Several hours later, I discovered that healing Seraphina had created an entirely different problem.
The difference a bath, two proper meals, and clothing that hadn’t spent months inside a dungeon cell could make was fucking ridiculous.
I found her in what passed for Ashfall’s training chamber, her freshly washed blonde hair falling loosely around a face that was almost unfairly beautiful now that dirt and exhaustion weren’t hiding it.
My attention drifted lower despite every good intention I didn’t possess. Lyra had found her a fitted black shirt and dark trousers that hugged her closely enough to reveal plump breasts, a narrow waist, and long, toned legs. Months of starvation had left her thinner than she should have been, but even that couldn’t hide the kind of figure I’d apparently decided every important woman in my novel needed.
Then Seraphina turned to retrieve a wooden practice sword, and the view from behind wasn’t helping.
Her trousers stretched tightly across a round, firm ass that stole my attention for several seconds longer than could reasonably be blamed on observation.
’Jesus Christ. Did I give any of these women normal proportions?’
Seraphina glanced over her shoulder and caught me staring. Her blue eyes narrowed while a faint blush crept across her cheeks, although she stubbornly kept her voice level. "My eyes are considerably higher, you know."
I dragged my gaze upward without an ounce of shame. "I know where your eyes are. I was getting there."
"Degenerate," she muttered as she turned away, but the color darkening her cheeks ruined whatever dignity she was attempting to preserve.
"You voluntarily decided to stay in a dungeon with a degenerate," I reminded her as I entered the chamber. "That sounds like poor decision-making on your part."
"Temporarily," Seraphina snapped, raising the practice sword toward the training dummy. "The moment I’m strong enough to cross the Demon Frontier safely, I’m leaving."
"Whatever you need to tell yourself."
"I hate you," she replied before swinging the sword with considerably more force than necessary.
’And we’re back.’
Her first strike landed cleanly, but her legs trembled when she tried transitioning into another. Seraphina stumbled half a step before catching herself, then straightened so quickly that she apparently hoped I hadn’t noticed.
"You almost fell over," I said, earning an immediate glare.
"I did not. My mana channels were restored hours ago, and they need to be exercised."
"Your mana channels do. The rest of you needs food and rest." I approached her as she lowered the practice sword. "You’ve spent months starving in a cell. You’re not undoing that with two meals."
"I know my own body better than you do."
My gaze instinctively traveled down her figure before returning to her face. "I’m certainly becoming more familiar with it."
Seraphina’s cheeks reddened as she tossed the wooden sword aside. "Can you concentrate on anything for longer than five seconds?"
"Absolutely. Give me something interesting enough."
Her lips pressed together as though she was physically restraining herself from answering. Instead, she glanced toward my hands and pointed toward the center of the chamber.
"Show me skill again. If you’re going to keep using corrupted divine mana incorrectly, I’d prefer you didn’t blow your own hand off."
"Concerned about me already?"
"I’m concerned about the dungeon."
"That hurts."
"I was hoping it would."
I raised my hand and concentrated on the unfamiliar warmth buried inside my chest. Black-gold flame gathered above my palm, golden light burning at its center while corrupted fire curled around the edges.
Seraphina approached cautiously, her earlier embarrassment disappearing beneath genuine concentration. "You’re forcing too much mana into it. That’s why the outer flame keeps fluctuating."
"I’ve cast it twice."
"Yes," she replied dryly. "That was obvious. Your shoulders are too tense, so relax them before you destabilize the spell."
I tried loosening my shoulders while keeping Blighted Radiance stable, only for Seraphina to let out an irritated sigh.
"Not like that. You’re shifting your entire upper body instead of relaxing the muscles."
"Your encouragement is incredibly helpful."
Seraphina muttered something beneath her breath before stepping directly behind me. Her hands settled against my shoulders and pushed them downward, then one slowly traveled along my back as she corrected my posture. I became extremely aware of her body hovering only inches behind mine, especially when her hand eventually settled against my waist and stayed there considerably longer than necessary.
The silence stretched between us until I glanced over my shoulder. Seraphina was still holding my waist, although the faint color returning to her cheeks suggested she’d only just realized it herself.
"Something wrong?" I asked, unable to keep the amusement from my voice.
"Your stance is terrible," she replied quickly, pulling her hand away as though she’d touched something hot.
I turned slightly toward her. "You could’ve just said you wanted to touch me."
Her cheeks darkened another shade as her blue eyes narrowed. "Cast the fucking spell, Kira."
The use of my name caught me off guard.
Since we’d met, I’d been a demon, succubus, whore, degenerate, and several other increasingly creative insults. I couldn’t remember her ever calling me Kira.
For perhaps the first time since meeting her, I had enough self-preservation not to mention it.
I turned back toward Blighted Radiance and followed her instructions, allowing the mana to circulate instead of forcing more into the spell. The black flames stopped flickering almost immediately, settling into a smooth layer around the golden center.
"Good," Seraphina murmured beside me. "That’s much better."
When I glanced toward her, I caught the slightest smile touching her lips. It softened her expression so dramatically that I stared, only for Seraphina to notice and immediately erase it.
"You smiled."
"I did not," she replied, crossing her arms defensively.
"You absolutely did."
"Do you want my help or not?"
My eyes dipped toward her chest before returning to her face. "Right. Magic."
"Degenerate."
We continued until I could summon Blighted Radiance repeatedly without threatening to destabilize it. Seraphina corrected my mana circulation while I became increasingly convinced she was enjoying having something she could lecture me about.
Eventually, however, I noticed she wasn’t watching the spell anymore.
I deliberately said nothing and waited to see how long it would take her to realize. Her gaze lingered noticeably below my face before slowly climbing upward, and the instant our eyes met, embarrassment flashed across hers.
I raised my flaming hand beside my head. "My mana is up here."
"I was examining your posture," she replied quickly, although the color spreading across her cheeks made the excuse considerably less convincing.
"My posture has breasts?"
"I was not looking at your breasts!"
"That’s a remarkably specific denial."
Seraphina’s embarrassment abruptly sharpened into genuine frustration. "Would you stop doing that?"
Something about her tone wiped the grin from my face. "Doing what?"
"The looks, the comments, the constant flirting." She stepped closer, her hands curling into fists beside her. "Whatever else you’re doing to my head."
It took me a second to understand.
"Are you accusing me of using Charm on you?"
Seraphina’s jaw tightened. "You’re a succubus. That’s what your kind does. You manipulate desire until people can’t tell which thoughts actually belong to them."
That actually pissed me off.
I opened my System and focused on the skill I’d barely thought about since waking here.
[CHARM]
Target: Seraphina Vael
Previous Activations: 0
I dismissed the window and met her eyes. "I’ve never used Charm on you, Seraphina. Not once."
Her expression remained guarded. "And I’m supposed to believe that?"
"You want to hate me? Fine. Hate me as much as you fucking want." I stepped closer until there was barely a foot between us. "But don’t accuse me of crawling into your head because you don’t like whatever is happening inside it. Those thoughts are yours."
Something in my expression must have convinced her because the anger slowly faltered.
Then the implication settled in.
Color spread across her cheeks, deepening by the second as she realized exactly what that meant.
Seraphina noticed my expression changing and immediately pointed a finger at me. "Don’t you fucking dare."
I couldn’t stop my grin. "You thought I was Charming you because you’re attracted to me."
"I am not attracted to you."
"You blamed magic."
"Shut up!"
Seraphina closed the remaining distance between us, stopping inches away with her blue eyes burning into mine. Her face was still red, but there was nothing shy about the anger in her expression or the way her chest rose and fell between us.
"I hate you," she said quietly.
My grin faded as I studied her. "You keep saying that."
"Because I do."
Her gaze betrayed her again, but this time it didn’t fall toward my chest or waist. Seraphina’s eyes settled on my mouth for a lingering moment before slowly returning to mine.
For once, I didn’t immediately tease her.
"Then stop looking at my lips."
Seraphina froze with her eyes fixed on mine, and neither of us moved for several long seconds. I resisted the temptation to make another joke or close the remaining distance myself, leaving whatever happened next entirely in her hands.
Her breathing quickened as uncertainty fought with anger across her face. She hated demons, didn’t trust me, and had spent most of the day insisting that whatever attraction existed between us was either imaginary or my fault.
Then her fingers curled into the front of my shirt.
Seraphina yanked me forward and kissed me.
The sudden pressure of her lips against mine wiped every clever response from my head. She held me there for several breathless seconds before abruptly pulling away, her face flushed and her fingers still twisted tightly into my clothing.
The anger hadn’t disappeared from her eyes. If anything, she looked even more furious now, although I had a feeling most of it was directed at herself.
"I still hate you," Seraphina whispered, remaining close enough that her breath brushed against my lips.
I glanced down at the fist still gripping my shirt before slowly meeting her eyes again. A smile tugged at my mouth as she realized she hadn’t actually let me go.
"You’re really bad at this."
Seraphina’s eyes flashed, and before I could say anything else, she pulled me back toward her and kissed me again.