“So, you took the human into the forest?” Azuriel asked.

Ezekiel grunted. He just wanted to enjoy this meal, not thinking about Emry. He wanted to be far away from her for tonight. The chicken had gone cold by the time he ate it. He glared at Azuriel.

“Not my fault you can’t multitask.” She smirked. Her plate was completely cleared of food.

“Yes, I took the human through the forest. Yes, I spent an entire day with her. Anything else?” Ezekiel bit into the cold chicken. It was still satisfying to eat, even if it wasn’t the same as when it was fresh.

“Why her?” Azuriel brushed her blonde locks back.

“She’s useful.” Ezekiel set his fork and knife down. He couldn’t finish the food when he was thinking about her. “She’s different.” He rested his chin on his hand.

“You like her?” Azuriel’s eyebrows arched. She chuckled. “I thought you only liked books.” Her eyes were filled with delight. “Tell me what you like about her, please!” Azuriel clasped her hands together.

“Nothing.” Ezekiel thought of the way Emry smiled when she accepted the deal. It was like a devil’s. Her very nature was dangerous. She didn’t care about him. She wanted information just as much as him. What if she gave him the wrong information? She said she was not a liar but humans were. It was their nature. Tralechs lied to get what they wanted. Humans lied for any reason at all. They were annoying like that. They spoke lies so eloquently that it sounded like truth. His brows furrowed.

Azuriel reached over and flicked his forehead. “You can trust her, I think. She gets along with the others here. Yes, she’s strange. Everyone says that it’s nice to have a human that isn’t afraid of them. She doesn’t think we use magic. She supplies us with answers when we ask questions. Whatever you’re worried about, you don’t need to be. Just trust yourself.”

Ezekiel rubbed the spot where she flicked his forehead. “I’m not worried about a human. I’m worried about what she’s going to do.” He rose to his feet. His hands went to the pouch Emry gave him earlier. He grabbed three coins from it and set it on the table. “You don’t have to pay this time.”

“She paid you? Is that why you like her?” Azuriel looked at him.

He growled. “I don’t like her. She’s useful.” He turned on his heels and left the enclosed dining space. He shut his eyes and leaned against the wall. I hope I find what I’m searching for quickly so I don’t have to deal with Emry anymore.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Emry’s voice said.

Great, he thought. Just who I wanted to see. Ezekiel opened his eyes. She had a smile on her face. Her brunette curls framed her face. She held a wooden stein filled with a gold coloured drink.

“It’s the only restaurant in town. You’re bound to run into me here every night,” Ezekiel responded.

“I know. Would you like a drink to celebrate our partnership?” she asked. She brought the stein up to her lips. Some of the drink rolled down her chin and onto her dress. He couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the sight. The fact that she didn’t care only made the sight more appalling.

“Only if you have some manners.” He walked over to the bar. Zahara walked over to him. “If you say one word about the human, I will leave you. I dealt with your sister already.” He slouched over the counter, resting his arms on the wood. The chair creaked beneath his weight. If only the gods were real so he could have someone to pray to. They’d make his troubles go away at a price, but at this point, he was willing to pay it. Three women in his life, and two of them pestered him about his love life. The other was a nuisance in her own right.

“People are asking you about me?” Emry asked with a smirk on her face. Gods, how he wished he could wipe it off her face.

Zahara smiled. At least his pain was amusing for two people, or three. He wasn’t sure if Azuriel was amused by his pain, but he hoped she wasn’t.

“What can I get you, Ezekiel?” Zahara leaned over the counter.

“Get him what I’m drinking! It’ll help him loosen up a little. He’s so stiff in the shoulders!” Emry shouted; her words slurred together. Her cheeks were flushed pink. She was clearly drunk. She stumbled over to him, spilling her drink on the counter and her arm. “You know, you’re really very pretty when I look at you closer. If only you were nicer.”

Zahara bit back a snicker as she set a wooden stein in front of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel gripped it with his hand. “You know, you’re really very annoying when I have to look at you.” He lifted the cup and drank. The alcohol coursed through him, warming him. It buzzed in his head. He hated that feeling, but he drank anyway. He slammed the empty stein onto the counter.

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Emry moved closer to him. Her hand was inches away from his. Her eyes met his. They were beautiful like emeralds. If only she wasn’t as dangerous as she was and were a Tralech instead of a human, Ezekiel might have considered her as a possible candidate to engage with outside of the library. He liked Azuriel, but she didn’t have the same goal as him. He liked Zahara, but she didn’t have the will to pursue knowledge. If Emry was a Tralech, she’d have everything he desired.

Ezekiel blinked in disgust. Why was he thinking of Emry that way? It had to be the liquor he consumed. That’s what he would blame it on. If the human hadn’t dragged him over to the bar, bought him a drink, he wouldn’t be thinking of her as a Tralech and as a possible wife. Maybe he should go home before it gets worse. He rose to his feet and started to leave.

“Ezekiel!” Emry yelled. She bounded over to him in three quick strides. “Where are you going?”

He grunted as he stopped in his tracks. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with this human drunk. “Home.” He continued making a beeline for the door.

“I want to see!” Emry quickened her pace. She laced her arm through Ezekiel’s. “Show me your home, partner.”

Ezekiel grimaced at the sound of “partner.” He wasn’t her partner. He was someone that needed her to reach his goal. Ezekiel looked over his shoulder back at Zahara, pleading with her to free him from Emry. Zahara smirked and shrugged at him. He cursed under his breath. The one time he needed her, and she turned her back on him. Azuriel bounded up to him, her tail wagging back and forth.

“Have fun,” Azuriel said in a sing-songy voice. She walked away. He expected that much from her.

“I hope you know, I hate you,” Ezekiel said through gritted teeth. He ripped his arm out from Emry’s grip. She frowned. He couldn’t help but feel pride over making her frown. After all she’s done to him the past day, he was glad to see her so downbeat. She followed after him. He felt like she was a lost dog, one waiting for its owner to return even though that would never happen. He would have took pity on her, if it wasn’t for the fact that she had him trapped in a deal he didn’t like. Humans were exceptionally good at that at the very least.

Ezekiel exited the bustling restaurant with Emry close behind. Her steps were crooked. If it weren’t for the crowd, she’d have toppled over. It would be amusing to see her eat dirt. Satisfaction rolled through him. A smirk covered his face. The buzz of alcohol still clouded his mind, but it didn’t matter. Emry was drunker than any other human he’s ever seen before. His judgement might be clouded, but it was nice seeing someone he hated this way. It made them lesser, more mortal. He couldn’t stand the idea of being seen that way.

Ezekiel took a step forward, swaying hard to the right. Like Emry, the crowd of people outside the restaurant kept him upright. Emry’s laugh filled the air and his ears. He grimaced again. Of course, she’d laugh at him. The crowd’s eyes landed on him and Emry. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with him. She was warm like the embers of a fire. The warmth was nice. He knew he shouldn’t hold on to her for long. His drunkenness might get the better of him and he might do something he would regret. Emry did look more appealing to him when he couldn’t quite see her properly.

He marched his way through the crowd, brushing past people that didn’t side step out of his way fast enough. Ezekiel was grateful that his house was a lot closer than it seemed, but when he was drunk, it was a trek. How did he let himself get drunk so quickly? He groaned. The hangover better be worth it. Emry should also give him the information he desired tomorrow from the library as well.

Ezekiel stumbled up the steps of his porch to get to the door. Emry giggled again. “Laugh one more time, I dare you,” he hissed at her.

“Or what?” she taunted. But she had a point, what was he going to do if she laughed one more time?

He shook his head and opened the door. The empty kitchen and house felt nice compared to the loudness of the restaurant. Ezekiel didn’t understand why people went out of their way to decorate their house when they just needed the bare minimums.

“Your house is empty. Where is everything?” Emry stumbled in behind him.

He groaned at the thought of spending the night with her in the same vicinity. At least, he’d have his room to himself. “I don’t have anything besides the bare minimum.”

“No wonder you’re so sad.” She poked his cheek. “You need some flowers and furniture in here. It does no good to live like a depressed person.” Her eyes lit up. They did that when she thought of something evil. “What if, since we’re partnering in the library together, we lived together while we did so? Just until we both get what we want.”

And Ezekiel was right. The idea was awful. Her eyes lit up when she found out he couldn’t read the book. Her eyes lit up when he offered to take her into the forest. She was dangerous. He hated her with every fibre in his being. She was going to ruin everything. If he didn’t need her, he would have abandoned her in the forest after the fawn’s death.

It wasn’t such a bad idea though. With her here, he could monitor her and find out who she was. She’d be easier to use. He could use what he wanted and throw her out afterwards. A smirk crept into the corners of his face.

“You have yourself a deal, Emry.” He held out his hand to shake hers.

She shook it promptly. “Great!” Emry stumbled forward, and Ezekiel caught her. She was smaller than he had thought, but her weight was enough to set him off balance. They fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Ezekiel groaned in pain. Her face was inches away from his. Her lips were soft and smooth. His hands rested on her waist. She blinked slowly.

“Some humans seal a deal with a kiss,” Emry whispered.

“What are you suggesting then?” Ezekiel eyed her lips again. Everything bad could come from kissing her right now. He could regret it in the morning and blame it on being drunk. But was he drunk? He didn’t feel drunk. The alcohol didn’t buzz in his head or make him feel warm. All he could feel was her warmth. Could he really blame it on a substance that wasn’t there?

“I’m suggesting we seal it with a kiss since it’s more important than a handshake.” Her lips brushed over his. They were soft and tasted of liquor. She shifted above him. The kiss itself was sloppy. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip, slicing it open. He winced in pain. He missed the feel of her lips against his the moment she pulled back. “Now the deal is sealed!” She rolled off of him.

Ezekiel stared at the ceiling in a daze. He wasn’t sure how to respond. The one person he hated just kissed him. He rose to his feet. “Stay out of my room. You can sleep in here tonight. If I hear one sound from you, I will kick you out into the street.” He stomped his way through the hall to the bedroom. He slammed the door behind him. The bed beckoned him, and he barely just made it onto it before passing out for the night.