Julian and Sofia talked a bit more, but I was on the verge of falling asleep. Julian noticed this and asked for me and Jashen to be given a room.

  Sofia agreed and had a guard take us to vacant quarters. I guess the guard had a sense of humor because the room he brought us to only had one bed.

  I turned to him.

  “No, no we need two beds, separate. Do. You. Understand?”

  The dwarf frowned. “Het.” He slapped his bicep and raised a fist before he walked off.

  I blinked.

  Did he just flip me off?

  I didn’t even have the energy to be angry honestly. Though even if I did I’d probably just laugh, because in all honesty that was kinda funny.

  “Uhm… human.”

  “It's Lafayette.”

  “Lafayette, there’s only one bed.”

  I nodded as I walked into the room and kicked off my boots. “Yep.” I approached the bed, pulled the blanket aside, and crashed down.

  This bed was surprisingly comfortable all things considered. Not too soft, but not too firm either. “Mhmm.”

  I was on my stomach, spread-eagled. Then I closed my eyes and let the rumble of the airship rock me to sleep like it was a massage.

  It was perfect.

  Or it would have been… if Jashen hadn’t climbed into bed and gotten on top of me. She covered us both with the blanket. Her hands were underneath me and gripped my chest.

  Her tail was between my legs and against my stomach.

  And her head was next to mine.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I asked.

  “W-well there’s only one bed, and it’s kind of cold, and you didn’t say anything, so I just assumed…”

  She rambled on for a while.

  “Get off me.”

  “No.” Jashen shook her head and pressed herself closer against me. “I’m sorry but this is comfortable. I have to think about myself too.”

  I sighed deeply, the smell of hay and wet fur was thick on this chick.

  “When I get my energy back I will kill you. Like just a straight-up slaughter, slasher style. Ya get me?”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Jashen pouted as her tail made its way past my tunic and made skin contact with my stomach. “You’re so mean.” She whispered.

  I gave a tight-lipped frown.

  This girl, I just threatened to kill her, and she called me mean.

  What is my life right now?

  I closed my eyes and let my exhaustion take over. But rest assured, the moment I woke up I’d turn her into a damn rug.

  — — —

  When I woke up my body felt lighter. The familiar sensation of Ouro pumping in my veins was a welcome relief.

  The only thing that ruined it was the drool on my face and the weight of Jashen. I pushed myself up and pulled away from her grasp.

  She rolled over, her tail pulled out of my tunic as she wrapped herself up in my blanket.

  “No big brother, don’t eat my rice balls, please…” she muttered under her breath with a visible pout.

  I wiped the slobber from my face and flicked my hand down.

  “Ugh, what an annoying animal.” I turned away from the bed and exited the room.

  Outside I was greeted by Julian who sat on the floor with cards. He slowly looked up at my disheveled appearance and bit back a laugh.

  “Don’t tell me you two actually,” he shuffled his cards. “Mated.”

  I stared down at him.

  “No, we just sleep together.”

  Julian’s eyes widened a smidge. “Already? Ho hoo, Lafayette… and here I thought she was the animal”

  He laughed.

  I gave him that same tight-lipped frown. All I wanted was to die in an epic battle of the ages. It’s not like I wanted much, and the universe still found a way to punish me for it.

  “Jokes aside, there’s something we need to discuss before we land in Kotal.” He gestured for me to sit next to him.

  I walked over and plopped down beside him.

  He wrinkled his nose. “You smell like a wet animal, you know that, right?”

  I closed my eyes.

  “Alright, alright that was the last one.” Julian handed me a card, then dealt one to himself. “Let’s play a bit of war, you’ve heard of that, yes?”

  I opened one eye. “We both flip cards, the highest card wins the pair.”

  Julian continued to deal until we both had 26 cards. “That’s right, you go first.”

  I pulled a card from my deck and placed it down. Nine of hearts.

  Julian pulled a card from his deck. Ten of clubs.

  He snatched up both cards and placed them under his deck. “So, first things first we have to discuss what happens when we arrive in Kotal.”

  He placed down a card.

  “Alright.”

  I placed down a card.

  Mine was higher.

  “We’ll land at a safe house on the coast,” Julian explained as I took my cards. “We’ll stay there for about a week. During that time you’ll need to lie low while I talk with my people.”

  I placed down a card.

  “I can’t just go home?”

  Julian shook his head as he placed down his card. His card was lower. “No, I personally want to escort you home.”

  I took the cards. “Why?”

  Julian placed down an ace. “Because, I don’t trust anyone else to do it.”

  I placed the five of hearts. “Well, why would I trust you?”

  Julian took the cards with a smirk. “You don’t have to, I actually recommend that you don’t. However, I’m not doing this out of the kindness of my heart either. You’re Lilith’s son, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah? What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Everything,” Julian replied as he watched me place a card. “I don't believe for a second that she ‘lost’ you. She got rid of you on purpose and I have a feeling the reunion between you two will be explosive.”

  He placed his own card, a higher one.

  “In fact, I’m willing to bet you know what’s going to happen.” He took the cards. “So let me ask you something, why are you going back?”

  I paused and looked him in the eye for a moment. “Do you really wanna know?”

  “That's why I asked.” He winked.

  “Because I want to die,” I answered dryly.

  “I’m tired of living this life of betrayal, misery, and loneliness. Everyone is always out of themselves and I’m sick of it.”

  Julian blinked as he placed down a card. “Is that so?”

  “Yes. So I figured I’d take out everything on Lilith, I’ll fight until there is nothing left. And then I’ll leave this world as I was born into it.”

  I placed down a higher card and took them both.

  “Broken and alone.”

  I placed down another card, but Julian waited for a moment in silence. Then he placed down the same card as me.

  War.

  “That’s a heavy outlook at your age, I mean… how old are you?”

  “Does it matter?”

  Julian tilted his head and he and I set up our three cards. “I suppose not if you plan on killing yourself. Though it’s such a waste, for you and this world.”

  We revealed our fourth card.

  I won.

  “Save me from that, I’ve heard enough of that. From everyone.” I forcefully scooped up the cards and put them under my deck.

  “No one gives a damn about me. They either want to use me or discard me and I refuse to believe anything else.”

  Julian sighed. “If that is how you truly feel.”

  “It is. I didn’t want to be this way, I didn't ask for any of this.” My voice choked as I blinked back tears.

  Why the fuck was I crying already?

  “You think I asked to be ripped from my fiancée after watching her be choked out by my mother? You think I wanted to survive in a place called the damn demon continent? For months?”

  My chest grew heavy as my eyes grew blurry.

  “You think I wanted to have my hands crushed as my damn dog was sold off by my so-called friends? You think I asked to be betrayed and kidnapped? To almost have my core ripped out by traffickers?! You think I wanted any of this?!”

  My chest heaved as I crushed the cards in my hand. “I’ve seen what this world has to offer and now I want out. Nothing you do or say will convince me otherwise.”

  I looked down at the crumpled cards, then up at Julian and I tossed them at him. “Don’t talk to me again unless it’s about going home.”

  Julian waved his hand and the cards floated in mid-air. Julian then guided them back into a deck and sighed.

  “I’m sorry, truly.”

  I glared at him.

  “I don’t need your sorry, I’ve had enough of them. They don’t do anything, just words people say when they know there’s nothing they can do to make up for what they did.”

  I turned and walked away.

  I don’t know where I was headed, but I knew I needed to get away.