"What are you doing?" Kamila asked. She was used to Lith giving her butterflies in the stomach, but the blue will-o'-the-wisps in the living room were new. Also, she had been expecting a warm reunion, not a sweaty one.

At least not until they moved to the bedroom.

"I'm making sure that the perfection of your health matches that of your heart." He avoided using the word 'body' for several reasons.

His paranoia made him fear that Kamila would suspect he was shapeshifting her. Also, Kamila was already self-conscious about her appearance because of Lith's family good looks. He wanted to avoid adding oil to the fire.

"I was going to take a quick shower while you'd set up the table, but now it might take a while. Care to join me?" She asked.

"Usually I would jump at the opportunity, but we're both starving." Among its many effects, Invigoration always made it subjects work quite an appetite.

"You know that if I get in there with you, we'll come out only when the food is cold, the beer is warm, and the moon is high." He replied.

"It doesn't sound like a bad plan to me." She reached for his lips while her hands caressed his hair. It was a slow, sensual kiss that awakened the hunger they had for each other.

Lith tried to keep his cool, but Kamila's hands moved down his neck, back, and finally reached his ass. His willpower turned paper thin at that point but it held.

"Damn, woman. Kiss me again like that and you're not getting any sleep tonight." He said.

"Make me." She panted in his ear, making what was left of his rationality crumble.

***

A few hours later, after Lith had fixed their dinner at the best of his abilities, they dined together. The first thing Kamila did after getting out of the bedroom was to retrieve her army suitcase and take the Camellia out.

She then recharged the magical flower with her imprint and put it inside a small vase they used as centrepiece.

"Why do you bring it at work? Show off much?" Lith teased her.

"No, silly." She giggled. "Between the fact that I often slept at the Ernas Mansion, the night shifts, and the emergencies, it's been a long time since I knew where I would spend the night twice in a row.

"I always keep your gift with me because I want to make sure it never withers. Also, I consider it my good luck charm."

Her words made him happy and brought a smile to Lith's face, thinking back at how awkward had it been the moment when he had gifted the Camellia to her.

It took him a while to tell her all that had happened during his absence. Things like his meeting with Xedros or the truth about his battle against Dawn couldn't be shared during a call, no matter how secure the amulet was supposed to be.

"So that's what you were doing instead of submitting your report." She grunted. "First Faluel and now a Wyvern. I guess you've a thing for cold blooded lizards if you prefer their company to mine. Maybe it's because you're a Wyrmling yourself."

"Oh, please. Xedros is a male and an ass. You've no reason to get jealous. As for Faluel…"

"I'm just messing with you." She giggled, cutting him short. "Gods, you fall for it every single time. Guilty conscience much?"

Lith ignored her second taunt and just held hand.

"I can't believe I missed even our small bickering." He said. "Speaking of Faluel, I need your help talking to my family."

"All you need to do is tell me when and I'll be there for you. Yet I don't see how the two things are related, unless you want to introduce her to them." Kamila said.

"That's actually a good idea, but that will have to wait. First, I have to come clean with them about me being a hybrid." Lith sighed.

"Finally! I mean, why now of all times?"

"Because I don't know how long my apprenticeship will take. I can't lie to them about where I'll be staying, what I'm doing, and with who. That would be unfair to them and as you so subtly pointed out, it's a talk long overdue.

"I might bring Protector and Selia along to smooth things over, but I need your help to also find an excuse with your sister to leave her out. I like Zinya but…" Lith didn't know what to say without sounding awfully rude.

"But she's not family. You don't feel like trusting her with such a big secret." Kamila completed the phrase for him.

"Exactly. Depending on how it goes, my parents might need a bit of space. We might be living in Belius for a while." Lith hated the city's dimensional blocking array but it was nothing compared to his fear of rejection.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that everything will be fine." She said, trying to reassure him.

Lith could withstand sub-zero temperatures without batting an eye and their house was warm, yet he was shivering.

Kamila stood up, hugging him from behind until she managed to make Lith feel safe again.

"Stop being paranoid. I had no problem with your other half and I knew you for just over a year. They are your parents and they know you forever." She kissed his neck while caressing is chest. "Let's get to bed now. We'll cuddle until you fall asleep."

Lith jumped up, shapeshifting into his Wyrmling form while lifting her in a princess carry.

"I warned you, yet you didn't listen. My word is my bond. No sleep for you tonight." He used his fiery gaze and growling voice to sound menacing.

"It sounds fair. If you play with fire, you're bound to get burned. Only one question. Are we doing the dragon and the maiden or the demon lord and the princess?" Kamila asked.

"Good gods, woman! At least try to act scared." Lith chuckled at her odd choices of role play.

"Of you? Never." Her words followed by a kiss on the scales covering his fangs gave Lith hope for his future and made him rush to their destination.

***

The following morning Lith had to use Invigoration to get out of bed early and not waste precious daylight. Between the sun setting early and the curfew, time was precious.

"I'm going to visit Protector before going to my parents. I'm curious to see if Nalrond has accepted my offer and if he did, how Selia took paying the price for my 'generosity'." Lith said once he was back from the shower.

"Maybe I'll go visit Faluel as well. The last time I heard from her she seemed to have some important matters to discuss. Worst case scenario, we'll meet for lunch at my parents'. I'll keep my amulet at hand in the case you need a Warp to Lutia."

Yet Kamila was already snoring. Without Invigoration, she didn't hear a single word from him. Lith wrote her a note and set an alarm clock, just to be safe. Then, on second thought, he shared with her a bit of vigor, just to be safer.