Truly exquisite.

Freshly baked bread enveloped layers of succulent roast beef, generously smothered in a creamy, tangy sauce infused with the perfect blend of sourness and cheesy goodness, punctuated by the subtle crunch of spring onions.

The savory richness of aged cheese mingled harmoniously with the sweetness of caramelized onions and the tantalizing spiciness of roasted red peppers, creating a symphony of flavors that danced on my palate.

Crisp lettuce and juicy tomato slices added a refreshing burst of freshness, elevating the entire combination to new heights of culinary perfection.

And the fries, oh, the fries were a revelation.

Golden and crispy, fried to perfection in high-quality oil and seasoned with a flawless blend of spices and herbs.

Each bite was a culinary masterpiece, leaving me yearning for more.

"This is divine!" I exclaimed after inhaling two sandwiches in five minutes.

Iris smirked proudly. "Of course it is divine! I made it!"

I took a sip of the coffee, savoring its rich flavor.

"Damn! This coffee is a treasure!" I praised.

Iris laughed. "That's because I didn't brew it."

I blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"Artemis brewed the coffee for me. Apparently, the coffee I make tends to spew out a toxic cloud," she explained with a sheepish smile.

I stared at her in disbelief. "You can whip up amazing food, but you're hopeless at brewing coffee?"

"And tea," she added with a sigh. "I once inadvertently poisoned our ex-captain with a cup of tea I brewed."

"You poisoned Jack Raven?!" I exclaimed. "How the fuck do you mess up tea?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea."

"It's bloody tea!"

"Oh, I'm sorry if I am culinarily challenged in the art of tea brewing!" she retorted with a pout.

"And directionally challenged," I added with a raised eyebrow.

"That's it! No more sandwiches for you!" Iris declared, swiftly closing the casserole and concealing it behind her.

"Oi!" I protested, grabbing another sandwich before it disappeared completely.

We locked eyes in a brief standoff, each daring the other to make a move, before collapsing into laughter.

"You really do love those sandwiches, don't you?" Iris remarked, her laughter contagious as she retrieved a sandwich from the casserole and placed it between us.

"Duh," I replied between bites, nearly choking on my laughter as we shared this moment under the watchful gaze of the stars and moons above.

*******

It didn't take long for the casserole to be emptied.

"That was refreshing," I remarked, savoring the last drops of coffee from my mug.

"Indeed," Iris agreed, her gaze fixed on the night sky, the myriad stars reflecting in her blue eyes.

Turning to me, she hugged her knees, a contemplative expression crossing her beautiful face.

"Hey, Mordred?"

"Yeah?" I responded, setting down my mug to give her my full attention.

"What will you do after leaving the Shield?" Her question caught me off guard.

"After leaving the Shield, huh?" I leaned back and stared at the stars. Perhaps she was asking since I only had a few months left in my sentence.

But I had decided to stay for one more year and live with her. If she was asking about that time, then...

"I have no idea," I admitted with a shrug of my shoulders.

She tilted her head, a curious glint in her eyes. "The High Prince doesn't know what he will do? Interesting. What about the Dawn Palace? Don't you want to return there?"

I scoffed. "And relive those terrible memories? No, thank you." But then, a sudden idea sparked in my mind.

"Although, if it means having the chance to beat the ever-living shit out of those bastard servants..."

A wicked grin spread across my lips. "Perhaps it's not such a bad idea after all."

Iris couldn't help but laugh, her voice ringing out like a melody in the mountain breeze.

"Now that's more like it," she chuckled. "Any chance you can let me in on the action as well?"

"It's an open invitation," I replied.

"Nice!"

We exchanged a wicked grin at the prospect of brutally beating up some rude lowly servants.

"Well. That is something to look forward to," Iris chuckled, taking a deep breath.

"What about Avalon?" she asked.

I furrowed my brow, puzzled. "Avalon?"

Iris nodded. "Yeah. Merlin promised you a seat in the academy if you survive three years here. Remember?"

"Ah!" I suddenly remembered the promise the warlock made to me.

"I can't wait to punch her in the face," I flexed my fingers with anticipation.

Iris chuckled. "Somebody is motivated now."

I turned to her. "What about you? Any plans after you gain your freedom?"

Iris smiled. "Unlike you, I have some ideas."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Iris? There is no way she would plan for the future," I joked, giving her a playful glare.

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She shoved me playfully. "Oh, screw you."

I laughed. "So, spill it. What's on your mind? Heading back home?"

Iris shuddered. "Hell no. I'm not going anywhere near that place. I'm sure my 'brothers' are still plotting ways to get rid of me."

"Nope, I'm getting as far away as possible," she continued. "I've saved up enough to go it alone, maybe find a cozy spot to settle down."

She smiled at me. "If you don't want to go back to the Dawn Palace, you're welcome to stay with me."

My heart skipped a beat at her offer. "Us together? That sounds like a recipe for disaster."

Iris chuckled. "Let's just hope we don't accidentally burn the place down."

"Do you have a place in mind?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "Blackrose Island."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's an interesting choice for real estate. You do realize that's where the High King spent his childhood?"

"Of course," she snorted. "But I didn't choose the island for that reason. It's secluded but still connected to civilization."

"Plus," she leaned in closer, "I've always wanted to see the black roses that gave the island its name."

"I've heard their petals are as dark as the power and beauty of Tenebris," she whispered playfully into my ear, her warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

Caught in the moment, I found myself lost in the depths of her sparkling blue eyes, alive with mischief beneath the moonlit sky.

I grinned playfully. "I bet they're not nearly as stunning and captivating as you are," I whispered back.

A flush of color spread across her cheeks, and she chuckled softly. "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"

I shrugged casually, a smirk playing on my lips. "What can I say? My silver tongue and words are as beautiful as me."

She rolled her eyes. "Your narcissism is showing, Mordred."

I tousled my snow-white hair playfully, chuckling. "Well, with a beauty like mine, can you blame me?"

"Oh, Incarni! You're hopeless!" she sighed, though a hint of amusement danced in her eyes. "But I suppose that's part of your charm," she conceded with a grin.

I nodded in agreement, a playful twinkle in my eyes.

"So, Blackrose Island," I interjected. "You don't strike me as the type to settle down quietly."

"Absolutely not," Iris confirmed, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she turned to face me.

"Let's open a cafe."

"A cafe?" I echoed, caught off guard by her suggestion.

She nodded eagerly, her enthusiasm contagious. "I always wanted to open one. With my culinary skills and your... well, good looks, we'll be attracting customers left and right!"

I chuckled, the idea beginning to grow on me. "Well, as long as you leave the coffee brewing to me," I teased, flashing her a grin. "And I can whip up a mean sandwich too."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "No way! You can cook?"

I nodded proudly. "Yep. Consider it a promise. I'll treat you to an amazing meal next time."

"I'll take that invitation," Iris beamed, her excitement palpable. "And I suppose we'll take turns cooking and waiting tables."

Extending her finger, she added, "But this won't be just any ordinary cafe. It'll be a hub for gathering information and accepting commissions from well-paying clients."

I whistled. "Ooh. Kind of like a guild?"

"Exactly," Iris confirmed with a nod. "But with a more laid-back atmosphere. That way, we can enjoy running the cafe while still embracing our powers as warlocks."

I chuckled, the idea growing more intriguing as the moment passed. "So, a cafe run by freelance warlocks and former Deathwalkers who are ready to jump into action?"

"Exactly," she affirmed. "It's going to be awesome."

I grinned, though a hint of teasing crept into my voice. "Well, as long as we can keep from disintegrating the cafe in our kitchen disputes."

"Oh, that's a given. I'll fight to the death for that bloody frying pan," Iris affirmed, her determination shining in her eyes.

We locked gazes for a moment before erupting into another fit of laughter.

After we calmed down, Iris rested her head on my shoulder.

"Mordred."

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to stay for my sake. You could leave this year," she said, her voice softer than usual.

Which sounded really weird and out of place.

I knew this conversation would come up eventually.

"But that would mean leaving you here alone for a year. How could I walk free knowing you're still stuck in this hell?" I replied.

She grinned mischievously. "Wouldn't that make you miss me even more and fall further for me?"

"Oh, you sneaky little..." I sighed.

A smile tugged at my lips. "It may sound fucked up, but the Shield has become more of a home to me than the Dawn Palace ever was."

"It's the same for me," Iris admitted. "But like you said, it is fucked up. We may be powerful A rankers, but anything can happen. This is the bloody Tear we are talking about."

"And there is no way I am dying before opening our cafe and going on adventures," she continued.

"I'll be fine, Mordred. I'm strong. Just wait for me."

"In the meantime, you can scout out a good spot for the cafe and use your High Prince powers to secure us a place on Blackrose Island," she said.

I gently stroked the blue ends of her hair that glowed faintly in the moonlight.

I then bonked her on the head.

"Ow!" she protested.

"That is a good idea," I admitted. "But we can do that even after a year."

Turning to her, I spoke. "I want to stay with you. We can leave the Shield together. After all, you and I are the only ones who can keep each other out of trouble."

Iris nodded. "True. Plus, you are the only one I ever cared for."

Her cheeks flushed crimson. "Incarni! I really did say that, didn't I?"

I nodded. "Yep. You did."

She frowned and let out an exasperated groan. "But you're such a stubborn idiot. Can't you just listen to me? I'm your superior, for the Incarnis' sake!"

I grinned, "Nope."

My pulse quickened as I gazed at her ethereal face, summoning my courage.

In my past life, I had indulged in countless flings with different women.

Driven by carnal desire, I never had the chance to experience what it means to love.

Sheesh. Thinking about my womanizing days on Earth suddenly makes me feel very uncomfortable.

But this, whatever this was with Iris, felt different, more profound, more meaningful. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

Weird.

Very weird.

I stared into her blue eyes and confessed, "I'm afraid I've already fallen for you, Iris."

"Idiot."

That's what I heard before a punch landed square on my face.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I demanded, tasting blood on my lips.

Before I could process what was happening, Iris grabbed my collar and pressed her lips firmly against mine.

Caught off guard, I instinctively wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer.

For a heartbeat, time stood still, leaving only the sensation of her lips moving against mine.

As we finally broke apart, I blinked, staring at her flushed face and lips reddened by my blood.

"What the fuck?" I blurted out in a squeaky voice.

Iris grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously, her lips curved seductively like a vampire in the moonlight.

Licking her lips, she purred, "I guess I have fallen for you as well."

"That punch was for bonking me earlier and being a stubborn twat," she continued, her smile widening.

"Also," she added playfully, "your blood tastes amazing."

I stared at her and chuckled, "You're a bloody freak."

She played her fingers over my chest, a coy smile playing on her lips.

"I know," she admitted with a wink. "I'm a bloody freak."

Leaning closer, our breaths mingled as we shared another kiss, our lips still tinged with the taste of blood.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still again, leaving only the soft exchange of breath and the tender embrace of our scarred bodies drawing closer.

Under the watchful gaze of Orionis and Galadria, the twin moons casting their ethereal glow upon us, we kissed atop the countless souls laid to rest in the Tomb.