Just before we walked around the corner of Kesstel’s RV, someone called out, “Noble!”

Kesstel and I turned to see Blood Sword waving in our direction. The group of Eden and Redding Hunters were slowly walking toward the circle of campers. Blood Sword locked eyes with Kesstel then jerked his chin toward the Redding Hunters, obviously wanting Kesstel to join them.

Kesstel’s lips formed a hard slant. He glanced from me to the Hunters then back. He sighed. “Obligations and getting along with people, right?”

I smiled at him. “Yep.”

Okay, I didn’t really want him to get along with the Redding Hunters, but it would be better for humanity in general if this Boss could form some sort of attachment to Earth. If he could start seeing this place as his new home, think of how much harder he’d fight for it.

Kesstel nodded and motioned to his camper. “The shower is already set up for you. Take as much time as you need. I’ll see you when you get out.”

He turned and walked toward the Hunters as they formed a group in the middle of the camper circle. Tables and chairs were set out, with people milling around and interacting with each other. They were all rich, and they dressed like it. All they needed was a little music, a bonfire, and some alcohol and this could be a bonafide party, instead of a Hunting expedition.

And in the middle of it was the Tári, looking right at home under the flattery of the Eden Hunters. Even Blake and President Price were smarming up to the elf-like woman. When Kesstel joined the group, she smiled at him with gentle eyes.

My eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t keep the frown from pulling at my lips. I couldn’t watch anymore, so I hurried into the RV and locked the door behind me. After I was clean, I took a minute to look at my clothes. Yesterday, I didn’t care what I threw on. Jeans and a cheap shirt were just fine around Kesstel because I knew he didn’t care what I wore, and I was used to his upscale look. Now that I was going to be with a bunch of people who did care, I found myself scowling at my clothes and wishing I owned something better. In the end, I picked my nicest shirt and a pair of black leggings. They looked nice, and the outfit was flexible, in case monsters suddenly came.

When I reached for the handle, I paused. It would be a lot easier if I just hid inside the camper for the rest of the night. No one would have the guts to interrogate me here, not even Charlie or my babysitters. And I wouldn’t have to see the Redding Hunters again. Ironically, it was the image of those people that motivated me to open the door. I wasn’t going to hide in here because of them.

It seemed like all the introductions had ended by the time I came out. Hunters were mixing with each other, casually talking. On the surface, it was all fun and games, the air thick with happy voices and laughter, but underneath they were feeling each other out, checking to see who was stronger than who. It was like a shiver of sharks, circling and bumping each other, never taking the first bite to start a feeding frenzy, but each still asserting their dominance as a predator. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought they needed drinks, because someone had passed out beer while I was gone, and some snack foods were spread out on the tables in the middle of the circle.

Kesstel and the other S Ranked Hunters were standing together on the outside of the mingling group. There were too many people between me and him to know what they were talking about, but Miranda said something and everyone laughed. Well, everyone but Kesstel. He nodded his head slightly and sipped his bottle.

When it came to people that I was comfortable enough to hang with, right now it was narrowed down to two people — Kesstel, standing with the other S’s, or Jonovan, talking with several other Hunters, including the Redding Healer. I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Even if that position was way out of my league, I belonged at Kesstel’s side. Just like I promised.

As I walked around the mingling Hunters, I heard snippets of their conversation.

“Damn, so you’re saying that most of the areas in the Redding Gate are dry? We have some dry places, but most of Eden’s Gate Vale is forested.”

“I’m already up to fifty-six kills since the start of the expedition. Me and my buddy have a bet to see who’s going to get more kills.”

“Wow, Tári really made all these snacks herself? God, traveling with her must be a dream.”

I silently snorted at the last one and kept moving on toward my target location.

Charlie walked up to Blood Sword and the Healer Laurel. She whispered something in Blood Sword’s ear. His face settled into a serious frown then he bumped Laurel and nodded to the side. The three of them walked away, leaving Miranda and Kesstel together.

Miranda looked into Kesstel’s face, a smile softening her elvish features. I had to admit, they looked good standing together. Her elegance was a perfect pair to his sophisticated arrogance.

It wasn’t the first time I thought he looked good with another woman. But unlike with Bethany, seeing them stand so close together left a sour taste in my mouth.

A dry breeze wafted between the campers, causing some people to bow over their food to protect it.

Miranda brushed a casual hand through her hair, effortlessly putting her curls back into place while subtly showing off the beautiful, whimsical gem-studded design around the Guide pearl in her temple. She looked up at Kesstel and softly laughed. “Oh my. Your hair got ruffled.” She lied right in his face and reached out.

Kesstel’s eyes narrowed in displeasure and tilted his head slightly away from her incoming hand.

I didn’t know if Miranda’s skin was too thick, or she didn’t notice that he was rejecting her action. Either way, she kept reaching for his hair.

My eyes narrowed. It felt like a bomb went off in my mind. I never thought I was a possessive person, but the sense of distaste in me exploded into full-on rage at her intimate actions. Don’t touch him!

In the blink of an eye, I was standing right in front of them, my hand up beside Kesstel’s head like a shield.

Miranda’s fingers hit the back of my hand. She paused, as if startled that I was suddenly there. She sharply turned to me and drew back her hand, a dark emotion flashing in her eyes.

I didn’t even look at her. I kept my gaze locked on Kesstel’s face and generously smiled, even though I was still burning inside. “Here. Let me fix that for you.” My fingers brushed through his soft hair, as if I was soothing an upset cat.

The apathetic glint in his blue eyes softened as a hint of a smile touched his face, as if he’d already seen through her actions to mine. But he still leaned his head into my hand, letting me touch all I wanted. He relaxed and rested his hand on my waist.

His actions soothed the anger boiling in my chest.

Miranda’s eyes flared in a flash of anger before she hid the emotion behind a kind smile. “Oh, I almost didn’t recognize you. You clean up good.” Her flattery was like a knife, but I was getting used to it.

Kesstel’s finger twitched on my waist and his eyes sharpened.

Miranda didn’t seem to notice the pressure building around him. She turned to me and said, “I set out a bunch of snacks to share on the table. Why don’t you fill your stomach? They’re free for everyone.” Her words were kind, but there was an obvious message behind her smooth tone: Go away, you poor little bum.

It felt good to finally get in her way, even if it was just a fraction of the damage she inflicted on me.

Before I could come up with some words to rub her raw, Kesstel straightened. “There’s no need. She’s fine.” He pulled me closer to his side. The brown bottle in his hand disappeared, replaced with a familiar pink pastry box. He handed it to me.

A thrill of excitement went through me as I took the box. The smell of sugar, chocolate, and nuts pushed away the dry decay that had been assaulting my nose the last two days. “Kesstel, why didn’t you give this to me last night?” I asked, cradling the box.

He flashed a brief smile. “I can’t give you all the treats at the same time. They need to be spread out so they can last the whole trip.”

Miranda’s smile spasmed as she tried to keep it in place.

I completely ignored her and opened the lid, revealing a chocolate puffed pastry, a ricotta sfogliatelle, and several other pastries. The snacks that Miranda brought looked good, but nothing like this. Happily, I handed Kesstel the ricotta sfogliatelle, careful to not break the hundreds of paper-thin layers, and took the chocolate one for myself. The box disappeared in my Items Bag for later splurging. I grinned at him. “Thank you.”

He nodded in response and ate his Italian pastry.

Miranda looked completely at a loss for words. How long had it been since she was so thoroughly ignored? “I have to say, those pastries did look wonderful,” she said, trying to break the ice. “Where are they from?”

I swallowed my bite. “There’s a pastry shop in Eden that Kesstel and I go to a lot.” Was I showing off too much? Probably. I thought I’d feel more awkward than this, but I had to admit, it felt good declaring my position at Kesstel’s side. Especially after she was so blatantly flirting with him.

Kesstel and I turned our heads at the same time when Blood Sword walked up to us. Miranda glanced at him and revamped her efforts to appear like a queenly elf, but she didn’t even get a glance.

Blood Sword’s gaze was locked on me. “Evening Miss Dehvro. Your team lead told me you had found a clue to the Las Vegas Portal?” His rough voice was a low rumble, obviously not wanting other people to hear.

Miranda, who was standing close to us, stiffened and gave me a sharp look.

I ignored her. When Mona had brought up the idea of telling others about the Orc sword, I knew it was the right thing to do. But now that I was in this position, my first instinct was to hide it so they couldn’t take the sword from me.

In the end, I nodded slowly. “Yes. I believe so.”

Blood Sword’s face tightened. “Is that so? Come with me.” He used his head to motion over his shoulder. In the gap between the campers where he was indicating, I could see Laurel, Charlie, Alex, and Mona watching.

“Oh,” Miranda spoke up, not bothering to lower her voice. Just like that, she regained her queenly persona and turned it up to an eleven. “If there’s something that involves the Portal, doesn’t everyone have the right to know about it?” She softly touched her cheek with a delicate hand. “After all, this is a joint operation, isn’t it? If it's a clue to finding the Portal, we all should hear about it.”

The closest Hunters turned at her first sentence and quieted, open curiosity and shock on their faces. This caught other people’s attention. Like dominoes, one by one, all the Hunters quieted and turned in our direction.

Miranda smiled gently and tapped her finger tips in front of her, forming a triangle with her hands. She glanced between Blood Sword’s stiff face and Kesstel’s apathetic stare, before settling on my annoyed expression. “Please, Miss Dehvro. Show us this clue.” Hidden in her soft tone was a challenge.

*****