Page 51 of Blood Lord

I know that I am going to have to force this down already. The plant—whatever it is—looks soggy and wilted, and the fish is raw in some spots and burnt in others.

Raziel is skilled in many ways, but I am afraid it will never be in his culinary skills.

I spoon a piece of fish into my mouth, barely chewing as I choke it down, and I flash him a bright smile. "I appreciate how much work you put into this," I tell him.

His smile grows wider as he turns around to clean up, and I know that I could never rob him of that joy. Raziel may seem like a heartless man to others, but I know how deeply he cares.

So, I force the food down, giving him encouraging nods when he turns to look at me. I'm careful to never lie to him. I do appreciate him and all his effort, even if it makes my stomach turn.

It also means a lot to me that he has been working so hard to make sure I rest when he has been rushing around tirelessly. He never takes a break for himself, and I swear that he's almost more eager than I am to get back to the surface.

I can't wait to see his face when we get back up there. It was so hard for him to come back down here, and I wish I could have been there the first time he tasted fresh air and flew without restrictions, but I'm happy to be a part of it this time.

Even though our primary goal is to set up the aboveground base, I am also looking forward to the life I have with my mate. He will get to show me new things about vrakken on the surface that simply can't be done below—like magical feats and flying.

But I get to show him what Protheka is like now. He's taught me a lot about what it used to mean to be human, and I get to show him what it does now—without all the torture and suffering, of course. He even said that we may be able to go into the city with a glamour but we'll have to do a few tests first.

Just as I manage to finish the dinner, a soft knock raps on the door. "I'll get it," I tell him, crossing the cave to the entrance.

When I pull the door open, I'm not too surprised to see a young scout standing there. The amount that shows up on our doorstep daily would be impressive if I didn't know that no one had anything better to do down here.

"Hi," I tell him. "Are we needed?"

He shakes his head. "No. The Matriarch just wanted me to confirm that you intend to depart in the morning with your test group? The supplies will be gathered for you and placed at the entrance."

My heart flutters at the thought, and I grin as I nod. "Tell Brinda that we will be setting out just before dawn."

29

Raziel

The predawn air tastes sweet on my tongue, and I feel refreshed as we emerge from the cave into the woods. The magic is noticeably lacking, and I look around at the other vrakken to see their heads tipped back as they soak in the sky.

It's a sight to behold after centuries. Even I feel a weight lifted off of me as I look up at the rapidly brightening horizon. To see trees and vegetation, to spread my wings and feel a real breeze, it all refreshes my soul just as it did the first time and every time since.

I catch Selene watching me and lean down to kiss her. "Are you happy to be back up here?"

She nods. "We should get to the wildspont before the sun comes up, though," she reminds me.

"Right."

I lead us all toward the portal, though I'm sure the others can feel it as we approach. Selene links her hand through mine, and we step through the portal back to our first home.

It's the perfect spot for us to set up an above ground base with plenty of magic, a portal that leads to Liiandor and another that connects to the cavernous tunnel. We'll be nearly impossible to find and be able to stay well protected with the level of magic that the wildspont provides.

I lead us all past the cave that will always hold a special place in my heart to the clearing where we've been erecting buildings over the last few weeks. It's what I've spent most of my time doing, guiding the vrakken who can sun glamour out here to help build housing and meeting areas for the three dozen members of our group when we finally came up here.

Just as I had expected, we were able to cast a base wide sun glamour so that even those with us who can't harness the power are safe. The magic of the wildspont keeps it going so none of us are diminished to protect ourselves.

I watch as the sun comes up, bathing us all in its rays, and not a single vrakken burns. Some wince, an old fear, but the sun glamour holds strong.

"Great job," Selene whispers, and I try to stifle my pride. I'm excited, though. It gives us the option to work during the day.

I'm sure that many vrakken will still sleep through the day and be up at night, though. Old habits die hard.

"There are living quarters just through here," I announce to the group, charging forward, and again, I am impressed with our own work.

We've built a number of buildings in just a week, and while they are not the most luxurious rooms, they will do. There is enough housing for all of us, a meeting hall with enough room as we expand. We even started on separate living quarters, kitchens, and a garden for humans once we start to recruit.

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