Page 244 of A Soul to Embrace

The teleportation of three heavy Mavka coming right up.

With his lips flat and somewhat pursed, Jabez looked down at the pair of swords barely an inch from either side of his throat. A frown marred his features, but it was mainly out of surprise, as he’djustteleported the second twin and his bride, Gideon, into Magnar’s ward.

To his right stood a very short woman with a light, fawny complexion and black hair tied into a high ponytail. Her brown eyes were furrowed into measured stoicism, and her sword didn’t even tremble, like it was merely an extension of herself. He noted heradorablelittle hunter’s outfit.

To his left, a pale woman with straight, blonde hair glared at him, her forest-green eyes filled with complete and utter loathing. Her pink upper lip was curled on one side, but unlike the other woman, her sword was unsteady. She wore a simple light-pink summery dress with a brown girdle and matching boots.

His ears perked up and a quiet chuckle rumbled from him as he tilted down towards the blonde. Right before her sword could pierce the flesh of his throat, he turned incorporeal, and thesharp blade went straight through his intangible, ghostly body.

“Hello, Reia,” he greeted with a malicious, fang-filled grin. “I would say it’s nice to see you, but the hatred in your eyes tells me you wish I would turn physical around this sword.”

“You have some nerve showing your face here,” Reia bit out. “You should have known this would happen.”

He twisted his head in an intentionally creepy fashion. “I wouldn’t be here if I was given a choice.” Then he stood and eyed the height-challenged woman to his right. “I remember you. Quite the swordswoman. You fought a group of Demonslayers rather gracefully.”

“You’re lucky we both held back at Delora and Zylah’s request,” the woman stated with an air of indifference. “Otherwise, we would have swung and cut off your head.”

He lifted his red eyes towards the crimson orbs of Orpheus and Faunus, who both held Mavka younglings. Faunus held three, from what he could tell, whereas Orpheus had his hands cupped underneath a single one.

“Well, as fun as this is, I’m more afraid of Merikh than you two put together, and he is awaiting my return. We can resume in just a moment.” With that, he stepped out of range of their swords, turned physical, and teleported back to Merikh.

Bright sunlight made him hiss, and he quickly placed his sun barrier spell over his body, but it did little to save his eyes from the way it reflected hot-white light off the pools of water.

“Took you long enough,” Merikh stated with annoyance, before reaching his wrist out when Jabez approached. “Don’t tell me you’re getting tired. Is that sweat on your forehead?”

Jabez rubbed the back of his hand against his temple, surprised to find the Mavka was right and there was perspiration.

“Everyone wants a piece of me today,” he stated with a tired sigh, already fed up with the threats.

“Orpheus and Faunus?”

“They looked murderous, but no. Their brides.” He cocked his head at Merikh as he touched his arm. “Did you know they have younglings?”

Their conversation was seamless as Jabez teleported them both to Magnar’s ward – butawayfrom where the two humans had just tried to corner him.

“No, but I’m not surprised,” Merikh said, before he headed straight for Raewyn and Lehnenia to check in on them.

Jabez skirted around the growing crowd of Mavka and their annoying brides to meet Zylah, who was already heading for him. He could feel multiple stares of orbs and eyes following him warily, but he mentally shrugged. He’d prepared himself for this.

“Are you okay?” Zylah cupped him underneath his jaw to lift his head back. With the way she tipped his head side to side and sniffed at the air, he knew she was checking to make sure he was uninjured.

“You’re forgetting who I am,” Jabez muttered, since the way she was holding his jaw kept him from talking properly. “I saw them coming from a mile away, but I think it’s best if I let everyone get their anger out and face it head-on.”

“I wish they wouldn’t,” Zylah grumbled with a small growl, before it came out as a sigh. “But I think you’re right, and theydidask me if they could do it.”

He cocked one of his brows. “And you let them?”

She chittered and her orbs flared orange. “You said you didn’t care what they did.”

He couldn’t help the way his lips curled at his mate being naughty like this. “It’s fine. I’ve faced much worse.” They both naturally reached out a hand to each other so they could intertwine their fingers. She needed his touch as much as he needed the reminder ofwhyhe was putting up with all this bullshit. “How are they treating you?”

“Good,” she admitted, her orbs shifting into a reddish pink. “They questioned me about you, and then tried to tell me about all the awful things you’ve done, as if I didn’t already know.”

His lips curled with tenderness at that. “I bet they were surprised when you didn’t care.”

She turned her head to the side with a huff, her way of pouting. “A little.”

“Oi!” Merikh yelled across multiple heads, catching everyone’s attention. “Get over here. Lehnenia needs protection from the sun.”