The carriage door swings open and we make our way out. When It’s my turn I practically fall out of it, my legs stiff and aching from hours of bouncing. Brooke catches me before I faceplant into the courtyard, her strong hands gripping my arms, steadying me like I’m made of glass.
“Thanks,” I mumble, righting myself and brushing dust off my tunic.
“Anytime, babe.” She gives me that lopsided grin that still makes my stomach flip, even after all this time.
I stretch, my spine popping in three different places, and that’s when I hear it. Laughter. Bright and musical, cutting through the evening air like a bell. I turn my head and there she is.
Luna.
She’s standing in a loose circle of soldiers near the barracks, her platinum blonde hair catching the last golden rays of sunset. One of the women says something, and Luna throws her head back and laughs, the sound so genuine and unguarded that it catches me off guard. Her white robes flutter in the gentle breeze, and there’s something about the way she moves, the way she gestures with her hands when she talks, that makes me stop and just... look at her.
I mean, really look at her.
I’ve been training with Luna for weeks now. Weight sessions in that secluded courtyard, her soft voice counting my reps, the warmth of her healing magic flowing through me after every set. But I’ve never really seen her like this. Relaxed. Happy. Not performing the role of the serene priestess, but just... Luna. A young woman with friends, her milky white eyes crinkling at the corners, her whole face lighting up like she’s carrying a candle inside her chest.
I feel this weird swell of gratitude rise up in me. Like, I’m just... thankful she’s here. Thankful she’s part of our lives. This world threw so much at us, and having someone like Luna in our corner, someone gentle and kind and genuinely good, it makes everything feel a little less terrifying.
She spots us across the courtyard and her face brightens even more. She says something to the soldiers, who all turn and wave enthusiastically in our direction, and then Luna is walking toward us, her steps light and quick, her robes flowing around her ankles.
And god, she looks radiant.
I don’t know what it is. But she practically shines as she crosses the courtyard.
“Hey!” she calls out, her voice warm and excited. “The soldiers want to drink with the heroes tonight. They’ve been talking about it all day.”
Brooke’s face falls. She rubs the back of her neck.
“Ahhh, I wish we could,” she says, and I can hear the genuine disappointment in her voice. “But I’ve got extra training with Morgan and Matilda tonight.”
Luna frowns.
“Come on,” she says, and there’s this playful sternness in her voice that I’ve never heard from her before. “Take the night off. You two never get to have any fun. When was the last time you did something that wasn’t training?”
The thought of spending an evening with Brooke and Luna, just... laughing, drinking, being normal people for once instead of heroes with the weight of the world on our shoulders, that sounds so damn good I can barely stand it.
I turn to Brooke.
“Please?” I say, and I even add a little pout for good measure. “One night. We’ve been training nonstop for god knows how long.”
Brooke stares at me. Her jaw works. I can see the fight behind her blue eyes, duty versus desire, responsibility versus relaxation. For a long moment, I think she’s going to hold firm.
Then she chuckles.
“Yeah, fuck it,” she says, throwing her hands up in surrender. “Alright. One night.”
Luna claps her hands together, the sound sharp and delighted in the quiet courtyard. “Yes! Oh, the soldiers are going to be so excited.”
*****
The ale sloshes over the rim of my mug as a soldier slams her fist on the table, her face flushed crimson with excitement. “Another round for the heroes!” she bellows, and the entire dining room explores in cheers that rattle the wooden beams overhead.
I’m grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. Brooke’s arm is draped across my shoulders, her body warm and solid against mine, her laughter vibrating through me as she accepts a fresh mug from a soldier with a wink. Across the table, Luna is practically glowing.
“To the heroes!” someone shouts, and the room erupts again, mugs clinking together, ale spilling onto the scarred wooden tables.
I raise my second ale to my lips, the foam tickling my nose as I prepare to take a long, satisfying drink. The golden liquid is cool and crisp, and I can already taste the honey notes on my tongue.
“Hey Brooke, what the hell?”
The voice cuts through the revelry like a blade through silk. I lower my mug, turning to see Matilda standing in the dining room doorway, her muscular frame silhouetted against the evening sky. Her scarred face is set in a thunderous scowl, her spiky grey hair practically bristling with indignation.
“You’ve got training!” she barks, stalking toward our table. The soldiers nearest to her instinctively shrink back, making room for the storm that is Matilda Steel.
Brooke straightens in her seat, her arm sliding from my shoulders. “I told one of the pages to let you know I’m not going to make it tonight.”
Matilda’s jaw tightens, her brown eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. The room has gone quiet, all eyes fixed on the confrontation unfolding at our table.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Brooke sighs, the sound heavy with resignation. She pushes back from the table and stands, her tall frame straightening to its full height. I rise with her instinctively, my body moving before my brain catches up.
“Oh...” Luna’s soft voice cuts through the tension. “Does Christopher have to train too?”
Brooke shakes her head. “No, it’s just...”
I feel a strange pang in my chest at the thought of Luna sitting here alone, surrounded by celebrating soldiers while Brooke goes off training and I disappear into our room… Alone.
“Wait,” I say, the word tumbling out before I can stop it. “Could I stay?”
The moment the question leaves my lips, I regret it. Brooke’s lips press into a thin line. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head, the jealousy that’s been her constant companion since I’ve known her.
I don’t even know why I’m asking. Brooke would never let me stay here alone with Luna and all these other women. She’s been suspicious of anyone and everyone. The thought of me spending an evening drinking with Luna while she’s off training? That’s not happening.
Brooke stares at me for what feels like an eternity. Her jaw works, her eyes darting between me and Luna, then back to me. I can see the war playing out on her face, her natural possessiveness battling with something else.
Then, to my complete shock, her expression softens.
“Alright… You deserve to have fun.”
I blink at her, not quite believing what I’m hearing. “Really?”
“Really.” She steps closer, her hand coming up to cup my face. Her palm is warm against my cheek, her thumb brushing over my skin in a way that makes my heart stutter. “I trust you…”
Before I can respond, she pulls me into a kiss. It’s deep and slow, her tongue sliding against mine in a way that makes my knees go weak. She tastes like ale and love.
“I’ll come back after I finish up,” she murmurs, her forehead resting against mine. “And if you get too drunk, make sure Luna helps you back to our room.”
I nod. “I will.”
She gives my hand one final squeeze before turning to Matilda, who’s been watching this entire exchange with an expression caught between amusement and impatience.
“Alright, let’s go,” Brooke says, her voice shifting back to that confident tone I know so well. “I don’t want to hear any complaints about how I’m wasting your time.”
Matilda snorts, but there’s a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, yeah.”
As they disappear through the dining room door, I sink back into my seat.
The chair beside me scrapes against the stone floor, and then Luna is there, sliding into Brooke’s empty seat. She’s close. Really close. Close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off her body, the soft brush of her white robes against my arm. Something about it makes my chest ache in a way I don’t want to examine too closely.
I don’t pull away. I should, maybe. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, don’t want to give her the wrong idea. But her warmth feels like something I’ve been starving for without realizing it, and I just... stay put.
Luna leans forward, her platinum hair falling across her shoulder, and slams her palm flat against the table with a crack that makes me jump.
“To the male hero!” she shouts.
The soldiers lose their minds.
They’re on their feet in seconds, mugs raised high, voices crashing together in a roar that shakes the rafters. “TO THE MALE HERO!” they bellow, and the sound is so enormous, so raw and genuine, that I feel it in my teeth.
I sit there with my mouth hanging open. Luna turns to me, and she’s beaming, this huge, unguarded smile that transforms her whole face into something luminous.
“Drink, Christopher!” she laughs, bumping her shoulder against mine. “Come on!”
I lift my mug with shaking hands and take a long pull, the ale washing down my throat while the soldiers keep cheering. Some of them are banging their fists on the tables now, stomping their boots in rhythm, and the whole dining hall has become this pulsing, living thing.
The night blurs after that.
One mug becomes two becomes three becomes a number I lose track of somewhere around the time a soldier named Petra climbs onto the table and starts singing a drinking song about a goblin with three testicles. The soldiers keep refilling my mug before I even finish the last one, and every time I take a sip, someone slams their fist on the table and the whole room erupts again. I’m pretty sure I arm-wrestled a woman twice my size at some point. I’m pretty sure I won.
“You know what I’ve been thinking?” Luna says, leaning so close that her breath tickles my ear. Her voice is low now, pitched just for me, even though the soldiers are still roaring around us. Her platinum hair brushes my shoulder, and I can smell something sweet on her, like flowers and honey and something else I can’t name.
“What?” I ask, and my voice comes out thicker than I intended.
She pulls back just enough to look at me, and her white eyes are bright in the dim light. “You’re really beautiful when you smile like that.”
The words hit me like a wave. I feel my face flush.
“Me?” I laugh, running a hand through my hair. “I’m just... I’m just some guy from another world who wants to keep the people he cares about safe.”
She leans in, and this time her shoulder presses fully against mine, warm and solid through the thin fabric of her robes. “You know what I think, Christopher?”
“What?”
“I think you sell yourself short.” Her white eyes find mine, and even without pupils, I can feel her looking at me. “I think you’re the most interesting person in this entire castle, and you don’t even know it.”
“That’s... that’s really kind of you to say,” I manage, my words slightly slurred from the ale.
Her face moves closer to mine, her white eyes reflecting the candlelight. “Let’s go back to my room,” she whispers, her breath hot against my cheek. “I have a book of spells I think you’d love to see.”
My heart pounds in my chest. “Yeah, I’d love to.”
Luna’s smile widens, lighting up her entire face. We both stand, and she immediately wraps her arm around my waist, pulling me close against her side.
“Good night, everyone!” Luna calls out to the soldiers, her voice bright and cheerful.
“Good night!” I echo, waving with my free hand.
As we start to walk away, one of the soldiers stands up from her table. “Hey, Luna...” she says, her voice low but firm. “This is wildly inappropriate.”
Luna stops, turning to face the woman. Her expression shifts, her eyes narrow, her lips pull back in a snarl, her entire face contorting into something almost feral.
“Stand down,” she hisses, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
The soldier opens her mouth to speak, but Luna turns away, pulling me with her. We continue walking, her arm still firmly around my waist.
I don’t know what’s happening, but her body against mine feels like something I’ve always dreamt of. The warmth of her, the soft curves pressing against my side, it’s intoxicating, more so than any ale.
We reach her room, and the moment the door closes behind us, Luna’s lips are on mine. I don’t push her away. Her kiss is desperate, her tongue sliding against mine as her hands roam over my body.
“Brooke will be mad,” I murmur between kisses, the thought surfacing through the haze of alcohol and desire.
“Shhhh,” Luna whispers, her fingers tangling in my hair. “No more thinking about Brooke.”
I nod, letting myself fall deeper into the kiss. We stumble toward her bed, falling onto it in a tangle of limbs. Luna is on top of me, her weight pressing me into the mattress as she kisses me with increasing urgency.
She’s an animal, her hands pulling at my shirt, lifting it over my head between kisses. I help her, desperate to feel her skin against mine. My hands find the ties of her robes, fumbling with the knots until the fabric parts, revealing her pale skin underneath.
We’re both naked now, our clothes discarded on the floor. Luna’s hand finds my cock, her fingers wrapping around it with a confidence that makes me gasp.
“I’m putting it in,” she whispers, her white eyes locked on mine.
“Please,” I moan, my hips rising to meet her. “I want you so badly, Luna.”
She positions herself above me, and I feel the heat of her against my tip. She sinks down slowly, taking me inch by inch, and I gasp at the wettness enveloping me. As she bottoms out, something strange happens. A hot sensation blooms just below my right collarbone, on the right side, like someone’s pressed a warm coin against my skin
I don’t have time to think about it because Luna’s eyes flutter shut and she drops her full weight onto me, her body flush against mine. Her lips find mine again, hungry and desperate, and I kiss her back with everything I have. Her tongue slides against mine as she starts to move, her hips rolling in slow, deliberate circles that make my vision blur at the edges.
My hands find her breasts, and god, they’re so soft. Her whole body is soft. Nothing like Brooke’s firm, athletic body. Luna’s skin like silk under my palms. She moans into my mouth as I squeeze gently, and the sound sends electricity down my spine.
“You feel so good,” I whisper against her lips, my voice cracking.
She doesn’t answer with words. She just kisses me harder, her hips picking up speed, her inner walls clenching around me with each downward thrust. The heat below my collarbone pulses in time with my heartbeat, but I barely notice it anymore. All I can think about is Luna, the way she moves, the way she sounds, the way she feels wrapped around me.
Before the rhythm of her hips can sweep me completely away, a heavy, thunderous knocking shatters the quiet of the room, rattling the wooden door on its hinges.