Page 70 of Emylia

The ground trembled beneath a sea of stamping feet, wild appreciation thundered through the crowd, their cheers rising to the heavens like an offering to the Goddess.

“In her quest to find her soulmate, Elessandria breathed life into a worthy race. In her longing to protect us, she sacrificed her own freedom. And in her unwavering devotion to the race she created, she ensured the survival of the long-lost princess, so the rightful heir could one day reclaim her place on the throne of Agertheria.”

The crowd was riveted by Thrainn, hanging onto every single word from the oversized brute of a leader.

“But we cannot forget the one who lies in wait in the dark. We must always be on our guard against the winter shadows and the opportunists.”

The crowd murmured with agreement. As honorable as Elessandria was, there was always the trickster Ezekial lying in wait.

“Praise to Elessandria, the most radiant and gracious of Goddesses! May her light shine upon us forever. To the Goddess!” Uncle Thrainn lifted his glass.

“To the Goddess.”

Mugs were raised in the air, golden liquid sloshing over the sides, seemingly unnoticed.

“It is tradition that the winner of the sword fighting contest calves the boar, if we are lucky to have one, which this year we are.” Another exuberant cheer almost deafened me. “However, because the battle was so fierce and we owe the boar to the man’s skill, I invite Maalikai to do the honors.”

A rumble of appreciation erupted around the table; I wasn’t among them.

I glanced beside me, stealing a glimpse of the young man who had somehow started to unravel the fortress surrounding my heart. I moved with extra care, each action calculated, every glance measured—acutely aware of Sebastian’s presence beside me. Of how it might make him feel if he saw me risking glances at Maalikai.

The last thing I wanted to do was upset Sebastian. But pretending the pull between Maalakai and me didn’t exist was like trying to catch a bolt of lightning.

Impossible.

Magnetic.

All-consuming.

And it was getting harder to ignore.

Smiling sheepishly, Maalikai scratched the back of his neck, his bicep bulging in the most luxurious way. I wasn’t sure what was more surprising. That his bicep actually bulged—I didn’t realize that was even possible—or that he looked embarrassed.

Was he shy? Surely, he was used to getting a bucket load of attention. How could he not when he looked like that?

So why did he look so uncomfortable?

“No, Thrainn, the honor is all yours. You beat me fair and square. Plus, I couldn’t take the honor that is rightfully yours. You are the chief after all.”

Thrainn beamed back at him, his chest puffing in pride as he gave Maalikai a respectful nod.

A mischievous smile highlighted Maalikai’s perfectly defined features. “Especially when you could rip me in half without breaking a sweat.”

Thrainn’s booming laugh drowned everyone else out, but I noticed Josephine and Evie giggling, now positioned on the other side of Maalikai.

Gag.

The entire town seemed taken with Maalikai. The old men saw themselves in him, the young men were jealous of him. The older women saw a marriageable male for their daughters, and the young women saw their future husband.

Double gag.

“I like this lad; he has balls.”

Thrainn was right, I wasn’t sure anyone else would dare talk to the chief like that. Not that Thrainn would actually hurt anyone–unless they deserved it. He might’ve looked terrifying–like a Cindralyx preying on its next kill–but deep down, he was just a grizzly with a soft spot. More bark than bite, and mostly just a glorified security blanket.

Maalikai had already worked him out, and Thrainn obviously had developed a soft spot for him too—no wonder Sebastian had his panties in a twist.

“Right, who’s ready for the main course?” Thrainn boomed as he sliced through the boar, another thunderous cheer drowning everything else out.

---