I was left speechless and slack-jawed.
“Who was she?” she asked before I could even think of saying anything. “Just some abandon?”
“Some abandon?”
“You know. You worldly men do it all the time. Meet some woman, promise her the world, get in her panties, and then abandon her the instant the fun is over. Hence, an ‘abandon.’ At least, that’s what I call them.”
I hesitated for a moment before replying; it didn’t seem like the best idea to go telling a bishop that I’d fingered the Goddess of Death.
“She wasn’t an ‘abandon,’” I said. “She was someone I’ve, uh, been getting to know recently. Someone I know I’ll be seeing again.”
“I see. But why was she lurking in the woods? Where is she now? Why wouldn’t she just come and sleep in our camp instead of hiding out there like a rogue or a bandit? She’s not a bandit, is she? I’ve heard stories about female bandits, and—”
“She’s not a rogue, and she’s no bandit. She’s just… very independent. Likes to do her own thing, comes and goes as she pleases. ‘I don’t need no man,’ you know. That kinda attitude. Except that, when she does need a man, she comes to me.”
“I suppose you’re not the marrying type, are you?” she asked. She seemed genuinely curious rather than judgmental. Strange.
“I don’t see myself getting tied down to any one woman any time soon,” I admitted. In my code of honor, fucked up as it may have been, honesty and truthfulness were high up there on the priority list, and as stunning and sexy as Elyse was, I wasn’t going to use lies and false promises to get in her pants. “You may not like it, but that’s just how I do things.”
She shrugged, and, remarkably enough, a glint of mischief continued to gleam in her pretty eyes.
“At least you’re honest.” She folded up her cloak and started packing her things. “Most men aren’t. They’ll pretend to be a fairytale prince come to rescue you, to be yours forever, and then… abandon. Just as easy as they coughed up those sickly sweet lies, they disappear. Well, I’m not stupid. I’m not going to be anyone’s abandon.” She suddenly turned and fixed me with a piercing glare. “She knows this, right, the woman you were with last night? She knows you have no plans to ‘get tied down,’ as you would have it?”
“That’s obvious. I don’t have that fairytale prince in me.”
The smile returned instantly to Elyse’s face. “Good! Well, if you’re both open about your intentions, then there’s nothing wrong with having some fun. I just hope she’s okay with sleeping in the woods on her own, or whatever she does.”
With the things this girl said, you’d never know she was a member of the clergy. The better I got to know her, the more I liked her. It seemed that she had a very open attitude toward activities of the carnal kind, which again reminded me of the divine curves hidden in those cleric robes.
“She can handle herself, and she prefers being on her own most of the time.”
Because she was the immortal Goddess of Death.
“I see. She sounds pretty interesting. Maybe I’ll meet her sometime, huh?”
I had to fight to stifle a laugh, which escaped my nostrils as an undignified snort. Elyse raised an eyebrow and frowned, clearly wondering how I’d managed to find humor in what she said, but I kept my mouth shut about the true identity of my mystery lady; things were complicated enough already.
“Maybe you will,” I said, trying to keep a straight face. I figured it was about time to switch the topic. And it was probably best to introduce her to Fang when she was in a good mood, as she seemed to be at the moment. “Anyway,” I continued somewhat hastily, “are you ready to go? We have some miles to cover if we’re going to make it to Erst today.”
“What, are you planning on running there? We’re not going to make it in a day. It’s at least a two-day walk from here, more likely three.”
“Oh, I think we’ll make it there before dusk.”
She frowned.“I don’t see any horses around here, Vance.”
“I’ve got something better. But before I introduce you to my—our—mount, you have to promise not to freak out.”
“Promise not to freak out… What are you talking about? I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Look. A day ago, you might have… used your holy powers and your mace if you’d seen a walking skeleton, right? But after you met me, you were totally fine with sleeping in a campsite surrounded by walking skeletons. And I know you’re not too fond of them, and that you think that they’re unholy and evil and all that, but you tolerate their presence now, right? Well, it’s gonna be like that with Fang.”
“Fang?” She furrowed her brow before she groaned. “Enough dancing around the point. Tell me what kind of horse this is!”
I flashed a grin of boyish joy at her. “I’m not moving an inch until you promise.”
“Fine, I won’t freak out. Happy?”
“You churchies take your promises very seriously from what I’ve heard, so you’d better not break this one,” I said with mock sternness. “Well, now that that’s out of the way, let’s go meet Fang.”
With that, I turned around and led her out of the campsite. I couldn’t help feeling proud when I saw Fang resting exactly where I had told him to wait.
“Creature of darkness!” Elyse roared when she walked up beside me, her hands glowing with a warm golden light as she spoke. “I will send you back to the abyss, and—”
“Hey, hey, whatever you’re doing, stop it!” I said, putting a hand firmly on her forearm. “Fang’s no threat to you.”
“It eats people!” she practically howled. “Have you lost your mind? I’m about to save both our lives here!”
With my free hand, I pointed at
