Page 84 of Joy Guardian

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Raimus bristled, then turned to the man who used to have the rope. “Sakin, did he not give us his promise?”

Sakin glared at Kurai. “He sure did. We all heard him.”

He looked at the others for confirmation, and they nodded too.

“Right,” Kurai agreed. “I promised you joy, but I didn’t exactly say when, did I?”

“Of course you did! You said after we help you get her.” Malis pointed at me with her sword.

Kurai shrugged. “But I didn’t say how long after. It could be a month or a century from now. I could wait until I start aging before doing anything about it. And since I’m only a hundred and six years old, that would take quite a while.”

“Fuck!” The man next to Malis spat. “I knew it was stupid to deal with a Joy Guardian. They are all slippery, lying fuckers.”

Kurai raised his head defiantly, spreading his shoulders wide. “I didn’t lie, Gefred.”

“Well, if I’m not getting any joy in this life, maybe killing you will at least bring me some satisfaction?” Gefred advanced on Kurai menacingly.

Tension tightened around us. It was more suffocating than the heat of a day storm. I scrambled for what to do to defuse it. My gaze fell on the crate that Raimus and Sakin had brought. Dropping to my knees, I rummaged through it frantically, then grabbed the first piece of fruit I saw. It was a large, golden pear that looked ripe and juicy, and I was hungry. I’d been hungry for so long now.

“Listen!” I jumped to my feet, holding the pear up like a grenade. “Let’s try this again.”

They all looked at me in confusion.

“What are you doing, Ciana?” Kurai furrowed his brow.

I stepped up to him. “Hug me.”

“What?” He looked even more confused but wrapped his arms around me promptly.

I leaned against his chest. And for once, I allowed my feelings for him to flood me without any restraint of doubt or fear. I let myself to truly enjoy this moment of warmth in his arms, of his scent around me, of the soft beating of his heart under my cheek.

“Come on.” I smiled at the fae around us. “Try it now. I promise you’ll feel joy.”

They shuffled closer but weren’t as eager to connect to me this time. Kurai shifted, trying to move me to the side to shield me from them, but I kissed his chest gently.

“Trust me,” I said softly, then addressed the fae approaching us. “Do you see this pear?” I rotated the fruit in my hand. “Pears happen to be one of my favorite fruits ever. Do you want to feel how much I’ll enjoy this one?”

Slowly, their tendrils appeared. They reached for me, jostling each other out of the way.

“Oneleilathafor each.” Malis elbowed Raimus aside.

“But there are four of us, and she has sixleilathas,” Raimus pointed out.

“Fine, I’ll take two.”

“Whyyou?”

“Because I have a sword.” She yanked her weapon out of the sand. “And all you have is a sack and a crate.”

“I can end you with that crate before you even lift that sword.”

I snapped my fingers in the air, commanding their attention. “Are we doing it or not? Because I derive no joy in watching you fight.”

“Fine,” Raimus begrudgingly stepped aside, allowing Malis to claim bothleilathason my right arm while he and Sakin shared the two on my back.

Gefred aimed his tendrils at my left arm.

“Are you sure about this, sweetheart?” Kurai asked, his handsome features shifting with concern.

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