Page 113 of Empire of Flame and Thorns

Apprehension crackles through my veins like bolts of lightning.

Two steps left.

And… now!

I slash the knife through the thin vine-like trunk with one precise slit.

Then I ram it back in my holster and continue walking.

A faint rustling sound comes from behind us.

My heart pounds in my chest.

Please, please, tell me that I timed it correctly.

The rustling turns into a whooshing sound.

Draven spins towards it right as the giant bell-shaped top tips over and dumps all of its slimy green content right over us.

I yelp as I whirl around as well, hoping that it sounds like genuine shock. My gaze immediately darts to the cut I made in the vine that held up the bell. Because of its weight, the bell tipped forward once I cut through the vine. Then it snapped completely, leaving no evidence that I had anything to do with it. And besides, half of my body is also covered in that slimy green substance, since it tipped over me too.

However, Draven is far worse.

He stands there on the ground, his arms raised halfway up, and just stares in disbelief at the broken plant. There is an absolutely flabbergasted expression on his features. His hair, his face, and his entire body is completely covered in slime. That thick green liquid runs down his cheekbones and drips from his jaw and from his raised arms.

I burst out laughing.

Slime flies through the air as he whirls towards me. “I swear to God, if you had anything to do with this, I’ll…”

Then he trails off when he notices that my entire shirt and face and hair are soaked with it too. The only parts of me that escaped relatively clean are my pants, though there is some splatter on my left thigh.

A growl rips from his chest as he instead shoots a death glare at the broken plant. Then he yanks his arms down, flicking slime down at the ground.

“Azaroth’s fucking flame,” he grumbles under his breath as he stalks towards the river.

His boots make wet squelching sounds with every step.

My stomach lurches.

This is it. This is my one chance to steal back the ring.

While wiping slime out of my face, I follow him towards the river. My heart pounds in my chest. If he decides to just walk right into the river with his armor on, my entire plan will be for nothing. I need to make him take his clothes off before he gets into the water.

So before he can even think about stepping into the river fully clothed, I grab the hem of my shirt and yank it over my head.

Draven stumbles a step as he snaps his gaze to me.

I just lift my shoulders in a shrug. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. You saw me naked in that stairwell, remember?” Choosing my words carefully, I add, “And besides, I can’t wash the slime off properly with my clothes on.”

Draven opens his mouth, but then closes it again. There is a slightly flustered look on his face as he glances between me and his own body. Then he grunts in what sounds like resignation.

After trying to wipe some more slime off his hands, he reaches for his belt and starts unbuckling it.

My heart patters in my chest as I steal a discreet glance at the pouch where the ring is hidden. But I keep my face a neutral mask as I unbutton my own pants.

A thud sound as Draven drops his belt on the grass. Then he starts on his armor. I take my time shimmying out of my pants. Then I pretend to just remember that I’m still wearing my boots. With a calculated shake of my head at my own silliness, I sit down on the grass with my pants down at my ankles and start unlacing my boots.

More thuds sound as Draven drops the top half of his armor on the grass.

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