Two weeks had passed since they returned to the capital from the pass. The unconscious sorcerers all woke three days after their return, though they remained weak. To no one’s great surprise Imogen had pushed the hardest to get back on her feet. After watching her struggle for several days and enduring her glares whenever he tried to help, Damien had offered to take her and the others to the druid village to ask if they’d share access to the earth force pool under the temple. Considering Damien had saved their village he felt pretty good about his chances of convincing them. Only Imogen had agreed. She was so anxious to get better he suspected she would have agreed if he suggested bathing in the blood of a slaughtered cow.

So here he was, leaning against the dirt wall of the grotto, watching Imogen’s flawless figure drifting across the surface of the pool. She looked asleep, and as he recalled Leah had slept through most of her treatment as well. Damien yawned just thinking about it.

If you’d asked him the day before he would have denied the possibility, but now he was getting bored with watching.

With any luck her healing wouldn’t take as long as his did.

If anything it should take longer. After all she was attached to the crystal for longer than you.

“You got me there.” Damien yawed again. “Any ideas on how we might make the time go by faster?”

I have a few thoughts.

Damien spent a thoroughly pleasant hour with Lizzy after which they drifted in the night sky together. It had been too long since he felt her wings around him. Damien had missed the softness of her skin against his.

“You like her,” Lizzy said.

“Imogen? Yes, she’s vulnerable, never mind the tough exterior. I like to think when we’re together she’s more stable. Alone I fear she might do something self-destructive. That would be a shame. She’s a basically good person.”

“And beautiful.”

“The second most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He kissed the nape of her neck.

Lizzy let out a sigh that was almost a purr. “Don’t try and distract me. Will you marry her, start a family?”

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Damien laughed then caught himself when he realized Lizzy was serious. “I doubt Imogen is the marrying kind and I’m no more interested in marrying her than I was Karrie. I had more of a working partnership in mind. We could go on missions together, keep each other company if we got lonely. That’s more a problem for her than me since I have you.”

“I think she has more than a working relationship in mind for the two of you.”

“Yeah, she’s made that pretty clear. I’m hoping if I explain the situation enough times she’ll accept it.”

“She tempts you,” Lizzy said. Though he couldn’t see her face the way they were situated he heard the smile in her voice. “More than any of the others this damaged woman calls to you. Why?”

Now it was his turn to sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe because I spend so much time blowing stuff up and killing things the thought of saving someone appeals to me.”

“What if she can’t be saved?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I have to try. Do you understand?”

“I understand. You remind me so much of my first love, sometimes it hurts. He had a big heart. Big enough to save a demon from her own corruption. Maybe you can save her the way he saved me. I’ll support you any way I can.” Lizzy cocked her head. “She’s awake.”

They kissed once more and Damien found himself back in his body just in time to watch Imogen sink under the surface of the pool then stand up in a spray of water, her hair flying back from her face. She looked like something out of legend.

Imogen noticed him leaning against the wall and smiled. “How long was I out?”

Damien shrugged. “Hard to tell underground. A while.”

“Sorry to keep you sitting around. Were you bored?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I found a way to pass the time. More importantly, how are you?” Her core was full and her soul force flow looked correct, but he wanted to hear it from her.

She climbed out of the water and posed for him, water dripping off her. “I’m good. In fact I haven’t felt this good in ages. It was nice of the druids to share it with us.”

Damien nodded and tossed her the towel Leah had given them before they started down the tunnel. “Too bad the others didn’t want to come along.”

She snorted and dried her legs. “Fainthearted, every one of them. I expected better of Lon at the very least. Still, I don’t mind having a little time alone with you. Especially now that you and the princess are officially through.”

Damien gestured and her crimson tunic floated up from the floor. “We don’t want to overstay our welcome.”

She flashed a wicked grin. “Another fainthearted sorcerer. Later then.”

While she dressed Damien pushed himself off from the wall and stood up. His back popped when he straightened. How long had he been sitting there? Damien stuck his head out into the tunnel. Not a soul around. He hadn’t really expected anybody. This part of the temple wasn’t used often.

Imogen hugged him from behind and kissed his ear. “I’m dressed. Happy now?”

Relieved might have been a better word, but he kept that thought to himself. “Let’s say our goodbyes and head for home. Maybe we can help hunt down some cultists.”

Her arms tightened around him. “I’d like that. Those bastards need to pay for what they did to me and the others.”