look of determination plastered on his face. “The question is, are you ready to get slaughtered?”
I laughed and entered the middle of the room. “Let’s do this.”
A few hours and a hot shower later, I was ready to tackle my next mission. Asher had managed to get a third point on me, beating me for the first time since he came here almost a year ago. But I wasn’t going to let that get me down when I had more important things to tend to.
“Hurry up, my love. We’re going to be late.”
Ember scrunched up her nose as she fastened the last two silver buckles on her corset. “How can we be late shopping at the pelt market on Direbreak? They’re open until this evening.”
“It’s winter and most of the good furs are going to be gone.”
She grabbed her dagger off the maple dresser, then strapped it to her thigh. “You’ve been acting strange lately, Val.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Uh huh.” She sounded like she didn’t believe me. Her eyes met mine, a gleam of suspicion in them. I swallowed hard.
