Absolut
The sun had barely set by the time the group made it to the outskirts of a quiet village tucked beneath the roots of a dying mountain. Smoke drifted gently from chimney tops, the air tinged with wood ash and sweet herbs. Compared to the corruption they'd just survived, it felt like stepping into a forgotten dream.
But dreams didn't pay for inns, and Ava's coin pouch was thin.
She stood at the village edge, her companions behind her, and surveyed the main square with a calculating gaze. "We don't have enough for more than food and basic supplies. Not even enough for a full inn stay."
Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Could always camp near the river. There's a small clearing with a hot spring down the trail. Quiet. Private."
Nicholas added with a shrug, "Or we could barter a night's stay with labor. I saw a smithy in need of repair."
Ava shook her head, voice low. "No. I've given enough of my strength today. Tonight, I want... something else."
They both looked at her, alert, sensing the shift in her tone.
She turned to them, expression unreadable. "You two—find the hot spring. Set up something warm and quiet. I'll meet you there after I speak with Sil and Adam."
Nicholas blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yes, my queen."
Ash gave a crooked grin. "Don't take too long."
Once they disappeared down the trail, Ava turned to Sil and Adam. "Stay in the village tonight. Find a room or a stable—anything dry. We'll regroup in the morning."
Sil frowned, sensing she was being dismissed but not daring to argue. "Yes, Ava."
Adam gave her a long look, unreadable as always, then nodded once and turned to guide Sil toward the inn.
Only when the square was empty did Ava finally let out a breath.
She needed this.
Not just release, not just closeness—but something to remind her that she was alive. That she was still flesh and want, not just blade and duty.
The hot spring was nestled between a ring of mossy rocks, the steam rising in silver trails into the night sky. Moonlight shimmered off the surface like liquid pearl.
Nicholas and Ash had done well. A fire crackled near the water, blankets arranged nearby, their armor stacked neatly beneath an overhang.
Ava stepped into the clearing like a shadow, her coat slipping from her shoulders with slow grace. Ash straightened first, his breath catching.
"You came," he said.
"I always come when I say I will."
Nicholas stood, silent but intense. His eyes raked over her like a man half-starved.
Ava walked forward slowly. Her fingers ghosted along Ash's jaw. "You fought for me today."
Ash's voice was hoarse. "I'd fight a thousand more."
Then she turned to Nicholas. "And you bled for me."
"I'd bleed again," he whispered.
Ava smiled, dark and slow. "Then tonight, let me give you something back."
Steam clung to their skin as Ava stepped into the hot spring first, the water rising around her hips, her bare form glowing with the reflection of moonlight and fire.
She turned her head, her voice like silk laced with heat. "Come."
Ash was first—always eager, always burning. He stepped into the water, letting the warmth swallow him as he closed the space between them. His hands found her waist, strong but reverent.
Ava leaned into him, her breath warm against his neck. "You always run into the fire."
He chuckled softly. "It's because I know you'll catch me if I fall."
Their lips met—hungry, electric, the tension of days and battles and unspoken longing igniting in a kiss that left no room for doubt.
Nicholas slipped in behind her. Silent as always. But his hands were firm, sliding along her back, his mouth brushing the curve of her shoulder.
Ava tilted her head back against him. "And you—silent, watchful. Always ready."
Nicholas said nothing, but his kiss to her neck was answer enough.
Between them, Ava surrendered—but not in weakness. In power. She let them touch her, worship her, not as a queen above them, but as a woman who'd earned their loyalty in blood and fire.
Ash's fingers tangled in her hair. Nicholas's mouth left trails down her spine.
And in that water, beneath moonlight and stars, she let herself feel.
Let herself burn.
Later, they lay wrapped in blankets near the dying fire. Nicholas lay on one side of her, hand resting on her hip. Ash on the other, his head on her shoulder, breath warm against her collarbone.
No words. Just the sound of their breathing, the crackle of the fire, and the occasional distant hoot of an owl in the woods.
Ava stared up at the stars, her heart quiet.
For one night, the weight was less.
Would you like Chapter 12 to pick up the next morning, with new dangers… or maybe someone from Ava's past returning?