at Ted. "You're teaching her slang? Dhiraj-level slang?"
Ted chewed his breakfast nonchalantly. "Don't look at me. Kids say the darndest things."
Natalie rolled her eyes and put her smile back on for Vella. "Don't keep us waiting. What is it?"
Vella hopped up off her chair and reached for her pocket. She pulled out nothing but air, though her hands left space for something that was about an inch thick. The girl marched toward Natalie, tugged at her shirt and placed an imaginary item over her heart. Then she went over to Ted and performed the same ceremony.
The girl stood at attention in between them. "Ladies and gentlemen. I've awarded Ted and Natalie with the highest honor ever. The badge of protection."
When a few moments of silence went by, Razellia began clapping. Natalie and Ted followed suit.
Vella cleared her throat to halt the applause. "This award will protect you from all harm. To make it work, all you have to do is kiss each other."
Natalie put her chin on her hand as she watched Ted blush.
Razellia chuckled. "Honey, that's very forward of you."
Vella gesticulated her confusion. "What do you mean? It says it on the instructions."
Ted's face was almost beet red when a knock came from the front door. It was Ferrick, who was there to take Ted to his post. They made him wait for two minutes while Ted said his goodbyes.
Ted swooped Vella off the ground and hugged her. "Thank you for the badge, and for trying to be my wingman."
Vella's tiny hands gripped around the back of Ted's neck. "What's a wingman?"
Ted let out a big breath. "I'll tell you when I get back."
He whirled her around once or twice, and Natalie felt her uterus do a backflip. She did her best to hide her reaction to the cuteness as Ted placed Vella on the ground. He turned toward Razellia. "We'd be dead if it weren't for you. Twice."
Razellia gave a knowing smile and bridged the gap between them. She put her arms around Ted like he was her son. "Your parents raised you right. You're gonna do great today."
Ted sighed. "Thanks, Ma."
Natalie could hear the impatient tapping of Ferrick's boot against the ground.
Ted pulled away and put up his hand toward the commander. "Just one sec."
As Ferrick folded his arms, Ted approached Natalie. Each step he took seemed to last forever.
Is this gonna be the last time I see you, Ted Finley?
He stopped just one pace away. His scent floated toward her, and for a split second, she wanted to be back in that bed with him. They'd be safe, and she wouldn't feel the fear that was starting to bubble up inside her.
"I'll stick to the plan." He straightened his spine. "We'll get out of this, and then we'll find a way home. Okay?"
Natalie nodded. Ted returned the gesture and spun on his heels.
He took one step before Natalie reached for him. "Wait!"
When Ted turned back, she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Any redness that had faded since Ferrick arrived returned to Ted's face.
Her lips lingered by his cheek. "Now the badges'll work."
Ted angled his face and kissed her beside her ear. Her insides fluttered, as much as she wished they hadn't.
He grinned. "Don't worry. We've got this."
Ted pulled away, and moments later, he and the commander were gone.
Natalie stood beside Razellia and several town guards in an abandoned tavern at the corner of the town's center square. It'd been set on fire so many times, the owners had decided to let it rot. The inside would've been as dark as the walls were black if it wasn't for one of Razellia's floating lamps. Since the exterior screamed abandoned, it would serve as the perfect hiding place for the first wave of the attack. If the raiders followed their previous pattern, then they'd gather right in front of the tavern before attempting to lay waste to the village.
Ted? Are you in position?
Ted was holed up on the second floor of the next building over. Ideally, his sniper's view of the light soul raiders would give him free reign to use his
Ted chewed his breakfast nonchalantly. "Don't look at me. Kids say the darndest things."
Natalie rolled her eyes and put her smile back on for Vella. "Don't keep us waiting. What is it?"
Vella hopped up off her chair and reached for her pocket. She pulled out nothing but air, though her hands left space for something that was about an inch thick. The girl marched toward Natalie, tugged at her shirt and placed an imaginary item over her heart. Then she went over to Ted and performed the same ceremony.
The girl stood at attention in between them. "Ladies and gentlemen. I've awarded Ted and Natalie with the highest honor ever. The badge of protection."
When a few moments of silence went by, Razellia began clapping. Natalie and Ted followed suit.
Vella cleared her throat to halt the applause. "This award will protect you from all harm. To make it work, all you have to do is kiss each other."
Natalie put her chin on her hand as she watched Ted blush.
Razellia chuckled. "Honey, that's very forward of you."
Vella gesticulated her confusion. "What do you mean? It says it on the instructions."
Ted's face was almost beet red when a knock came from the front door. It was Ferrick, who was there to take Ted to his post. They made him wait for two minutes while Ted said his goodbyes.
Ted swooped Vella off the ground and hugged her. "Thank you for the badge, and for trying to be my wingman."
Vella's tiny hands gripped around the back of Ted's neck. "What's a wingman?"
Ted let out a big breath. "I'll tell you when I get back."
He whirled her around once or twice, and Natalie felt her uterus do a backflip. She did her best to hide her reaction to the cuteness as Ted placed Vella on the ground. He turned toward Razellia. "We'd be dead if it weren't for you. Twice."
Razellia gave a knowing smile and bridged the gap between them. She put her arms around Ted like he was her son. "Your parents raised you right. You're gonna do great today."
Ted sighed. "Thanks, Ma."
Natalie could hear the impatient tapping of Ferrick's boot against the ground.
Ted pulled away and put up his hand toward the commander. "Just one sec."
As Ferrick folded his arms, Ted approached Natalie. Each step he took seemed to last forever.
Is this gonna be the last time I see you, Ted Finley?
He stopped just one pace away. His scent floated toward her, and for a split second, she wanted to be back in that bed with him. They'd be safe, and she wouldn't feel the fear that was starting to bubble up inside her.
"I'll stick to the plan." He straightened his spine. "We'll get out of this, and then we'll find a way home. Okay?"
Natalie nodded. Ted returned the gesture and spun on his heels.
He took one step before Natalie reached for him. "Wait!"
When Ted turned back, she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Any redness that had faded since Ferrick arrived returned to Ted's face.
Her lips lingered by his cheek. "Now the badges'll work."
Ted angled his face and kissed her beside her ear. Her insides fluttered, as much as she wished they hadn't.
He grinned. "Don't worry. We've got this."
Ted pulled away, and moments later, he and the commander were gone.
Natalie stood beside Razellia and several town guards in an abandoned tavern at the corner of the town's center square. It'd been set on fire so many times, the owners had decided to let it rot. The inside would've been as dark as the walls were black if it wasn't for one of Razellia's floating lamps. Since the exterior screamed abandoned, it would serve as the perfect hiding place for the first wave of the attack. If the raiders followed their previous pattern, then they'd gather right in front of the tavern before attempting to lay waste to the village.
Ted? Are you in position?
Ted was holed up on the second floor of the next building over. Ideally, his sniper's view of the light soul raiders would give him free reign to use his
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