Chapter 15: The Erebus, Wave III

Serial Fantasy Fiction: Monsters & Beasts

“My my, you are a fabulous woman,” Leito purrs at Jilli. “What do you say we get to know each other better once this is all over?” He takes the barbarian woman’s hand and kisses her knuckles.

Jilli smiles, but it doesn’t touch her eyes.

Leito drops her hand when Blaize appears behind him, her knives poking into his sides. He lifts his hands in surrender. “Easy, easy,” he says. “I mean her no ill. I’m just very intrigued.”

“She’s not your type,” Blaize growls.

Leito hisses when the knives dig deeper. “Okay, okay.” As soon as Blaize drops back, spinning her blades but not putting them away, the bard turns to her, and his smile returns. “Perhaps an arrangement we could all benefit from.”

“Quit while you still have your manhood.”

“Eh, well. Point well taken.”

Aleria tightens her grip on her sword and shield. She meets a pair of approaching vaelfar, the armored demons, before they reach us, blocking their path forward. “Leito, protect me!”

The bard takes up his lute and begins to play. The song is rushed, the notes clipped, but when Leito sings a few bars, his voice is like honey.