Chapter 53

The next morning

Xain sat hunched on his bed, face buried deep into his pillow as a long, muffled scream poured out of him. His entire face, had it been visible, was flushed a vivid red—burning with embarrassment as flashes of last night's drunken antics marched, uninvited, through his head.

"I want to die!" he wailed into the pillow.

*For the love of gods, get over it already, ape,* came Ercale's voice, dry and thoroughly unimpressed. *So what if you got a little drunk and flirted around a bit? It's not that big of a deal.*

Xain shook his head violently into the bedding, kicking at the floor with his heel. "No, no, that wasn't flirting—I—ugh, it doesn't matter!" he groaned, still buried face-first. "I can't show my face to them ever again!"

Ercale let out a drawn-out sigh. *Sometimes I forget that you're a sixteen-year-old kid. Then you say shit like that and remind me—oh right, the person I live inside is a child.*

Xain didn't need to see Ercale to know the Demon Lord was shaking his head.

Before he could snap back with a defense, there came a knock on the door.

"Xain? Are you awake yet?" It was Zee's voice.

"Ye-yeah! I'm up!" he shouted back, voice cracking at the worst possible moment.

"Then can I come in?" she asked, gentle.

Xain scrambled upright, heart skipping. He darted to the door and yanked it open, halfway hiding behind it as he mumbled, "Di-did you need something?"

The moment he saw Zee standing there, his face went from red to full inferno. She was looking at him with that same sweet concern she always had—but it just made everything worse. Every second of last night came back sharper, more vivid.

"Uh, no," Zee said quickly, waving her hands as if to erase the question. She paused, then blinked as she took in the deep red in Xain's face—her own face warming to match. "I-I just wanted to check if you were okay. You had your first wine last night, after all…"

Xain winced at the mention of wine, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Do-don't worry, I'm fine. I'll be out in just a few seconds."

Zee nodded a little too fast. "Mmm. I'll… I'll wait downstairs," she said, pointing vaguely to the hallway before turning and walking off in a blur of awkward.

Xain watched her go, his ears still hot, then slowly closed the door and leaned his back against it with a long, shaky exhale.

*Gods,* Ercale muttered, exasperated. *It's like watching a drama. Get over yourselves already.*

Xain slapped both his cheeks with a quick smack-smack, trying to steel himself. "Okay. Okay. Getting over it. Alright," he said under his breath, nodding firmly to no one.

He drew in a deep breath.

"Let's go get dressed."

— — —

After getting dressed—opting for just his normal thieves' garb without the angel armor, since he wouldn't be fighting today—Xain headed downstairs. His boots thudded lightly on the steps as he made his way toward the tavern below.

Before he even reached the bottom step, Mae's laughter rang out across the room. She was seated at a table, grinning from ear to ear beside her twin and Larkin. From the sounds of it, she and Larkin were teaming up on Zee, teasing her with no mercy.

Xain's heart leapt into his throat at the sight. He stiffened, then quickly diverted course and beelined for the opposite end of the tavern—dropping into a seat across from Drack without a word. The half-orc arched a brow at him, slowly turning to give him the most Why the fuck are you sitting here? look imaginable.

Xain avoided his gaze.

He knew exactly what would happen if he dared approach that other table. If he tried to defend Zee, if he so much as acknowledged the teasing—it would just fuel the fire. He'd be throwing himself and Zee into a meat grinder of embarrassment.

*Sorry, Zee! But this is for the best!* he told himself, bracing.

Then came the whistle.

Xain flinched, turning his head like someone facing a firing squad. Mae was grinning straight at him, arm propped on the table, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"What's wrong?" she called, voice sickly sweet. "Why are you sitting with him? Don't you wanna sit with this cool beauty?" She pressed a hand to her chest with a mock pout.

"And~" she crooned, dragging her arm around Zee's shoulder and yanking her twin closer, "This calming face~?"

Zee flinched like she'd been stabbed, letting out the tiniest squeak of protest as she turned beet red. Xain jerked his gaze away, his cheeks blazing like a forge. So much for getting over it.

"Ha, ha," Mae chuckled. "Isn't he just the cutest? No wonder you fell for him, Zee."

She turned to her sister with a smirk, leaning in conspiratorially. "Say, when are you going to introduce him to the whole family?"

"MAE!" Zee hissed under her breath, snapping her head toward her twin. "We're not a couple yet!"

The grin Mae wore was all teeth—like a cat toying with a mouse before the kill. She didn't press it further, at least not out loud, though her glance back at Xain promised more teasing to come. Then, without warning, her expression shifted—eyes narrowing faintly, thoughts already drifting elsewhere.

*I do wonder how the others would feel about him,* she thought idly, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. *Actually, I wonder what's going on in Sylvanoria in general right now?*

Meanwhile, on the borders of Sylvanoria

Somewhere deep within a tangled, humid jungle, a certain white-haired, blue-eyed man pushed his way through a thicket of vines—only to stop, spin in a slow circle, and let out a scream of pure frustration.

"I'M LOST AGAIN!"

Winter's voice echoed through the trees as he threw his arms in the air. "I thought I was gonna be fine after I left that snowy hellhole! But now I'm stuck in a damn jungle!"

He stomped forward, fists clenched, eyes wide with disbelief.

"DAMN IT!!!"